8 unique outback getaways to have at least once in Australia

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Beyond the red dirt roads and tiny towns, the outback is full of extraordinary beauty, from hot pools to waterfalls and ancient rock formations. Venture out there to see this wondrous place for yourself.

1. Wellness Way, Qld

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Forget embarking on an outback pub crawl. Instead, enjoy pool-hopping around the outback on the Wellness Way. The new trail connects 24 towns that sit above the Great Artesian Basin across Queensland’s rugged interior. From Mitchell and Cunnamulla to Longreach and Mount Isa, each of the towns is home to pools, springs and bathhouses filled with mineral-rich waters said to contain healing powers that promote skin health, soothe muscles and instil tranquillity.

steam rising from Talaroo Hot Springs
Hot granite rocks naturally heat Talaroo Hot Springs. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Phil Warring)

2. Ikara-Flinders Ranges, SA

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

an aerial view of Ikara Flinders Ranges
See Ikara from land and sky. (Image: Getty Images/Zetter)

It’s no wonder Ikara-Flinders Ranges was nominated for a tentative listing as a World Heritage site with UNESCO. The rugged ranges, some 500 kilometres north of Adelaide, were formed more than 600 million years ago and are home to wonders such as the colossal amphitheatre Wilpena Pound. Hike its ancient ridges on the three-day Arkaba Walk, see it from above on a scenic flight from Rawnsley Park Station, or stay at Arkaroola International Dark Sky Sanctuary for a cosmos show like no other. Alternatively, take a seven-day Lake Eyre and Flinders Ranges tour with APT , as Australia’s largest salt lake, Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre, experiences a spectacular and rare flooding phenomenon.

emus in Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Emus wander in the grassland of Ikara-Flinders Ranges. (Image: Adam Edwards)

3. Board The Ghan, SA & NT

Travelling with: Imogen Eveson

Every Australian dreams of travelling on The Ghan at least once. This legendary train journey, named for the pioneering cameleers who blazed a path into the Red Centre, captures imaginations as it makes tracks across the country between Adelaide and Darwin. Book a Gold Premium cabin for a 21st-century translation of the train’s original Art Deco stylings and a colour palette drawn from Albert Namatjira’s famous landscapes. Or level up in Platinum. Then sit back and watch the living painting unfold through your window.

the JBRE Accommodation Platinum Service Cabin dining service, The Ghan
An ultra-modern cabin equipped with Platinum dining and lounge. (Image: Heather Dinas Photography)

4. The Kimberley, WA

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

The far reaches of Western Australia could be the country’s most wild. Where the striking red of pindan cliffs meets white sands and turquoise waters. A cradle for ancient rock art, thunderous waterfalls and dramatic gorges. Travelling slowly through the Kimberley is ideal. Consider Intrepid Travel’s Wild Kimberley Overland , which unfolds over 11 days. For those shorter on time, its Broome to the Bungle Bungles tour can have you seeing it all in just five days. You’ll explore the state’s largest cave system, visit old gold rush towns, see Cathedral and Windjana gorges, and the bizarre and beautiful 20-million-year-old forms of the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park.

the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley
Discover the wild wonders of the Kimberley, such as the Dampier Peninsula. (Image: Tourism Australia)

5. Uluṟu, NT

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Enigmatic Uluṟu changes colours throughout the day, starting at sunrise when the monolith is bathed in a flaming red glow. Take it in on a Sunrise Journey tour , operated by Ayers Rock Resort, when artworks created by three local Anangu women come to life through laser projection and music. Mid-morning, join a free ranger-guided Mala walk around the base of the ochre-hued rock to learn the Ancestral Anangu Mala story. Then watch Uluru blush pink and purple at sunset and dine on bush tucker under the stars as the Field of Light installation begins to twinkle.

the majestic landscape of Uluru
Witness the changing colours of Uluru. (Image: Tourism NT/Kate Flowers)

