Latest news with #OutbackSpirit
Sydney Morning Herald
07-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The last 800m to one of Australia's most historic spots is the toughest part of the trek
This story is part of the June 8 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories. The final 30-odd kilometres of unsealed road to Cape York are perhaps its roughest. Starting from Bamaga, one of five Indigenous communities strung out across the Northern Peninsula Area, a single-lane track plagued with potholes and bulldust cuts through tangled rainforests inhabited by one of the last remaining cassowary populations in Queensland. The turn-back point for the less determined is at The Croc Tent, a roadside souvenir store stocking anything and everything related to the region, including crocodile snow domes and 'Snappers', a kind of male g-string that comes in one size only: XXL. Especially popular are garish, fishing-themed polo shirts that have been adopted as an unofficial uniform in this isolated part of the world. Following a tricky creek crossing further along the track, motorists travelling almost exclusively in four-wheel-drives must pass the decaying remains of the Cape York Wilderness Lodge, which closed for renovations in 2002 and never reopened. From there, the end of the road is in sight. Our final stop is a gravel clearing beside the sweeping sands of Frangipani Bay, just 800 metres from continental Australia's northernmost tip. It has taken our Outback Spirit tour group nine days to reach this point after starting our journey in Cairns, more than 1000 kilometres south. But from here, we must continue on foot. To make it this far, we'd travelled up the coast to Cooktown before turning inland across the Great Dividing Range. After departing the dripping wet Daintree rainforests, the remainder of our journey traversed savannah woodlands bordered by sandstone escarpments and crocodile-infested wetlands. While we were able to ride out the bumps and corrugations in the comfort of our rugged coach, thoughts were spared for those who preceded us. Loading The first European overland attempt to reach Cape York, an area inhabited by Indigenous people for tens of thousands of years, was led by Englishman Edmund Kennedy. Kennedy's 13-strong expedition party left Rockingham Bay in 1848, aiming to establish a route to the tip so that a port could be developed for trade with the East Indies. All but three of the group perished and the expedition failed. A further 17 years passed before two brothers, Frank and Alexander Jardine, made it all the way to the tip, opening a corridor for a telegraph line that would connect Laura, west of Cooktown, with Thursday Island, in the Torres Strait. After four years of toil and hardship, it was completed in 1887. In 1928, two New Zealanders followed the telegraph line to reach the cape in an Austin 7 car. It took them 38 days, with quicksand, forest fires and an average of 25 punctures a day slowing them down. At night, the two slept in the open on a bed of gum leaves, wrapped inside a mosquito net.
The Age
07-06-2025
- The Age
The last 800m to one of Australia's most historic spots is the toughest part of the trek
This story is part of the June 8 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories. The final 30-odd kilometres of unsealed road to Cape York are perhaps its roughest. Starting from Bamaga, one of five Indigenous communities strung out across the Northern Peninsula Area, a single-lane track plagued with potholes and bulldust cuts through tangled rainforests inhabited by one of the last remaining cassowary populations in Queensland. The turn-back point for the less determined is at The Croc Tent, a roadside souvenir store stocking anything and everything related to the region, including crocodile snow domes and 'Snappers', a kind of male g-string that comes in one size only: XXL. Especially popular are garish, fishing-themed polo shirts that have been adopted as an unofficial uniform in this isolated part of the world. Following a tricky creek crossing further along the track, motorists travelling almost exclusively in four-wheel-drives must pass the decaying remains of the Cape York Wilderness Lodge, which closed for renovations in 2002 and never reopened. From there, the end of the road is in sight. Our final stop is a gravel clearing beside the sweeping sands of Frangipani Bay, just 800 metres from continental Australia's northernmost tip. It has taken our Outback Spirit tour group nine days to reach this point after starting our journey in Cairns, more than 1000 kilometres south. But from here, we must continue on foot. To make it this far, we'd travelled up the coast to Cooktown before turning inland across the Great Dividing Range. After departing the dripping wet Daintree rainforests, the remainder of our journey traversed savannah woodlands bordered by sandstone escarpments and crocodile-infested wetlands. While we were able to ride out the bumps and corrugations in the comfort of our rugged coach, thoughts were spared for those who preceded us. Loading The first European overland attempt to reach Cape York, an area inhabited by Indigenous people for tens of thousands of years, was led by Englishman Edmund Kennedy. Kennedy's 13-strong expedition party left Rockingham Bay in 1848, aiming to establish a route to the tip so that a port could be developed for trade with the East Indies. All but three of the group perished and the expedition failed. A further 17 years passed before two brothers, Frank and Alexander Jardine, made it all the way to the tip, opening a corridor for a telegraph line that would connect Laura, west of Cooktown, with Thursday Island, in the Torres Strait. After four years of toil and hardship, it was completed in 1887. In 1928, two New Zealanders followed the telegraph line to reach the cape in an Austin 7 car. It took them 38 days, with quicksand, forest fires and an average of 25 punctures a day slowing them down. At night, the two slept in the open on a bed of gum leaves, wrapped inside a mosquito net.
