A YEAR IN THE OUTBACK

Update your out-of-office email to say you’re taking 365 days to explore this wide, brown land.

Where does the bush stop and the outback start? This is a much debated question in Australia, without a definitive answer it seems. And maybe that’s a good thing. Much more than just a geographic definition that can be plotted on a map (if it was, popular belief is that it would cover up to 70 per cent of the country), ‘the Outback’ holds a spiritual place in our collective experience of being Australian. No matter how big you believe it actually is (or isn’t), there is certainly a wealth to see out there; here, a year’s worth of amazing to wander and wonder at.

TAG TEAM LITTLE DESERT NATIONAL PARK AND DIMBOOLA’S MESMERISING PINK LAKE

Victoria and Tasmania get short shrift when it comes to staking claim to a patch of outback to call their own and, while there’s probably nothing to be done for Tassie, there’s a slice of Victoria that’s definitely in with a chance. Little Desert National Park in western Victoria totals 132,647 hectares of land stretching from the Wimmera River to the border of South Australia. Home to the Wotjobaluk people, the park boasts an arid landscape that bursts into bloom in late winter to early summer; hiking, star gazing and camping along the Wimmera River (known to the locals as Barringgi Gadyin) are drawcards here. The park tag teams with the nearby town of Dimboola to attract visitors, with its mesmerising pink lake; the colour is deeper and lasts longer during hot and dry weather, so plan to see it at its bubblegum best in the late summer months.

SEE WHERE THE OUTBACK MEETS THE OCEAN

Located on Western Australia’s Coral Coast – also known more evocatively as the Outback Coast – Shark Bay is where the red sands of the outback meet the glistening waters of the Indian Ocean to stunning effect. Get the full visual impact of this contrast at François Peron National Park, 52,500 hectares of scrubland and red sand that dissolve into startling green and blue at its edges; it’s a ‘best of both worlds’ picture that encapsulates our dual national focus (being in the outback and being by the water). Take a priveleged glimpse at how the water and sand come together in swirling, ethereal patterns on a scenic flight with a local operator such as Shark Bay Aviation (sharkbayaviation.com).

BE ENGULFED IN WILDFLOWERS AT WAVE ROCK

A drawcard to the Central Wheatbelt of Western Australia’s ‘Golden Outback’, Wave Rock’s sinuous curves were formed a staggering 2700 million years ago, with water erosion and weathering moulding the original granite cliff into a 14-metre-high, 110-metre-long stone wave permanently ready to break over the surrounding landscape. But wondering at this awesome configuration is just one reason to make the 336-kilometre journey from Perth: visit from late August to early October to see a staggering 12,000 varieties of wildflowers paint the wheatbelt landscape in kaleidoscope hues; check out australiasgoldenoutback.com for a handy Wave Rock Wildflower Trail planner so you don’t miss a bloom.

SEE ROCK ART ON INJALAK HILL, ARNHEM LAND

There are endless reasons that Kakadu and Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory are unique and mesmerising propositions, from the wildlife to the landscapes. In fact, all their brilliance cannot be contained in just four seasons, so they have six: Kudjewk, monsoon season from December to March; Bangkerreng, known as ‘Knock ’em Down’ storm season in April; Yekke from May to mid-June when the weather is cooler and less humid; Wurrkeng, the coldest part of the year from mid-June to mid-August; Kurrung, when the weather is hot and dry, mid-August to mid-October; and Kunumeleng, pre-monsoon season when the humidity builds, from mid-October to late December. With so much detail, it is easy to decide that Yekke is the perfect time to visit to see the rock art at Injalak Hill. A few minutes’ drive from Gunbalanya in West Arnhem Land, the area is home to Kunwinjku people who have been painting the rock shelters here for millennia, including in the arresting ‘x-ray’ style. Tour with a local guide, leaving from the Injalak Arts Centre; permits to visit need to be organised in advance via the Northern Land Council or an operator like Lords Safaris (lords-safaris.com).

The night skies are almost as amazing as the whale watching during the day so look up before you bed down.

EXPERIENCE KARIJINI AT KARIJINI EXPERIENCE

More than just an event, the Karijini Experience is an immersion in the country and culture of the Banjima people of the central Pilbara in Western Australia. Held during April (this year it’s from 14-18), the itinerary of events allow visitors to interact with the landscape of Karijini National Park in surprising ways, through food (try the bush tucker high tea), art, music and traditions (including the free Welcome to Country ceremony). You can fly there (Paraburdoo Airport is the closest at 140 kilometres from Karijini National Park) or the 1250 kilometre coastal drive from Perth takes in Exmouth and the exquisite Ningaloo Reef (inland it’s 1400 kilometres). karijiniexperience.com

DRIVE THE NULLARBOR TO GO WHALE WATCHING

The epic journey across the Nullarbor (‘no tree’ in Latin) is an attraction in its own right, but it becomes even more compelling during the months of July and August each year. That’s when the dramatic 200-kilometrelong Bunda Cliffs (the longest line of sea cliffs in the world) become a prime vantage point for viewing the majestic southern right whales as they frolic and calve in the waters below. You can camp overnight at one of the campsites on the cliffs, which are located between The Head of Bight and the border of Western Australia; the night skies are almost as amazing as the whale watching during the day so look up before you bed down.