6. Mungo National Park, NSW

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

The lunar-like landscape of Mungo National Park in outback NSW was formed by ancient dry lake basins and shifting sands. It’s a mind-boggling land rich in Indigenous history and home to the world’s oldest human cremations and megafauna remains, where emus and giant red kangaroos roam. Australian Wildlife Journeys leads a six-day small group tour to Mungo and beyond that gives travellers the chance to appreciate its enormous significance to human history and ecology.

moon rises over Mungo National Park
The moon rising over Mungo National Park. (Image: Destination NSW/Dee Kramer)

7. Australia by camelback, WA & SA

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Trekking across a vast and empty desert may be unthinkable to some. To others, it’s the ultimate adventure or even a journey of self-discovery. Channel Robyn Davidson, who trekked for 2700 kilometres across WA’s deserts in the 1970s, with a little help from Outback Camel Company , which operates week-long desert treks and expeditions across the Simpson Desert. Alternatively, Camel Treks Australia ventures through the Ikara-Flinders Ranges and deep into the Tirari Desert.

a woman petting a camel, Camel Treks Australia
Camel Treks Australia ventures through the Ikara-Flinders Ranges. (Image: Tourism Australia/South Australia Tourism Commission)

8. Kakadu National Park, NT

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Sprawling across 20,000 square kilometres, World Heritage-listed Kakadu is a kaleidoscope of savannah woodlands, rugged stone escarpments, tropical waterholes, cascading waterfalls and wetlands that swell in the wet season. It’s a habitat to one-third of the country’s bird species and some 10,000 crocs, with Yellow Water Billabong a haven for wildlife spotting. And its Traditional Owners, the Bininj/Mungguy people, have lived here for 65,000 years, with some 5000 rock art sites – including famous Ubirr and Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) – dotted throughout the national park. To see a place of such staggering biodiversity and history is a must for all Australians.

an aerial view of Jim Jim Falls, Kakadu National Park, NT
See the majestic Jim Jim Falls from above. (Image: Tourism NT/Hello Emily)
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8 secret places in Western Australia you need to know about

    Kate BettesBy Kate Bettes
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    WA might be enormous, but the right insider knowledge brings its mysteries a whole lot closer.

    “Western Australia is a land of record-breakers,” says Carolyn Tipper, a Travel Director working on AAT Kings Western Australia tours. “It has the second-longest fault line, the second-largest meteorite crater, the second-fastest flowing river—it just keeps surprising you. And every area has its charm.”

    From tropics to deserts, Australia’s largest state is a land of extremes. You can’t see all of Western Australia in a lifetime, but with the right guide, you can discover its hidden pockets of magic.

    Carolyn wishes to reach her guests’ hearts. “I want them to enjoy and be in awe,” she says. “I want them to have the holiday of a lifetime.”

    1. Mimbi Caves

    You wouldn’t expect a Great Barrier Reef in the outback – but that’s what you’ll find at Mimbi Caves. Once part of a 350-million-year-old reef, these caves hold marine fossils, ancient Indigenous rock art, and Dreamtime stories shared by a Gooniyandi guide.

    “That’s when the real connection happens,” says Carolyn, who has taken guests through on the AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour . “When guests connect, not just with the land, but with the people who have called it home for tens of thousands of years.”

    Eye-level view of traveller exploring Mimbi Caves.
    Walk through ancient limestone passages. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    2. Kalbarri National Park

    Nothing prepares you for the Kalbarri Skywalk: a 25-metre platform jutting over Murchison Gorge, 100 metres above the red cliffs and river below. From July to October, join the AAT Kings Untamed Pilbara and West Coast tour to see over 1000 wildflower species paint the park, and listen as an Indigenous guide shares their uses, bush foods and medicine plants.

    “I want our guests to have an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It’s not just about seeing the land, it’s about stepping into the stories.”

