Some of those visitors die here for exactly the same reason.

You don’t have to travel to Uluru or Kakadu to explore the Australian wilderness.

It is not necessary to head out into the vast emptiness of the Simpson Desert or down the Canning Stock Route in order to get away from it all.

There are places of rugged beauty and grandeur within a few hundred kilometres of Tamworth that are the equal – and effectively as equally as isolated – as anything in the top end.

The trouble is that if you haven’t grown up here – and this can apply to Australians from the city just as equally as it does to visitors from offshore – you may not have learnt to treat our wilderness places with an appropriate level of respect.

Walking alone is not a good idea for the unitiated.

If you run into trouble then you are – literally – on your own.

And, despite what an overseas visitor might expect, there is a good chance your mobile phone might not work in some of the pristine New England gorge country – so forget about “beam me up Scotty”.

If you are walking with a group make sure you stick with them – don’t head off on your own on the assumption you’re going to hook up later at the cafe down the road.

Even if you are planning a short walk – maybe just 30 minutes or an hour – carry a basic pack with an extra layer of clothing, some nutrition and some water.

The weather can be very changeable – and our tracks, while servicable, aren’t the “footpaths” found in many European and American national parks.

Enjoy this beautiful country certainly – but make sure you respect its dangers as well as appreciating its beauty.