10 TOP OUTBACK STAYS

WHETHER YOU OPT FOR LUXE OR ‘RUSTIC’, EMBRACING YOUR INNER JACKEROO (OR JILLAROO) COMES NATURALLY AT THESE TRUE-BLUE STATIONS, WRITES DILVIN YASA

There comes a time in every Australian’s life when the call of the outback becomes too great to ignore. Maybe you dream of communing with nature and mustering livestock like a Dundee wannabe? Perhaps you’d prefer to experience station life like a British royal enjoying a gap year? Whichever way you swing, there’s no way of knowing what you’re made of without booking a stay in an outback station. Start at the top with these standouts.

KINGS CREEK STATION, NT

Located only 36 kilometres from magnificent Kings Canyon, this classic cattle station is the movie star of outback stays, having featured in tens of documentaries and TV shows. It makes sense; each accommodation option (everything from bush tents and a swag camp to Dreamtime Escarpment glamping) is swoon-worthy, and the station has a swimming pool, plus a wide variety of activities. Book in for the all-new buggy station tour of the property, a scenic helicopter flight or speak to the crew about other great activities in the area. The fabled Kings Canyon rim walk is just a short drive away. kingscreekstation.com.au

CORYNNIA STATION, NSW

Great things come in small packages and at 6879ha, this busy sheep station located an hour’s drive west of Hay, is more charming than most. Offering guests an outback homestead oasis (there’s no camping or caravan facilities at Corynnia Station) with pool, tennis court, bicycles and farm and cotton gin tours, you can stay in a suite, cottage or six-bedroom lodge and pitch in with station life. There’s also the option to help with tending to the orphaned wildlife raised on the property. Pet-friendly by request. corynniastation.com.au

HOLOWILIENA STATION, SA

There’s no need to travel to the depths of our outback; this Flinders Ranges sheep station offers a traditional station stay experience within four hours’ drive of Adelaide. The perfect match for the outback purist, there’s little in the way of organised tours (save for their station history tour) but plenty of scope for old-fashioned fun. Stay in a remote campsite, cottage or shearers quarters and enjoy exploring the landscape on foot, by bike or by 4WD. holowilienastation.com

BAMURRU PLAINS, NT

Not into roughing it? A luxurious bush experience of the coastal floodplains of our Top End might be more your speed. Enjoying exclusive access to 300km of savanna woodland right on the edge of Kakadu and yes, those aforementioned plains, this safari lodge is a showstopping, all-inclusive experience suitable for all members of the family. Home to just 10 safari-style bungalows, you can bird watch from the infinity pool, book in for an exclusive food or photography tour, or search for crocs via airboat. Book a three- or four-night Ultimate Wilderness Experience package and kids stay, eat and play for free. bamurruplains.com

GILBERTON STATION, QLD

Lock in a quintessential outback experience at this 7th-generation working cattle station and enjoy a stay where you can freely mix business and pleasure. Located in goldfields country, Far North Queensland, this five star luxury retreat invites you to spend long days mustering animals, fossicking for gold or just kayaking the dam before turning down for the night in your luxury retreat. Expect welcome platters and cocktails, fine dining, a pillow-topped king bed and oh yes, a bathtub with the ultimate panoramic view. Happily, the experience is all-inclusive. gilbertonoutbackretreat.com

QUOBBA STATION, WA

A station stay where you can snorkel with leatherback turtles year-round or watch humpback whales from the comfort of your tent? Welcome to Quobba Station, a family operated, 76,000ha sheep station that borders 80km of Western Australia’s spectacular coastline. The accommodation options are basic (no linens provided) but varied, encompassing chalets atop sand dunes, cottages, shearers quarters and campsites. The perfect place to lay your Akubra if

travelling within a large group, or planning some local fishing tours. quobba.com.au

TRILBY STATION, NSW

With thousands of four-legged guests to keep out of mischief, the folks at Trilby Station, a sixth-generation sheep station located near the village of Louth, are happy for two-legged visitors to do as much - or as little - as they please. Choose your own adventure and either opt for one of their Darling River campsites or check into a farmstay accommodation options such as the fully renovated Stockman’s Cottages. Whether you choose to explore the station’s Mud Map tours (90km of self-guided tracks), enjoy nature pursuits or do the Historic Dunlop

Station Tour, delivered farmyard meals perfectly bookend each day. trilbystation.com.au

EL QUESTRO, WA

Returning to the domestic tourism fold after a year-long hiatus, this magnificent 283,000ha property is set to spellbind once more. Located in the heart of the Kimberley, this is the base from which to explore the region’s deep gorges, thermal springs, rainforests and cascading waterfalls. The accommodation? It’s hardly what you’d call shabby, with options ranging from nights under canvas at El Questro Station, tented cabins nestled in the wilderness or the sheer luxury of El Questro Homestead, which hosts only 18 guests at a time to luxurious comfort. A broad range of tours available, but BYO vehicle for self-guided adventures. elquestro.com.au

ARKABA CONSERVANCY, SA

Experiencing the Flinders Ranges like a complete rock star is made that much easier with a stay at Arkaba, a 24,281ha private conservancy dedicated to the conservation of our country’s wildlife. Framed by the walls of Wilpena Pound and the Elder Range, the beautifully restored 1850s homestead has just five guestrooms, offering guests the ultimate safari-style experience with dinners hosted on the terrace and drinks in front of the fire or within the library. Take daily tours with the field guides (and an assortment of wildlife) or simply enjoy the scenery from the swimming pool overlooking Arkaba Creek. arkabaconservancy.com

NOONBAH STATION, QLD

Explore the ancient hills, flats and vast floodouts of Queensland’s spectacular Channel Country with a stay in this 51,799ha cattle station. Currently worked by the fourth generation of the Emmott family, you can either camp at one of their secluded waterhole sites or stay in The Old Schoolhouse, a corrugated iron cottage which once served as a school for the Emmott kids. Activities include fishing, swimming, canoeing or kayaking (BYO) and hiking, noonbahstation.com.au