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.
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.
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.
Resupplying in towns
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.
Thredbo (km 222 N →S)
Omeo (km 371 N →S)
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).
The General has limited supplies and, whist resupplying here is possible, we would recommend posting some additional food items to give yourself more variety.
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!
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.
Below are some companies that offer this service:
- 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.
- 50 Days arranges food drops upon request.
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:
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.
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!
Guided Trips Along the AAWT
If you’re interested in a guided experience on the Australian Alps Walking Track, we offer expeditions that complete the entire trail across three 16 day trips. On these journeys, all logistics, food drops, and premium ultralight gear are provided. You can read more about these trips here.
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.
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.
