ARKAROOLA – SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Arkaroola is a 380 square miles privately owned wildlife sanctuary in the rugged Northern Flinders Ranges just to the east of the Gammon Ranges National Park in South Australia. The surrounding area includes spectacular arid zone mountain terrain, picturesque gorges, water holes and wildlife unique to the area. It is a truly fascinating region with dramatic, ancient hills where some of the rocks are estimated to be older 1,000 million years and marine fossils are being found from 600 million years ago giving proof to the fact that our Outback was once an inland sea.
BROKEN HILL – NEW SOUTH WALES
People used to say that you would find Broken Hill beyond the Darling River on the edge of the sundown, as if there was nowhere further to travel in Australia.
Perhaps it was the feeling of being confronted by an unspeakably vast space that looked like an inland sea rolling into the sunset. The desolate landscape surrounding Broken Hill is like driving towards a painting of soft mauve and sage hues. Is it any wonder the city has become known as a Mecca for artists? It is there that the magnificent clear blue skies and the magic light are much loved by film makers from Mad Max 2 to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
It is in Broken Hill that the big red kangaroos will run one hundred and twenty five miles in a night chasing a thunderstorm, and the unique Sturt Desert Peas bloom in dark red soils. The Tower Mulloch heaps around Broken Hill represent billions of dollars spent on mining that drove the economy of a fledgling nation. In this historic city it is easy to be reminded of the struggles of the pioneers. What greater adventure can there be than to travel to the Australian Outback via the Indian Pacific train where our special guide will meet you at railway station when you arrive in Broken Hill. You will be taken on a journey through the national parks to discover the Outback and the opal mining area of White Cliffs. There will be time to noodle for opals as you walk around in the old field At Lightening Ridge you will discover the true meaning of the word remote Here people live in houses built under the ground to escape the extreme heat of the Aussie sun.
THE KIMBERLEY – WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Kimberley in far north Western Australia is one of the worlds last frontiers. It is the same size as England and boasts a diversity of sights unlikely to be found anywhere else. It is an ancient land extending from the pearling port of Broome in the southwest to Kununurra and Wyndham at the edge of the Northern Territory border. The experiences are unforgettable; rugged ranges, broad tidal flats, rainforest patches, gorges and waterfalls. The spectacular coastline holds an appeal all of its own. It is largely unspoiled by man and includes sections of thousands of islands and dramatic shapes formed by 30 ft tides and mangrove communities skirting creek systems. Then there are the people- the rich culture of the Aboriginal people abounds the colorful people of the land who tend their cattle stations (ranches) with determination and pride. The Kimberley is special. It is not rare to feel the sense of discovery, that you are the first to tread a path through one of the countless gorges, creek beds or chasms.
ULURU – NORTHERN TERRITORY
Few people who visit to Uluru return unchanged. The rock and the surrounding land has huge spiritual significance for the Anangu Aboriginal people. It lies in Australia’s red centre like an enormous, moody heart. Uluru is immense. It is 55 miles in circumference
with more than two thirds of the rock hidden beneath the ground. At its massive feet the icy-green and grey vegetation offer a refuge for wildlife. Arraying itself in a multiplicity of hues from black to purple, blue to brown, orange and red throughout various times of day and weather Ulurus sheer majesty outshines even the brilliant sunset.
UNDARA – QUEENSLAND
If you were to travel west via the Atherton Table lands and continue through Far North Queenslands Savannah country you would arrive at Undara, where you will experience a vast outback landscape, incredible lava tubes and spend overnight in a restored turn of the century train carriage. The Lava Tubes were created 190,000 years ago when fiery molten lava flowed into nearby dry riverbeds. The external lava quickly cooled and crusted, but underneath, a fierce flow snaked its way through, leaving a drained hardened exterior to create long, dark, hollow tubes. Ancient roof collapses have since created fertile pockets where rainforest plant, insect and animal species now thrive. On your tour you will see these incredible caves and learn how to survive on bush tucker.
WILPENA POUND – SOUTH AUSTRALIA
You will see razorback quartzite ridges, slashed by precipitous gorges; creeks with cool deep waterholes framed by centuries old, stately Australian gums; more than a hundred species of colorful native birds;
the rare Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby and fascinating indigenous plants, including the scarlet Sturts Desert Pea. Wilpena Pound, located within the Flinders Ranges, South Australia is the home to a vast number of native animals. Birds and some of Australias best-known animals abound amongst the gum trees and on the steep, ragged slopes of the gorges. The vibrant colors of the rock face change through the day with the passage of the sun. Dusk and dawn are unforgettably spectacular. This region once was an ancient seabed and it now carries some of the most important early fossils, some 600 million years old, a time span that defies understanding.
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