OUTBACK HOLIDAYS

A rich tapestry of history, landscape and wildlife awaits at Yanga National Park, writes Kathryn Scobie You could perhaps be forgiven for missing Yanga National Park in previous visits to Outback NSW, considering it is one of the state's newest national parks, opened in 2005. However, this picturesque national park, located half way between Hay and Mildura, should be on your list for your next trip into Outback NSW. The rugged landscape, abundant birdlife and fascinating history of this area make it well worth the visit. The park has a stunning 160km of river frontage along the Murrumbidgee, making it a...

Mildura is an ideal base for a trip to the stunning Mungo National Park, writes Kathryn Scobie  Mungo National Park is situated just 110km from the outback centre of Mildura, where you can experience an abundance of blue skies, rich earth and welcoming locals. Before you embark on your discovery of the fascinating Aboriginal heritage and stark beauty awaiting you at Mungo National Park be sure to enjoy everything this thriving town has to offer. Savour the tastes of local wines and fresh produce, enjoy the Mediterranean climate and explore some of the fascinating local history of Mildura. Located on...

The Silver City is a place overflowing with outback soul and adventure right on its doorstep, writes Jessica Schumann Drenched in light, vast blue skies and clear nights ablaze with stars, Broken Hill is a Mecca for artists and is a culture hub in its own right. Situated just 50km from the South Australian border, the affectionately named Silver City is rich with authentic experiences, artefacts waiting to be discovered, and an overflow of nationally significant heritage. Broken Hill will greet you with classic outback hospitality, impressive history and a powerful punch of breathtaking beauty. It is one of the...

 Jessica Schumann seeks out the iconic in Bourke and stumbles upon some cultural delights on the way. Bourke is the gateway into south-west Queensland and the far west of Outback NSW, where green pastoral lands abruptly stop, settlements are few and the country is flat, brown and alluring. Located789km north-west of Sydney, easy-going Bourke sits at the top of Gundabooka National Park, a region of figurative segregation between Outback Australia. The iconic town holds a sense of prosperity and is a geographical hub for wool, cotton and citrus. Vast lands rich in natural heritage and human history make way for...

We asked Australia’s travel insiders to share their favourite bush retreats. Words by Alissa Jenkins El Questro Wilderness Park, WA Eugene Tan, surf photographer “This is real Australia and it’s untouched, raw and beautiful,” says Eugene Tan of the landscape surrounding his favourite outback retreat. “Even for a surf photographer, there are pictures everywhere.” Amidst The Kimberley’s rugged sandstone ranges, rainforest pockets and unexpected waterfalls lies this sprawling property, which encompasses tented cabins, family bungalows and a camping area. But Tan’s pick is the most luxurious option standing atop a cliff at the property’s heart: The Homestead. “The private rooms...

AT offers advice to a solo traveller seeking tourism tips Reader's Question: I am writing because I bought issue 38 of your magazine, which included a recommendation for Goin’ Off Air Safaris as an operator that flies over Lake Eyre [seeing the lake in flood was #3 on our 100 Things To Do Before You Die list]. I rang the number given more than once and got a recording saying they were out of the office. It suggested two mobile numbers to call instead. I called, left a message and never heard back, so a couple of days later I...

A four-day diary into the experiences of native Brit, Lynn Gail, as she heads to one of the most remote and undeveloped environments in Australia - Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Words and images by Lynn Gail Photographer Lynn Gail is a native Brit. Now living in Australia, she felt somewhat ignorant of her adopted country’s Indigenous heritage, so she headed to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, one of the most undeveloped environments in Australia, covering 100,000 square kilometres and with a population of just over 16,000. Indigenous locals live a traditional lifestyle, and the Lirrwi Yolngu Aboriginal Tourism...

WHERE IS IT? Far western Queensland. 85km south-west of Winton. Access via 4WD and light aircraft. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? It’s very basic, but Charles and Penny Phillott’s 50,000-acre sheep and cattle property wows visitors with the red mesa country of the Cory Range plus its ancient Indigenous and modern farming history. The silence and space are overwhelming. “We are still in the suburbs here,” jokes Charlie. “The next station is half a million acres.” Tours visit an ancient Aboriginal ceremonial area with bora rings, and a monument to former US president LBJ who accidentally landed here in WWII...

WHERE IS IT? Murchison, WA. 680km north of Perth; 194km north of Mullewa. Access by 4WD on unsealed roads or by light aircraft. Open: April 1-October 31. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? Wooleen is half a million acres of unbroken mulga landscape. Established in 1878, the station is owned by conservationist David Pollock, who is focused on regenerating the property to run stock sustainably. “Ask any international tourist what’s attractive about Australia: open space,” says David. “We offer fresh air, the Milky Way, complete silence and a couple of friendly people to show you around.” Tours of the property include the...

WHERE IS IT? Gulf Savannah, northern Queensland. 460km west of Cairns or Townsville, 85km south of the Savannah Way. Access via 2WD and light aircraft. Open: April 1-October 31. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? The 1284-square-kilometre Robin Hood Cattle station, so named because it adjoined the Sherwood mining lease, has been in the Terry family since 1964. Cobbold Creek, in the south-west corner of the property, was known to the Terrys and the original owners who took up the lease in 1901 but it wasn’t until 1994 that Simon Terry discovered the towering Cobbold Gorge. Recently protected as a nature refuge to...

WHERE IS IT? Flinders Ranges, SA. 10km east of Blinman; 490km north of Adelaide. Access via 4WD or light aircraft; Angorichina also runs charter flights. Open: year-round. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? Fourth-generation sheep farmer Ian Fargher and his wife Di accept just one booking at a time, so you are an exclusive guest at this 500-square-kilometre working outback sheep station in the heart of the Flinders Ranges. The renovated 1860s stone homestead is filled with music, flowers, books, antiques and wonderful smells from Di’s kitchen. You can join in sheep mustering and shearing, go bushwalking and take a 4WD...

WHERE IS IT? In the NT’s north-western corner, 200km east of Kununurra along the Savannah Way, 800km south-west of Darwin. Access by 4WD on unsealed roads, or by light aircraft; Bullo also operates charter flights. Open: March 1-October 31. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? Made famous by Sara Henderson in her autobiography From Strength to Strength and now owned by her daughter Marlee, who wrote Bullo: The Next Generation, the station offers the quintessential Top End station adventure. Half a million acres, it has hot, thirsty plains with more than 8000 Brahman-cross cattle and dusty stock camps; rivers chock-full of crocodiles and...

WHERE IS IT? Next to Mungo National Park, south-western NSW. 94km north-east of Mildura. Access by 4WD. Open: year-round. WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL? Turlee Station is a 145,000-acre working sheep, cattle and wheat station in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. It has recently locked up a 3200-hectare (7900-acre) conservation reserve to preserve native mallee fowl and chenopod mallee tree. Activities include sheep shearing, working dog demonstrations and tag-along 4WD tours where you’ll see lots of sheep, emus, kangaroos, echidnas, eagles, reptiles and native flora. There’s bushwalking and birdwatching, and it is only a 20-minute drive to Mungo National...