Find Luxury in the Australian Outback

12 October 2006

Find Luxury in the Australian Outback

The Outback makes up 70 per cent of Australia's landmass (more than 5,000,000 square kilometres) with wondrous clear skies filled with stars and a beautiful red landscape.

Luxury retreats, dinosaur bones, interpretive historical indigenous art sites and living galleries are just some of the sights and experiences waiting to be discovered by Kiwis heading to the Outback.

Latest figures show that 33,000 Kiwis visit the Outback each year and this number is set to increase as New Zealanders seek new and unique experiences when they travel to Australia.

"With vast blue skies and rich red earth the Outback offers a landscape that is completely different to anything in New Zealand," says New Zealand's Regional Manager for Tourism Australia, Vito Anzelmi.

"The Flying Doctors brought the Australian Outback into New Zealand living rooms during the late 1980s,. With the Royal Flying Doctors covering more than seven million square kilometers, there are many natural wonders waiting to be discovered in the Outback."

"New Zealanders can view historic art and archeological sites, visit mining towns, spend the night in underground accommodation, cool off with the locals in an Outback pub, swim in one of the creeks, waterholes or rivers that wind through the Outback, or stare in amazement at the natural wonders of Lake Eyre, the Bungle Bungles, the Pinnacles, the Olgas and Uluru," says Anzelmi.

Outback accommodation is completely the choice of the traveller. Visitors can camp by themselves under the stars in a swag or partake in a fully escorted camping tour, stay in a small Outback hotel, or live it up in luxury five-star accommodation.

Luxury in the Outback is becoming more common with a range of five-star resorts and retreats available. Many tour companies also offer the luxury option making the Outback accessibly for anyone.

"The Outback is made up of the land, the sky, the stars, the pubs, the pioneers who settled there and the Aboriginal culture that has been there for thousands of years.

Australia's Outback culture is a truly unique. Within hours from Australia's beach towns you are in the heartland of a country that is both diverse and inspiring," says Vito," says Anzelmi.

There are many ways that travellers can explore the outback. Visitors can take camel safari through the desert, drive their own four-wheel drive along such well know touring routes as the Savannah Way (Cairns to Broome) or The Explorer Highway (Adelaide to Darwin). Another option is to let the experts plan their outback experience and join one of the broad range of guided trips on offer, by luxury four-wheel drive or comfortable coach. You can even join a luxury tour where you can experience remote Outback in style, stopping in for private visits to Aboriginal art galleries or take tour of food and craft markets.

Trains, including the Ghan, the Indian Pacific, the Spirit of the Outback, the Inlander and the Westlander, also offer comfortable travel from Australia's main cities into various points of the Outback.

"October's cooler temperatures make it the perfect time to head across the Tasman and explore the Outback," says Anzelmi.

Five states and territories make up the Outback including the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, all offering a unique experience and different take on Australian culture.

"Interesting towns such as Coober Pedy in South Australia, where you can stay overnight in an underground hotel, or Longreach in Queensland, where you can picnic at a waterhole and laze in the shade of a coolibah tree, are perfect destinations for those wanting to immerse themselves in Outback life," says Anzelmi.

Other experiences not to be missed include a visit to one of the many Outback pubs, watching the amazing red sunsets, buying locally produced opal products, and relaxing at a luxury spa surrounded by complete peace and quiet.

ENDS

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