    An aerial view of the Kalbarri Skywalk, one of the secret places in Western Australia, with visitors on the edge.
    Stand on the Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    3. Hamelin Bay Wines

    Margaret River isn’t just a top wine region – it’s a winner in every category. Where the Indian and Southern Oceans collide, granite cliffs rise, limestone caves sprawl and Karri forests tower. It almost distracts from the world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

    Almost.

    Out of over 100 cellar doors, AAT Kings pick Hamelin Bay Wines as a favourite. Hosted tastings of small-batch wines on the Western Wonderland tour end with a group meal. The menu shifting with the seasons.

    “Get off the beaten track to one of WA’s most relaxed venues for some amazing red and white signature wines,” explains Carolyn, “accompanied with upmarket pub food.”

    Spectacular views.

    A person raising a glass of Chardonnay against a glowing Western Australia sunset.
    Sip world-class wines at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia. (Image: Getty)

    4. Wildflower Guided Walk, Kings Park

    Western Australia is home to 12,000 native plant species – 3000 bloom in Kings Park’s Botanic Garden. Stroll past Kangaroo Paw, Banksia and blooms from the Goldfields, Stirling Ranges and Kimberley. “The diversity of Western Australia is immense,” says Carolyn, who leads guests through on the South Western Escape tour .

    Couple enjoying the view from the Lotterywest Federation walkway at Kings Park and Botanical Garden.
    Wander among thousands of native plant species. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    5. Hoochery Distillery

    Did you know that between Kununurra and Emma Gorge lies the state’s oldest continuously operating distillery? Well, the oldest legal one. Set on a family farm, Hoochery Distillery was hand-built using materials found on the property, conjuring up award-winning rum from local sugarcane, wet season rainwater and yeast.

    Today, visitors can sample a hearty nip of rum, along with whiskies and gins – all crafted using traditional, labour-intensive methods. It’s the ideal way to soak up the ‘spirit’ of the Kimberley on the AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour .

    People enjoying a rum tasting at one of the secret places in Western Australia.
    Sample award-winning rum. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    6. Geraldton

    The wildflowers of the Midwest will make your heart blossom. In Geraldton, the Helen Ansell Art Gallery brings the region’s botanicals to life in vivid colour and intricate detail. In nearby Mullewa, wander bushland trails lined with everlastings and native blooms. Further afield, Coalseam Conservation Park bursts into carpets of pink, white, and yellow each spring. Do it all on the Wildflower Wanderer tour with AAT Kings.

    woman walking through Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park
    Chase vibrant wildflower trails. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    7. El Questro

    Wake up after a night under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, ready to explore the mighty beauty of the El Questro Wilderness Park. With deep gorges, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls, time slows here.

    Join the AAT Kings’ Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour to drift through Chamberlain Gorge, where sheer sandstone walls glow burnt orange in the sun, archer fish flick at the surface, and rock wallabies peer down from ledges above. Then, step into Zebedee Springs, a secret oasis of warm, crystal-clear pools among prehistoric Livistona palms – a moment of pure, wild stillness.

    Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro.
    Wake to adventure at Emma Gorge Resort. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    8. Lake Argyle

    Once vast cattle country, Lake Argyle now sprawls like an inland sea – Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake, created by the damming of the Ord River. Scattered with over 70 islands, its glassy waters teem with life, like freshwater crocodiles, barramundi, bony bream, sleepy cod and over 240 bird species. That’s nearly a third of Australia’s avian population.

    Glide across the lake’s surface on a cruise as part of AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour , where the silence is only broken by the splash of fish and the call of birds. For Carolyn, this place is a perfect example of how WA’s landscapes surprise visitors. “Lake Argyle is a big puddle of water that became a game-changer,” she says. “Seeing it from a boat, coach, and plane is mind-blowing. It puts time, isolation and the sheer scale into perspective.”

    Aerial View of Triple J Tours on the Ord River, near Kununurra.
    Glide past islands on Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake. (Image: Western Australia)

    Discover more of Western Australia’s hidden gems and book your tour at aatkings.com.