‘Real Australia’ gets its moment

It’s the back of beyond, and then some: An Australian region so remote that most Aussies have never heard of it is tipped to become the country’s next big travel destination. With no top-class hotels, no Wi-Fi coverage and no big-city conveniences, Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, would seem an unlikely tourist hot spot. But Aussie adventure specialists Intrepid Travel are banking on its appeal growing after it features in a new Australian film, High Ground, starring Guy Pearce. Bordered by a national park, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, the region has been home to the Yolngu people for 60,000 years and is renowned for its remote islands, world-class fishing and art works. But a poll by Tourism NT found it was little known among Australians, with one in 10 believing Arnhem Land was a mythical destination from a children’s book. “This is the real Aboriginal Australia,” local Yolngu leader Marcus Lacey said. Intrepid’s first seven-day tour begins Aug. 31.