Outback, Australia

People will tell you that the interior of Australia - that loooonnnngggg stretch of land between the southern tip of the mainland and Darwin at the Top End - is one of the most barren and abandoned pieces of real estate on God's green earth. And they're right - it is.

Take the Stuart Highway (or the Track, as word-thrifty locals call it) from Port Augusta, just out of Adelaide, to Darwin, at the steaming tropical rim of the Gulf of Carpentaria. You'll pass through the empty vastness of the Simpson Desert and its patterned sand dunes, the formidable barrier of the blood-red McDonnell Ranges, and the edges of the vast and shrubby Tanami Desert.

Apart from the sand in the Simpson Desert and the crimson earth of the McDonnell Ranges, the rest is pretty much spinifex, heat, blue sky and a whole lot of loneliness. This is the god forsaken, bleak country where Mad Max III was filmed. This is 'beyond the black stump' country. Often the only sounds are the harsh and melancholy cries emanating from a murder of crows overhead. (Some have suggested the call is a succinct, if not critical, commentary on the land itself.)

But it's the desert's unearthly stillness and emptiness that make the interior such an unforgettable experience. After a while, the monotony and boredom of the landscape induces a matching mental emptiness - it's as close as you'll get to meditative nirvana without spending years on a mountaintop gazing at your own navel.

Since the Stuart Highway was sealed, old timers and hardcore off-roaders no longer think of it as a true outback track. They prefer the more rugged terrain of the old drovers' routes: the Oodnadatta, Birdsville and Tanami tracks, the Gunbarrel Highway and the 'Bomb Roads.' But there are still things to do for those not interested in driving for driving's sake or seeing 'how she handles the wet.'

Visit the underground mining town of Cooper Pedy (the name is Aboriginal for 'white fella's hole in the ground,' which pretty much sums it up) and fossick for opals, take a swim in the crystal clear waters of Mataranka Springs, have a few rest days in Alice Springs, then visit Uluru or camp in the vicinity of the stunning gorges in the McDonnell Ranges.

If you're looking to get away from the hurly-burly of big city life there's no better place to do it than in the Central Deserts. Get a 4WD and head out into the empty wilderness, sleeping at night under the Southern Cross and the vast ocean of stars. You'll see why this land is part of the Aboriginal Dreaming, and understand why they want it back.

Resource: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/theme/deserts/deserts_outback.htm

We aim to offer the highest quality tours at an affordable price. We place focus on tours that accommodate small groups and are nature based ecological adventure tours that cover all aspects of Australian wildlife and Aboriginal culture.
You may also want to consider a camping tour, accommodated tour, 4WD holiday and other special travel packages to experience the best of Australia!

Some of the most popular tours include:
Kakadu, Uluru (Ayers Rock) & Katherine Gorge, Kangaroo Island, the Flinders Ranges & Coober Pedy, Cradle Mountain, Wineglass Bay & Port Arthur, the Bungle Bungles, Karijini National Park & Exmouth, Cape Tribulation, the Tablelands and the Great Barrier Reef.