HIKE WITH MAREE
CARNARVON GREAT WALK QLD
Meet your Guide's and the support crew
Maree Brennan, is an experienced Hiker lucky enough to live on a Station in South-West Queensland. With a self confessed hiking addiction she brings the life to the party and has walked some of the best hikes in Australia, from the Larapinta Trail in Alice Springs, Copland and Queen Charlotte Tracks in NZ to the famous Kokoda track in PNG. But for Maree it's the Carnarvon Gorge Great Walk in her own back yard that kicked off her love for hiking starting back in 2013 when she completed the hike with the QLD Rural Wild Women Hikers. Maree first discovered this hike while mustering cattle on the station, she noticed a helicopter flying above with a net carrying large rectangle rocks. The pilot informed them the rocks were for steps for the great walk they were constructing in the mountains behind Maree's property. Considering this was being constructed right on her doorstep she was instantly excited, she informed her husband that she was going to complete the walk. Baffled he thought she was mad and suggested she do it on a horse instead. Unfazed Maree gathered a few friends and completed what was the first of many walks together. Since then she has completed one major walk a year and sometimes up to four walks. With her experience, love for hikes and bubbly personality she wants to share this with you while completing the Carnarvon Great Walk; Wild and Free —
exactly how life should be.
MAREE
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FIONA - OUR SECOND GUIDE
Fiona Bidgood is an absolute gem of a backup guide — the kind of person you’re genuinely grateful to have on the trail. She’s steady, reliable, and always one step ahead, noticing the little things that keep everyone safe, comfortable, and smiling. Fiona has a natural way of calming nerves, lifting spirits, and making even the toughest sections feel manageable. Whether she’s helping someone adjust their pack, offering encouragement at just the right moment, or sharing her trail wisdom with that signature Fiona warmth, she’s an irreplaceable part of the Hike With Maree team. Honestly, every group is better off for having her there.
FIONA
Kay
Our Emergency Back up guides
Kate and Leslie
Sandra
Jill
And then there are the emergency back-up guides — the ones who quietly step in at the last minute if Maree or Fiona can’t make it. No fuss, no fanfare. They rearrange their lives, show up fully prepared, and hold the standard without hesitation. These are the unsung heroes of the hike — steady, capable, and deeply committed to the safety and experience of every hiker. Most people never realise how close they come to being needed, but when they are, they make all the difference.
The Westbranch Trail Angels
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At the halfway point of the Carnarvon Great Walk, when everyone rolls into Westbranch tired, dusty, and carrying those 50 hard-earned kilometres in their legs, the magic really begins.
Our halfway support crew steps in like a small team of trail angels. Sandra is our kitchen queen, quietly orchestrating nibbles, dinner, and breakfast with calm efficiency. Biddy and Peter sweep into camp bringing an unbeatable mix of kindness, humour, and quiet competence that instantly lifts the whole group.
Biddy brings the laughter — the jokes that get the campfire chatter flowing and remind everyone that adventure is meant to be enjoyed. And Peter? He arrives with treats, little surprises, and that hot shower that tells you the second half of the hike is going to be just fine.
Together, they spoil us rotten — feeding us, whip-cracking when needed, encouraging us always, laughing alongside us, and turning Westbranch into a place where every hiker feels genuinely celebrated. They’re the quiet heroes behind the hike, and the experience simply wouldn’t be the same without them.
