How To Do The Outback On A Budget

Where else in the world can you feast on feral animals, fossick for opals and see horse, camel and yabby races, all on the one road trip?

Now is an especially exciting time to venture into the outback, with recent rainfall transforming the usually arid landscape into grassy plains, teeming with wildlife. And you don’t have to save up for a lifetime to do the trip of a lifetime.

How to get there on the cheap

Self-drive

Driving yourself through the outback not only gives you more freedom and flexibility to explore at your own pace, but it’s also the most affordable option, with the main expense being fuel. The more friends who come along for the road trip and chip in, the cheaper it is again.

But if you don’t have a reliable 4WD on hand, there are affordable rental operators such as Australian 4WD Rentals , which for example can provide a 4WD for up to 20 days from $100 a day, depending on the season.

Alternatively, there are many 2WD-friendly routes across the outback, such as the route from Halls Creek to Kununurra on the Great Northern Highway, from Alice Springs to Glen Helen on the Red Centre Way, and the drive from Brisbane to Longreach. See page 92 for more itinerary ideas.

By train

If you’re the kind of traveller who prefers to relax and let someone else do the driving while you view the scenery, there are many outback train lines to jump on board.

• COUNTRYLINK train services through western NSW are an economical option, passing through many outback towns such as Bourke, Broken Hill and Lightning Ridge. There are also special outback packages through remote regions, such as the seven-day Corner Country Eco Experience from $1997 twin-share.

• QUEENSLAND RAIL’s Spirit of the outback train service runs from Brisbane to Longreach – 1325km – twice weekly. For an extra $165, you can also pack your car onboard and drive the trip home instead.

• THE PICHI PICHI RAILWAY in SA’s Flinders Ranges provides regular heritage train journeys on the oldest remaining section of the old Ghan railway. It uses the historic Barwell Bull railcar and offers steam services during school holidays and long weekends using historic carriages, some dating from the 19th century. Adults can jump on board a return trip for $47, concession holders for $44, children for $16. Family passes available.

By bus

Alternatively, various bus services tour the outback, with cheap deals to boot.

• AAT KINGS will take you all over Australia in an air-conditioned coach, and offers an array of guided tours including trips to the Top End from $1719, Best of the Kimberley from $4739 and the Red Centre from $685.

• GREYHOUND BUSES run tours through the outback, such as the three-day Kakadu Tour from $495 per adult.

• TRANSWA bus services weave through WA’s south, running from Perth to Kalgoorlie, Albany to Mount Magnet. WA pensioners can also get a free return trip on this service once a year – and it doesn’t get much cheaper than that!

Where to stay to save cash

Pubs

Be fed, watered and sheltered at one stop with an affordable outback pub stay.

• WILLIAM CREEK HOTEL in SA sits in the biggest cattle station in Australia and is the halfway point on the Oodnadatta Track, while Lake Eyre can be seen just up the road. It provides classic pub fare and has hotel rooms from $110 per room per night, and air-conditioned cabins from $65 per night.

• THE FAMILY HOTEL in Tibooburra in outback NSW’s Corner Country is an unusual hub of Australian art history. It dates back to 1882 but it was during the 1960s that it really started to find fame, when it became a base for many travelling artists as they explored the outback for inspiration. As a result, several famous Australian artists such as Clifton Pugh, Eric Minchin and Russell Drysdale began painting the interior walls of the hotel and more artists have since followed the trend, turning the hotel into a living art gallery. Travellers can still drink, eat and stay there, with pub rooms from $60 per night, or motel rooms (located across the road) from $90 per night.

• THE PALACE HOTEL in Kalgoorlie was built in 1897 to flaunt the town’s sudden wealth gained from the local goldmines. Considered the most luxurious hotel in the state outside of Perth, it was also the first outback hotel to have electric lighting – thanks to its own generator – and fresh water piped to the bathrooms. Today the historic two-storey hotel runs several bars and eateries, and various accommodation options starting from $70 per night.

• THE BARK HUT INN is situated on the Arnhem Highway, halfway between Darwin and Kakadu National Park. It was built by hand by the former owner during the 1960s using ironwood and scrap materials, with the help of the local Aboriginal people. Today it offers a bar and restaurant, fuel, a souvenir shop, as well as cabins and motel rooms from $65 per night.

Camping

If you can handle the heat, get under the outback stars: there are plenty of picturesque but affordable campgrounds throughout Australia’s heartland.

• ARKAROOLA WILDERNESS SANCTUARY in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges features granite peaks, waterholes and an abundance of native wildlife such as the endangered yellow-footed rock wallaby. There are 50 powered sites at the sanctuary’s caravan park from $25 per couple per night, and more than 200 unpowered sites across 300 hectares of bush by Wywhyanna Creek, from $18 per night per couple. Guests can also access Arkaroola’s restaurant and bar, shop and barbecue facilities.

• ADELS GROVE in Queensland’s Gulf Savannah is adjacent to Lawn Hill National Park, 200km south-west of Burketown. There are two campgrounds: The Grove, down by a river, and the Main Campground. Both are equipped with modern amenities, water and fireplaces, while the Main Campground also has barbecue plates but no power. Campsites cost from $16 per night for adults, $8 for children, and there are also seven pre-erected tents from $80 per night per couple. Visitors can also make use of the on-site bar and restaurant.

• GUNLOM CAMPGROUND within Kakadu National Park has powered and unpowered sites and is equipped with flushing toilets, showers and barbecue facilities. Most impressive, though, is the nearby Gunlom plunge pool, which has spectacular views over the southern region of Kakadu National Park. To camp it costs $10 per person per night, plus a $25 per person entry fee into Kakadu National Park, which is good for 14 days. During the wet season (December-April) access is restricted, so check the latest road reports from Bowali Visitors Centre.

• LAKE CROSBIE CAMPGROUND overlooks the largest of Victoria’s unique Pink Lakes (which are literally pink due to algae) in Murray Sunset National Park. The campground is basic but has toilets, picnic tables, fireplaces and water. Best of all, visitors can enjoy all of this without putting a dent in the budget – it’s free.

• FOUR MILE CAMPING RESERVE just outside the township of Brewarrina in central north NSW sits on the Barwon River – especially popular for fishing and said to hold the secrets of the Rainbow Serpent. The reserve is equipped with an all-weather access road, toilets, cold showers, barbecue facilities, a jetty and boat ramp. What’s even better for the bank balance, there is no camping fee: the local council just asks that campers take care of the area and clean up.

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Here’s how to do the outback on a budget