Red centre in spring excellence
CLUSTERED around the coast, many Aussies never get to see the centre of this wide land and spring is a top time to explore it.
CLUSTERED around the coast, many Aussies never get to see the centre of this wide land and spring is a top time to explore it.
Flinders fling:
The North Flinders Ranges is real outback country but a manageable distance from civilisation if you're a bit nervous about plunging too deep into the unknown. The ranges South Australia's "gateway to the Outback" are home to some of the most stunning landscapes in the nation.
World Expeditions (1300 720 000) has a guided, seven-day trek on the northern sections of the famous 1200km Heysen Trail. You'll walk with just a daypack and stay at comfortable country hotels and sheep stations along the way.
The trip costs $2495 a person and there are departures until the end of next month.
All points north
If you want to see as much of the Red Centre as possible in under a fortnight, AAT Kings' (1300 228 546) Outback Panorama tour is a clever way to go about it. The 12-day Northern Territory trip visits Uluru, the Olgas, Kings Canyon and Kakadu National Park.
You'll be welcomed to the Outback by the spectacular sight of Uluru at sunset. From there you'll hike the rim of Kings Canyon; see the sights of "The Alice"; spend time with a local Aboriginal guide and learn about the life of the Arrernte people.
There'll be barbecue dinners, stargazing, singalongs, a croc cruise through Katherine Gorge, Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr, termite mounds in Litchfield National Park and more. It costs from $3925 a person, twin share, for departures throughout spring.
Rare as Lake Eyre:
Lake Eyre has flooded for the third year in a row, and there has never been a better time to see usually dry desert rivers in full flood.
Outback Spirit Tours (1800 688 222) have a six-day odyssey to see this rare sight,GORGEOUS: Carnarvon Gorge is an oasis hidden in the rugged ranges of Queensland's Central Highlands.
Wild west:
Queensland Outback Spirit Tours (1800 688 222) has a 15-day journey tailored to anyone who is keen to see the lesser-known side of Queensland. From the Gold Coast, travel over the Darling Downs to Roma, and then on to the spectacular oasis of Carnarvon Gorge National Park.
Then it's further west to Longreach and Winton, home of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum and Lark Quarry, the only place in the world with evidence of a dinosaur stampede. At Mt Isa you'll go down a mine, and you'll spend the night in safari-style tents in Lawn Hill National Park, where you can swim in a gorge. You'll cruise the Norman River and enjoy a sunset feast of fresh mud crabs, prawns and fish. Then it's on to Cairns via Karumba, Normanton and Undara.
It costs $5795 a person, twin share.
Charms of the Kimberley:
A custom-built 4WD will whisk you out of Broome on a 13-day romp through the nation's northwest with APT (kimberleywilderness.com.au, 1300 210 362) on the Kimberley Complete tour. You'll stay in wilderness lodges and remote sheep and cattle stations on the way.
In the Bungle Bungles, you'll get a chance to hike into Piccaninny Creek and Cathedral Gorge. You'll spend two days on the Mitchell Plateau, where you will have the chance to take a flight over stunning Mitchell Falls. It's two weeks of hiking, swimming, bush tucker, wildlife, Aboriginal art and goldmining towns in this unique part of the country.
The tour costs $6245 a person, twin share, including transport, accommodation and meals, and departs Broome until the end of October. including two flights over the lake and Warburton and Cooper creeks.
Departing from Adelaide, this small-group tour will take you to Lake Eyre's shore at Madigan Gulf.
Scenic flights leave from Marree Aerodrome and land at Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary, where you saddle up in a four-wheel-drive and explore this vast 688,000ha wilderness, which is a haven for several endangered species and outlandish habitats.
You'll also visit a working sheep and cattle property, enjoy a gourmet lunch on the veranda of the award-winning Prairie Hotel, and explore Brachina and Bunyeroo gorges in the Flinders National Park.
The tour costs $3395 a person, twin share, and includes all meals, transport and accommodation.