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The Australian Outback—-the great central and northern section of the continent—-remains a frontier and is the Australia of the myths. It is the homeland of Crocodile Dundee; has very few paved roads, many are less than two lanes wide; and it encompasses a vast desert in the central area and the tropics in the north. The dry season find its rivers and streams without water but they are transformed to watery graves with rainfall. The views are ever changing and without equal--it's the destination for a true Australian adventure.
There are great bargains on airfare-—my ticket from Los Angeles to Cairns on the Queensland coast was $987. Sydney and Melbourne were a few dollars less. I visited the Red Centre (Alice Springs-Ayers Rock and environs) and the Top End (Darwin-Kakadu National Park-Katherine Gorge and more) with less than three weeks and for under $1,500. I could have spent less but treated myself occasionally.
I booked a new package offered by Down Under Tours (Northern Territory Adventure Tours offers a similar service with more experience) from Cairns on the east coast to Alice Springs. The trip took three days and was on a comfortable coach. We camped the two nights and had self-prepared picnics for lunches; dinners were in good restaurants and breakfasts were provided by our overnight hosts.
In Alice Springs I used The Alice Wanderer Town Shuttle, a tour that allowed me to get on and off as desired. I visited some of the highlights of the town—-the Ghan Train, School of the Air, the Telegraph Station and Royal Flying Doctors Service—-in my one-day stay. My overnights were in a backpackers’ lodge-—the least expensive type of accommodation in the Outback. Shared rooms and dorms are the most economical but I splurged on single rooms.
The three-day trip to Ayers Rock, the Olgas and Kings Canyon was with Northern Territory Adventure Tours. We prepared our breakfasts and dinners in permanent campsites maintained by NTAT and again picnicked our lunches. Permanently erected tents were available although many of us chose to put our swags (bedrolls) outside under the stars. We watched the reflected sunset against the giant monolith of Uluru, the Aboriginal and traditional name for Ayers Rock, while we sipped champagne and nibbled appetizers. The trip also included a visit to the Cultural Centre after watching the sun rise at the Rock. A side trip to the Olgas provided exercise on a moderate hike; the hike in King’s Canyon the following day was a bit more strenuous but the views were worth the effort.
I flew from Alice Springs to Darwin, another of my splurges; the trip is lnger but less expensive on comfortable coaches. In Darwin I stayed in a lodge again—-Frogshollow is highly recommended—-and took an afternoon city tour of pre-selected stops. The highlight was an add-on for drinks at a sailing club, and it was worth the nominal cost. The north coast of Australia is reputed to have some of the finest sunsets in the world. I saw one of them!
NTAT offers a six-day safari from Darwin that includes the jumping crocodiles on the Mary River; Fogg Dam; Kakadu National Park; Edith Falls at Nitmiluk National Park; Cutta Cutta Caves near Katherine; the Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Park. We prepared our own meals: lunches were made on the road, breakfasts and dinners in camp. Our sleeping accommodations ranged from permanently erected tents with wooden floors in NTAT sites to pitching our own two-person tents and sleeping on the ground.
All of my fellow travelers were junior to me; a few were younger than my oldest grandchild. They were from all over the world; a few were students but most were professionals. This gave me the opportunity for multi-level cultural experiences in addition to those within Australia itself.
Australia’s wonderful Outback was a true adventure and I’m convinced I saw it the very best way—-a method that was also kind to my budget.
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