Australian Outback

[ValerieP]

I have a notion that I want to-someday-go camping in the Australian outback-for those of you who live in Australia-when would I want to do that and where would I fly into?
Thanks a bunch

[esther_a]

Australia is as big as the USA and the outback is most of it, lol, so you'll need to pick some places! Many retirees purchase a caravan and spend 6 months or more touring. The inner part of the continent is quite barren. There are special places scattered around, but you'll spend all day driving to get there. The most interesting and magical places are in northern WA. Places like Broome with amazing beaches and fish that you can walk into the water to feed, and the Kimberleys with incredible rock formations and gorges. So if you have just a few weeks I'd suggest northern WA. Probably fly into Perth. The best time of year would be anything other our summer, your winter, because it is wet tropical season up north. Hopefully Sharon (being from Perth) will be able to shed more light on this.
On the east coast of Australia there are many places to camp, but you wouldn't call them outback. We have mountain ranges with temporate or rain forests.

[michelleL]

Ditto what Esther said! The outback is enormous, the towns are tiny and hundreds of kilometres apart. The roads are mostly dirt, sand or rocky plains so most holidaymakers with plenty of time take 4WD vehicles & camp. You have to be very well prepared as there is no mobile phone coverage, doctors, water etc. This kind of travel is not recommended between October and April as it gets too hot.

If you are pressed for time Alice Springs is the largest town in Central Australia (I think it has a population of about 30,000), so it has an airport. There would be heaps of tours that start in Alice and go to Ayers rock, the Olgas, the MacDonnell Ranges.

[ValerieP]

Thanks ladies-it is a dream-but one I think I will start saving for! I think I have been bit by the bug to visit because I have been watching Mcleod's Daughters.

[esther_a]

If you're into hiking, the Victorian Alps is a great place to hike and camp. Watch the movie "The Man from Snowy River" if you want to see what I'm talking about. It's snowy in Winter, but at other times you can hike and stay in cattleman's huts. Tasmania also has lots of great hiking trails - again for summer, not winter!

[Shannamay]

Ditto with what the girls said - the North of my state (Western Australia) is apparently glorious - ashamed to say have not seen much of it myself - being a teacher, my big holiday break is now, over the Summer and I don't deal with the heat very well - I travel South, not North!! If you like Mcleod's Daughters, I do know that there are some very big stations (cattle ranches) up North who do the whole tourist thing (Have people stay and run tours etc)
As Michelle said - any travel in the outback has to be very carefully planned and prepared for - we've had some tragedies in the past with people who have broken down, run out of water etc. It is an extremely harsh environment.

[ValerieP]

I sure do appreciate all the info-it might take me a few years, but I know that this is something I want to do. I understand about harsh-we really have to watch what we do here in the summer-it doesnt take long to get too much sun and heat! It might be fun to act the tourist- I am going to have to buy a map and start doing some study on your country-funny thing is my dad and my oldest son have both been and both loved it!

[carollee]

Tasmania = heaven on earth. And I don't even live there! I would move there in a shot.

I've never even been up the centre, so Valerie you'd be doing more than I have done! LOL