Hiking the AAWT without food drops
The AAWT (Australian Alps Walking Track) is renowned for its logistical challenges. The trail itself doesn’t pass through any towns. The closest resupply options are Mt Hotham and Thredbo, roughly 1/3 and 2/3 of the way along the 680km track. However, these are both a 2-6km detour off the track. Â
Whilst its remoteness is a key part of its appeal, it also presents hurdles for hikers. To reduce the distance between resupply points, people often rely on pre-placed food drops. However, organising these drops can be difficult, especially for those without access to a vehicle or the time to place and collect them. This makes the AAWT especially challenging for both interstate and international hikers. Â
 If placing food drops isn’t an option, it is certainly possible to hike the trail and resupply in towns. Below, we list the resupply points you can use to hike the AAWT without placing food drops. If you are not comfortable with hitching, it may be possible to pre-arrange lifts with trail angels.Â
Resupplying in towns
In our complete AAWT Track Guide, we provide a detailed resupply section. However, in this article, we will focus solely on resupplying by detouring into the nearest towns and by posting food parcels. Keep in mind that the small rural supermarkets in these towns often have limited food variety, which may not suit you if have dietary restrictions. If that’s the case, you may want to post a food parcel to a post office or accommodation ahead of time.Â
The following towns are usually the most convenient for resupplying:Â
Tharwa
Adaminaby
Thredbo
Omeo
Hotham
Jamieson Licola Road
Walhalla
Adaminaby (km 108 N →S)
You can hitchhike from Kiandra to Adaminaby, which is a 30-minute drive. The supermarket to visit is The Adaminaby Store which has a pretty good selection of food for hikers. It also stocks gas cannisters.Â
Thredbo (km 222 N →S)
From Dead Horse Gap, you can take a 4.6km detour along the Thredbo Valley track. It is also possible to hitch. Thredbo has a FoodWorks for resupplying. The store has a pretty good selection of food for hikers but can have limited stock depending on how busy the town is (e.g. stock tends to be low when there are mountain bike events on). Sometimes it is possible to buy overpriced gas cannisters at Thredbo Retail, however it is best to call and check stock levels. Â
Omeo (km 371 N →S)
Once you reach the Omeo Highway you could get a ride into Omeo (~1h drive). The town has a well-stocked FoodWorks, and you can buy gas canisters at the Big River Fishing and Outdoors. It is important to note that it can be challenging hitching into Omeo from the Omeo Highway. The road is not always busy, especially in the afternoons. We would recommend organising a lift with a local using the Facebook Track Angels page. Â
Hotham (km 445 N →S)
Upon reaching Mt Hotham, you can take a 2.3km detour along the road into Hotham Heights. We recommend resupplying at The General (which is also a pub), as the Hotham Central Supermarket is usually closed outside the snow season. The General also serves as a post office. Pub staff can collect parcels on weekends when the post office is closed (you can check before sending). Â
The General has limited supplies and, whist resupplying here is possible, we would recommend posting some additional food items to give yourself more variety.Â
Jamieson Licola Rd (km 575 N →S).
You can hire a company to place a food parcel here, which usually costs around $400 to $500. Several companies offer these services. You can send them your dry goods, and they add water, fuel canisters, and any other requested food items to your parcel. They might even pick up a click and collect from their local Coles/Woolworths (so you don’t have to post your food), but best to check with them first!Â
We would highly recommend placing a food drop at Jamieson Licola Road. It is possible to go directly from Hotham to Walhalla (or vice versa) in a single food carry. However, this is typically the hardest section of trail with the longest water carries and most elevation gain. As such, changing a ~9 day food carry into a 4 day and a 5 day food carry is a great option.Â
Below are some companies that offer this service:Â
- Snow Dog Transport offers food drops at Jamieson-Licola Rd/Rumpff Saddle, and Benambra-Corryong Rd.
- Australian Alps Trek Support provides food drop services at various locations in Victoria.Â
- 50 Days arranges food drops upon request.Â
No-hitch options
We understand that hitching can feel intimidating, especially for solo hikers. If it is not something you would prefer doing, we would suggest the following resupply schedule:Â
Tharwa
Thredbo
Hotham
Jamieson Licola Road
Walhalla
The section from Tharwa to Thredbo is relatively flat and can be completed as a single resupply. The same can be said for Thredbo to Hotham, however this section of track is typically a bit slower than Tharwa to Thredbo as the track quality is not as good. After Hotham, we would recommend placing a food drop at Jamieson Licola Road as the final section of trail is the hardest (longest water carries and the most elevation gain). We do not recommend carrying all your food between these two sections. Â
Alternatively, you can look at arranging a lift with a trail angel in advance. There are lots of locals in both Adaminaby and Omeo who are very welcoming to hikers and would love to help out. The best way to find someone would be to post on the AAWT Facebook Track Angels page outlining what you’re looking for. It also doesn’t hurt to offer to pay for petrol and their time! Â
Conclusion
Hiking the AAWT without food drops is undoubtedly challenging. However, with careful planning and a flexible approach it is entirely possible. We think the key lies in being comfortable with taking detours and/or hitching. Â
For more details on resupply options and everything you need to know about preparing for the AAWT, head over to our AAWT Track Guide. You could also check out our AAWT Planning Sessions where we discuss AAWT resupplying, navigation, and more with hikers.Â