The Australian Outback caters to all travel habits, Peter Robinson explores the six star to the no star Outback accommodation options.
Driving your own 4WD to the outback (and back) is one of the great satisfactions in life.
Coming home with a filthy, dirty, mud-encrusted or animal-dented car also sticks it up those aforementioned do-gooders who want to run you out of town for owning a 4WD in the city. And, since water restrictions practically make it illegal to wash your car these days, you should feel free to let that outback style linger.
Surprisingly, much of the outback can be toured in total luxury. Try El Questro in the Kimberley for starters. Stay at the homestead and enjoy fine food, helicopter flights, barramundi fishing and a host of other treats. This is one of the most expensive and exclusive places in Australia.
Luxury tented camps with full amenities and ensuites are springing up. Shabby motels are giving way to luxury cottages or farmstays.
In the Flinders Ranges, try Wilpena Pound Resort and Rawnsley Park Station. At the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna there’s legendary bush food and great rooms. Bamurru Plains on the Mary River floodplains in the NT is luxury on a working buffalo station, and at Uluru, Longitude 131 has won international acclaim. At the other end of the spectrum, you can take a swag and sleep under the stars.
Adventure is out there for the taking, but first you should have a vehicle that’s suited to the job. A soft-roader or SUV isn’t up to the task if you want the freedom to travel to most great outback destinations.
You and your 4WD need to ford rivers, mount rich red dunes, climb giant sandhills and handle the tyre-shredding punishment that the worst tracks can present. On this score, a comprehensive 4WD training course (see previous page) is highly recommended – and don’t forget the co-driver. Emergency, safety and survival information is essential.
A turbo-diesel vehicle is best for the range and durability afforded; just make sure you don’t own a lemon. It’s a long way to the nearest dealer for warranty service. Plan your journey – it’ll take longer than you think.
Grey Nomads take a year or more for their retirement lap of Australia, then come home to prepare another trip to fill in any gaps. At the other end of the scale, parents of young children should think carefully about long weeks on outback roads (you might have to wean them off TV first).
It’s a huge country out there, and almost all of it is outback. You don’t need to embark on the expedition of a lifetime to unleash the pioneering spirit – this is a pilgrimage we all need.
Just grab your Akubra, camera, Red Centre map and be prepared to get your 4WD dirty . . .
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
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Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.
Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.
1. E-Mountain biking
Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)
For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.
As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.
2. HI Fitness Club
Stretch out with reformer pilates.
If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.
I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.
3. Walking trails
Get the blood pumping on a morning run.
We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.
While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.
4. Spa wumurdaylin
Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.
In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.
It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.
5. Sunrise yoga
Start your day on the right foot.
Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.
Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.
6. Getting out on the water
Try your hand at a host of watersports.
Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.
Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.
Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.
7. Take a swing
Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.
For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.
