Sunday 29 March 2026
Start From: 7:30 am
The participant briefing will take place at 7:45am at Event HQ.
Buses to the start will depart from 8:00am
This year we’re doing something a little different. On Sunday, our AussiePeaceWalk long walk is always 24km walk —usually our most popular walk.
This year we’re introducing an optional start at the 4km mark for those who only want to complete the minimum 20km required for their IML 2-day walk recognition.
But to get the AussiePeaceWalk recognition for completing the 42+24km MegaMingle or the 21+24km MultiMingle, you will need to complete the full Sunday 24km route.
Above: Walking through the National Arboretum with roughly 8km to go.
Sunday 24km Hike
The Route.
The 24km walk starts with a gradual 1km uphill before descending 100m in elevation over the next 5km.
At 2.4km, you’ll reach the ACT Bushfire Memorial, located within Stromlo Forest Park. Commissioned to acknowledge the profound impact of the 2003 Canberra bushfires, the memorial honours the community’s recovery and thanks the many organisations and individuals involved in the response and rebuilding efforts.
The design mirrors the emotional journey from devastation to renewal, incorporating salvaged bricks from destroyed homes, steel columns, an amphitheatre, and a pool of reflection.
You’ll walk past the base of the Mount Stromlo cycling facility—home to over 50km of mountain bike trails, downhill and jump trails, and a 1.2km criterium circuit—reaching Uriarra Road at the 4km mark. Here, you may be joined by walkers choosing the 20km option.
After leaving the Stromlo cycle facility, you’ll follow 1km of suburban paths before turning left at Holden’s Creek Pond.
From the 6km mark, you’ll follow the Molonglo River for 2km, then cross via causeway at 8.3km from the start.
Walkers will enter a pine forest and begin an easy ascent to the 16.5km checkpoint at the National Arboretum Conservatory—a perfect spot for coffee or a short break.
You’ll proceed through the conservatory to the National Rock Garden, a permanent outdoor exhibition celebrating Australia’s geological heritage with massive geological specimens from across the country. Informative plaques with QR codes link to deeper stories and scientific context.
From there, continue onto a straight dirt track with a short uphill section followed by an easy downhill to the Cork Oak forest.
The Cork Oak Forest is one of the Arboretum’s three heritage forests that pre‑date the Arboretum itself. It was planted in 1917 and 1920 for cork production, and the bark has been harvested periodically over the decades.
The Cork Oak Forest survived the 2003 Canberra bushfires, thanks largely to the fire‑retardant bark of the trees. It is now one of the Arboretum’s most historically significant living collections.
After the cork forest walkers will continue on a bitumen path through tunnels under three main roads to the lake’s edge. From here, you’ll follow the path along the edge of the lake for 3km and then veer off for the last 1km back up to the finish at the National Film and Sound Archive.