WALK THE HEYSEN TRAIL IN THE FLINDERS RANGES

So you like to go walking? Well, have we got a hike for you: The Heysen Trail. The 1200-kilometre walk snakes its way from Cape Jervis on the South Australian coast, passing through the Fleurieu Peninsula and Mt Lofty Ranges, the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley (leave room in your pack to squeeze in a bottle of the Barossa’s best to take with you). Walkers then take in the stunning expanse of Wilpena Pound in Flinders Ranges National Park, before finally reaching the end of the trail some 60 days later at the ruggedly remote Parachilna Gorge in the heart of the outback. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to do the full two-month trek, the trail has been designed so that sections can be done as short walks. The trail is closed from December to April, so plan a winter walk and get yourself a good pair of boots.

GO WILD SWIMMING AT ORMISTON GORGE, NT

Located in Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park, 135 kilometres west of Alice Springs, Ormiston Gorge is indeed a pretty gorgeous proposition. Its landscape of scrubby greens contrasted with rich, red rocks is intoxicating to traverse (there are easy walks; some with wheelchair access), but it is the area around its waterhole that presents an outback oasis in vivid colour. Just 500 metres’ walk from the visitor centre, the water is a blissful salve to the outback heat and there’s even a sandy outback beach on which to loll as the afternoon shadows dance on the surrounding rock faces.

TAKE A DAY TRIP TO REMOTE WINDJANA GORGE

Doing the Gibb River Road has become the stuff of folklore; travelling its length is a journey that some spend a lifetime planning. But there are easier and just as amazing journeys in the Kimberley, in the far northern reaches of Western Australia, that don’t require you to check out of your life for weeks (or months) on end. Like the one out of Broome to Windjana Gorge: it’s roughly two hours from Broome to Derby and then another two into the 2000-hectare Windjana Gorge National Park. It’s almost day trip material! It’s best visited from May to September when the cooler weather makes walking much more pleasant, all the better to see fruit bats, birdlife and the freshwater crocs that gather in the rock pools around Bandingan Rock. You can go in for a swim, but it’s at your own risk.

CLIMB THE STAIRCASE TO THE MOON

It’s hard to imagine that anything could be more arresting than seeing Broome’s Roebuck Bay on a clear blue-sky day, as the red sand and sparkling waters merge at the edge of the country, but the bay at night might just top it. From March to November each year for a few days a month, when the tide is low and a full moon starts its ascent, the Staircase to the Moon appears. The result of the moon’s reflection hitting the exposed mudflats to create the appearance of a ladder stretching to the base of the moon, the otherworldly optical illusion is best viewed from Town Beach. Grab a bite from one of the stalls at the Staircase to the Moon markets, which appear here when the staircase does, and settle for the show.

GO CLOUD BUSTING IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

Arguably the crowning glory of Queensland’s outback experience in Gulf Savannah country is cruising the still waters of Cobbold Gorge, surrounded by the noisy silence to be found when deeply engulfed in nature. Located in Far North Queensland and easily accessible by road, Cobbold Gorge is the state’s youngest gorge: the foundations were laid 1700 million years ago, but movement some 10,000 years ago resulted in the formation of the gorge as it is today, hence its teenager status. There are various tours and experiences to be had, but for our money a helicopter flyover is the way to go. The best time to visit the gorge is April to late October to avoid the humidity and summer heat; if you are in the vicinity from September to November, take the opportunity to continue on to Burketown (it’s just under 12 hours’ drive) to see the amazing Morning Glory cloud formations. Known as kangólgi to the local Aboriginal people, the phenomenon involves long lines of tube-like clouds forming over the Gulf of Carpentaria in the early morning; charters flights are available for viewing.

SLEEP UNDER AN OUTBACK SKY AT MUTAWINTJI NATIONAL PARK

Located in the far west of New South Wales near Broken Hill, Mutawintji National Park is not a name that instantly springs to mind but more’s the pity. Dominated by the red rocks of the Bynguano Range, the land is home to the Malyankapa and Pandjikali people, who have held it sacred for thousands of years. As a result, the park boasts some stunning rock art sites: Thaaklatjika is an easily accessible walk and offers up paintings and engravings that depict life here both pre- and post-European settlement. There’s every chance you will see plenty of wildlife along the way – wallabies, emus and birds – and once the sun is finished warming the rocks and red gums and slinks into night, stick around to see the inky night sky scattered like confetti with stars; the campground at Homestead Creek has amenities (toilet and showers) and barbecue facilities. Visit during spring to see it at its best.