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The Outback: it's an Australian icon, a place revered and mythologised, loved and cherished, and yet so few of us have truly explored it. This is a vast and beautiful land, a place of colour, texture, character and contrast, the home of our country's first people, and yet we know so little about it.
There's only one way to truly understand the Australian Outback, and that's to go there. You have to feel the energy of places like Uluru and Kings Canyon, of Cape York and Lake Eyre. You have to meet the people and listen to their stories. You have to see the landscapes and the wildlife for yourself.
The Outback is an adventure, and yet it's familiar. It's wild, and yet it's home. There's knowledge out there, and beauty, and joy – it's a world of its own, but it's uniquely ours. It's the best of Australia, and it's just waiting to be explored.
Cape York, Queensland
WHY WE LOVE IT To many people the word "Outback" conjures up images of dry, dusty landscapes – however, Cape York is something else entirely. This is the home of some of Australia's most pristine rainforests, including the famous Daintree, where the tropical rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the lush Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park. Many of the towns and settlements up here are only accessible by 4WD, providing some amazing adventures just getting from A to B.
DON'T MISS One of the quintessential Cape York experiences is the journey up to Thursday Island, a beautiful northern outpost with a rich Indigenous history, as well as boasting sites like Green Hill Fort, a World War II stronghold, and a monument to the Japanese pearl divers who once called the island home.
INSIDER TIP For those uncomfortable with the challenge of taking a 4WD through such rugged territory, the best way to see Cape York is on an organised tour, where all of the driving and planning is taken care of by an expert.
Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, Queensland
WHY WE LOVE IT It's a special privilege to gain access to this private wildlife reserve in Cape York, an area named in honour of the Crocodile Hunter himself, and managed by Australia Zoo. APT has exclusive access to these 135,000 hectares of spring-fed wetlands, which are home not just to the famous crocodiles, but other rare and vulnerable plant and wildlife species, including the endangered speartooth shark.
DON'T MISS Guests who visit the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve are given a unique insight into the running of the conservation projects in the area, including the sonar tracking of wildlife and the deployment of the park's crocodile cages. Later on in the day, they're also given a quick lesson in local bush tucker.
INSIDER TIP Access to the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve is one of APT's Signature Experiences, and is available as part of tours such as the 12-day Cooktown and Cape York 4WD Adventure.
Lake Ballard, Western Australia
WHY WE LOVE IT There are few places in the world as unforgettably haunting as Lake Ballard, a wide and desolate salt pan in the centre of Western Australia. Just the area itself is impressive – however, what most people come here to see is the art exhibition "Inside Australia", a majestic and extensive series of sculptures by the artist Antony Gormley. Fifty-one ghostly steel shapes dot more than 10 square kilometres of the former lakebed, creating amazing photo opportunities that your friends back home will barely believe.
DON'T MISS Just to add to the eerie feeling around Lake Ballard, the area is also home to Gwalia, a one-time hub from the gold mining era that is now a ghost town. A museum in nearby Leonora captures Gwalia's short but fascinating history.
INSIDER TIP It's worth setting aside plenty of time to properly explore and appreciate the "Inside Australia" sculptures, spread out as they are across such a large area, and all worthy of viewing.
Uluru, Northern Territory
Photo: iStock
WHY WE LOVE IT If there's one place every Australian should see at least once in their lifetime, it's Uluru. There's a certain magic about this big red rock in the middle of the desert that's very difficult to explain. Once you've walked its circumference, however, and listened to its stories told by local Anangu elders, you'll never again have reason to question why this is still considered such a sacred site – as it should be to all Australians.
DON'T MISS Though this is a naturally beautiful location, perhaps one of the finest in the world, it's a new man-made attraction that's become one of Uluru's drawcards. Artist Bruce Munro's "Field of Light" (extended until 31 March 2018) is a blanket of more than 50,000 tiny lights that "bloom" on the desert floor near Uluru, providing a truly stunning sight.
INSIDER TIP Another experience that shouldn't be missed around Uluru is "Sounds of Silence", a unique dinner experience under the stars with that big, beautiful rock looming in the distance.
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, South Australia
Photo: iStock
WHY WE LOVE IT It's amazing to find that Australia's largest lake is not really a lake at all. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, all 9500 square kilometres of it, only fills with water on the rare occasion, and has only made it to full capacity three times in the last 150 years. When water does trickle in, however, this barren salt pan is transformed into a sea of green, as plant life blooms, and birds flock to feed on the insects and algae that spring to life. In the dry times, Lake Eyre is still beautiful in its size and its stark nature.
DON'T MISS There is really only one way to properly appreciate the expansiveness and beauty of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, and that's with a scenic flight over the lake. Most of these journeys also take in the Anna Creek Painted Hills, an amazing sea of colour in an otherwise monochromatic land.
INSIDER TIP Before exploring Lake Eyre, grab a pub lunch at William Creek, the halfway point of the famous Oodnadatta Track.
The Kimberley, Western Australia
WHY WE LOVE IT In the Kimberley, you have everything that's beautiful and great about the Outback contained in one area. Covering nearly 423,000 square kilometres in north Western Australia, the Kimberley features spectacular, deep gorges, tumbling waterfalls, beautiful white-sand beaches, rugged forests, and vast working cattle stations. There's so much to discover here, from deserted waterholes to centuries-old Indigenous rock art, aquatic wildlife breeding grounds to natural thermal pools.
DON'T MISS It wasn't until the early 1980s that tourists discovered the Bungle Bungle Range, a vast series of beehive-shaped domes of rock that dot Purnululu National Park. The area is about 350 million years old, and has become one of the most popular sights, particularly for budding photographers, in the Kimberley.
INSIDER TIP The best way to see the Kimberley is by combining two unique styles of touring: by boat, and by 4WD. A cruise will allow you to appreciate the Kimberley's spectacular coastal scenery, while some of the area's most rugged terrain can only be accessed by 4WD.
Unforgettable Person
JANE BALLANTYNE, APT OUTBACK DRIVER-GUIDE
Jane Ballantyne has been exploring the Outback as a Driver-Guide for 11 years, and is still yet to see every sight. Though she calls coastal Broome home, some of her favourite destinations are in the interior. "We have an amazing backyard full of hidden gems," Jane says. "Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park is a stunningly green, watery oasis in the middle of Outback Queensland. It's such a privilege to be able to share amazing places like this."
This article is produced in association with APT. For more information visit www.aptouring.com.au/traveller, call 1300 202 192 or contact your local travel agent.
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