9 Australian Outback Towns With A Unique Twist

From Australia’s UFO capital to the world’s most isolated pub, these outback towns deliver more than dusty horizons.

Wycliffe Well, NT

Venture 380 kilometres north of Alice Springs and you’ll land smack bang in the UFO Capital of Australia. After reading about sightings during the Second World War, one man by the name of Lew Farkas purchased the local roadhouse and, after dropping a cool $4 million, created a gimmicky tourist attraction complete with kitsch UFO murals, spaceships, plastic green aliens and even (a now defunct) toy train.

There is a journal on display where visitors can record suspicious sightings by way of colourful lights that move and change shape, descend behind trees and quickly disappear; some of which have even followed cars.

Sceptics put it all down to aircraft and weather phenomena (or a few too many schooners at the pub), while believers think it’s Wycliffe Well’s geographical location and intense energy that draws these unique visitors in. Others think there’s a link to the nearby US military intelligence base Pine Gap. Whatever the reason, there have been no abductions… yet.

Australia's UFO capital. — Welcome to Australia’s UFO capital.

Hutt River, WA

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hutt River monarch, Prince Graeme Casley, made the decision to rejoin the Commonwealth of Australia as a result of “harsh times". However, that shouldn’t stop us from learning about Australia’s biggest Independent Sovereign State.

In 1970, the 7500-hectare wheat farm was seceded from Australia after its owner, the late Leonard George Casley (AKA His Royal Highness Prince Leonard the First), had disputes with the then state government over wheat quotas.

Prior to August 2020, the Hutt (population 26) was open to tourists who would come to visit the museum, see the ‘royal art collection’, have their passport stamped, and to meet members of the royal family.

Enter Hutt River – Australia’s oldest micro nation.

William Creek, SA

Dry, dusty and sparse – three words that are excellent for describing the outback. And the lengthy look down the Oodnadatta, which seems almost endless from William Creek in far northern South Australia, isn’t too far from that description either.

With a population of three permanent residents and two workers, William Creek is officially the smallest town in South Australia. Despite that, it’s situated smack in the middle of the world’s largest working cattle property, Anna Creek Station, which is almost half the size of Tassie.

William Creek also has the world’s most isolated pub, which offers a surprising variety of services, including joy flights.

William Creek from the air scenic flight — Book your Wrightsair scenic flight over William Creek (photo: Jonathan Cami).

Victoria Settlement, NT

The Victoria Settlement was perhaps the first serious European settlement attempt in northern Australia. Established 1838 and disbanded 1849, the site was brought about by a plan of the British government and the East India Company to set up a military base and a point for shipping through Torres Strait.

Sadly, it quickly became known as ‘The Forsaken Settlement’, as nearly every single person who lived here died – though that didn’t stop the English from trying to settle the area again… and again. Eventually they succeeded nearby, with Darwin. Fifth time lucky.

Located in the now-dubbed Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, Victoria Settlement ruins are accessible only by boat (tours are available, book well in advance) and a permit is required to enter the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park.

Cook, SA

Named after the sixth Prime Minister of Australia, Joseph Cook, Cook is home to a number of spooky landmarks worthy of a pit stop.

It is home to the longest stretch of straight railway in the world, extending for around 478 kilometres from Ooldea to Loongana. It is the only scheduled Nullarbor Plain stop for the Indian Pacific passenger train across Australia, and curious visitors are welcome to wander the ‘living ghost town’.

Despite the silence, Cook’s atmosphere is alive and well via a number of eerie abandoned buildings. The bush hospital keeps medical supplies in case of a train accident, signposted with the amusing catch cry: “If you’re crook come to Cook."

The handful of railroad working residents are a friendly bunch. Stop for a yarn and they may sell you a souvenir; official Nullarbor crossing certificates go for a fiver.

Cook South Australia — Cook is home to a number of spooky landmarks.

Gwalia, WA

The abandoned mining town of Gwalia is so off-the-beaten-track, that we – an authority in domestic travel – are yet to even write anything about it. Don’t hold that against us though.

It’s a trifecta of uniqueness that includes history, solitude and views. Gwalia is a living ghost town that once housed a young Herbert Hoover, former President of the US, on a geology expedition. Hoover was sent to WA to oversee burgeoning mining operations in 1897 and chose to set up shop in Gwalia, 230 kilometres north-east of Kalgoorlie.

The Sons of Gwalia mine closed down in 1963 and the population departed, leaving the town’s remains to serve as a living museum of one of Australia’s most successful mines.

Coober Pedy, SA

We hope this isn’t the first time you’re hearing about Australia’s opal capital. Far removed from the rest of the country, this delightfully strange place has a varying population from around 2000 to 4000, with 45 different nationalities.

After opals were discovered here in 1915, the Coober Pedy community got innovative and built their town underground. Four out of five residents live below the surface, and many dwellings come complete with swimming pools and entertainment rooms.

The stark landscape surrounding Coober Pedy, including the 40 kilometres or so in every direction that’s dotted with shafts and mullock heaps from opal workings, has formed the backdrop for films like Mad Max III, Priscilla, Pitch Black and Red Planet. Learn all about it with a visit to one of the underground museums.

The best time of the year to visit is between April and October, when the weather is mild and the nights are cold. You take your chances rocking up in summer, when it can reach a scorching 45ºC and dust storms can blow in from nowhere without much warning.

White Cliffs, NSW

Usually living in the shadows of her more famous cousin in SA, White Cliffs proves there’s life underground elsewhere than in Coober Pedy.

Ever since roo shooters stumbled across a precious white opal here, a tight community of dreamers has called this deserted town home, with an estimated two-thirds of the 100 or so residents living underground to escape the lunar-level extremes.

While you’re here, go underground into a working mine with the Red Earth Opal Mine Tour and try your hand at uncovering a glittering gem. And, you can’t go past a stay at the Underground Motel, with its rabbit warren of ever-expanding dugouts that will have little ones running amok for hours mind-mapping the place. After a long drive it’s a subterranean oasis in the otherwise scorched tundra of the Strzelecki Desert.

White Cliffs proves there’s life underground elsewhere.

A rude place, NT

Giving a place a weird name is a very Australian thing. However, nowhere does it quite like the Northern Territory.

Humpty Doo, Bing Bong, Fannie Bay, Mount Unapproachable, Aaaa Road, Boggy Plain, Dirty Water Billabong – these are just the tip of the iceberg for Territorians. And we’re not the only ones that think so.

English company ST&G’s Marvellous Maps has immortalised this hilarity via its Marvellous Map of Actual Australian Place Names. The map points out all the funny and rude names of locations across the nation – classy from afar, and very classy up close.

Check it out here.

Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)

9 Australian outback towns with a twist