Sydney Morning Herald
30-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Visit the heart of Arnhem Land
From the air, Arnhem Land is full of grand gestures: the glint of serpentine rivers winding their way through ancient gorges, a flash of terracotta earth slicing through arboreous countryside, swathes of azure ocean washing up against white sand. On the ground, the experience is no less dramatic as wetlands vibrate with the beating wings of thousands of waterbirds, while dolphins, dugong and manta rays frolic in the waters the Cobourg Peninsula. This is Yolngu Country, one of the most remote and culturally significant regions in Australia. From Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land, it stretches west across the Top End almost as far as Jabiru, covering a distance of 97,000 kilometres. The Arafura Sea along the northern coastline offers some of the best barra fishing in the country, while rocky shelters inland protect rarely glimpsed art that's thousands of years old. And that's just the beginning of what you'll experience on Outback Spirit's 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife Tour. Country, culture and adventure The tour begins in Nhulunbuy, following a short two-hour flight from Cairns arriving at Gove Airport. Built in the 1960s as a service hub for the local bauxite mine, Gove is a buzzy regional centre and an idyllic gateway to the region. Over two days in Nhulunbuy, you'll experience a special Welcome to Country ceremony on Wirrwawuy Beach, learn about Yolngu culture and bush medicine, and visit the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka (Yirrkala) Art Centre, whose artists are internationally recognised for their remarkable paintings done on bark and totem poles. This is also the seat of the Aboriginal Land Rights movement — in 1963, it was from Yirrkala that the 'bark petition' was sent to Federal Parliament in Canberra. The tour then ventures deeper into Arnhem Land, to the spectacular Arafura Swamp. Home to as many as 300,000 waterbirds, the swamp is a haven for birdwatchers. Onboard a scenic cruise, spot brolgas wading alongside black-necked storks, and listen for the distinctive honk of magpie geese. Later, a 4WD tour around the swamp offers the chance to hear First Nations guides share Dreamtime stories of Country and culture. After two nights at Murwangi Safari Camp, you'll head north-west to Maningrida on Kunibídji Country, where Arnhem Land Barramundi Lodge is your home for the next couple of days. The eponymous barra are a big attraction around these parts and there's plenty of opportunity to cast a line as you cruise the Liverpool and Tomkinson Rivers (plus you'll pick up a few tips from the expert fishing guides along the way). If you're not keen on fishing, exploring the gently winding waterways under the shade canopy of the Ocean Master vessel can feel almost meditative. Later, a visit to the Maningrida Arts and Cultural Centre and Djómi Museum is an opportunity to see and learn about local artists, whose painted and woven works have been highly collectable for decades. This includes the art of Yirawala (1897–1976), the first Indigenous artist to have work included in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia. There's more to come for art lovers as the tour moves from Maningrida to Mount Borradaile, where you'll jump in open-back vehicles to explore the hidden rock-art galleries that depict traditional Aboriginal life over thousands of years. Here, you'll witness the breathtaking Rainbow Serpent, the largest known depiction of this powerful creation spirit in Australia, stretching over six metres. This more-than-50,000-year-old painting was kept secret by the local Amurdak people until its reveal in 1987.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- The Guardian
The ultimate WA adventure: small-group tours into the heart of the outback
Incredible experiences and natural wonders await in every region of Western Australia…if you know where to find them. A small-group tour with expert guides at the helm can take you deeper into this extraordinary land and bring every destination to life. Outback Spirit tours don't just take you to see the sights – they invite you to experience them. These carefully curated tours are designed for curious travellers looking for authentic ways to journey beyond the well-trodden attractions and discover the state's hidden gems. Tour through the Kimberley region. Photograph: Outback Spirit Journey through the wilderness of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Golden Outback in comfortable, purpose-built 4WD vehicles to get safe, unrivalled access to these outback regions. Handpicked lodgings – including exclusive safari camps – mean you'll end every day in comfort, surrounded by the wilderness that brought you here. In the otherworldly Kimberley region, one of Earth's last true frontiers, ancient landscapes unfurl in vivid red and ochre hues. Outback Spirit's flagship tour of the region includes a stay at Ngauwudu Safari Camp, an eco-retreat nestled at the gateway to Mitchell Falls (Punamii-Uunpuu). Ngauwudu Safari Camp, Mitchell Plateau. Photograph: Outback Spirit Cruising the Horizontal Falls (Garaan-ngaddim). Photograph: Journey Beyond – Horizontal Falls (Seaplane Adventures) You'll explore some of Australia's most astonishing terrain – the tiered pools of Mitchell Falls are a standout – and cruise the Horizontal Falls (Garaan-ngaddim) before marvelling at the surreal shapes of Purnululu National Park's Bungle Bungle Range, a World Heritage-listed site sculpted by wind and water over 350m years. Explore Purnululu National Park's Bungle Bungle Range. Photograph. Outback Spirit Along the way, expert guides illuminate the deep cultural significance of each site, sharing Aboriginal stories that bring these landscapes to life. Whether you're exploring on foot, or by helicopter, boat or 4WD, Outback Spirit's all-inclusive tours invite you to forge a more meaningful connection with the region. In the Pilbara, Karijini National Park offers a striking contrast: plunging red gorges and towering, spinifex-covered plateaux stretch toward a boundless sky. You'll walk through rock chasms formed over 2bn years, swim in pristine waterholes and experience the awe and quiet grandeur of country (the area is culturally significant to the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga peoples). To get there, you'll journey along the spectacular Coral Coast Highway to hang out with dolphins at Monkey Mia, snorkel at Ningaloo Reef (Nyinggulu) and cruise between the cliffs of Yardie Creek. Fortescue Falls in the Pilbara. Photograph: Outback Spirit Whether you're exploring the North West, or heading south into the Pilbara and Coral Coast, your journey will take you to Broome (Rubibi). If you're there between March and October, you may get to see the extraordinary Staircase to the Moon, a natural optical illusion caused by the full moon reflecting off the tidal flats of Roebuck Bay (Yawuru Nagulagun). Outback Spirit's South Western Explorer tour reveals a very different side of Western Australia – one of vibrant wildflower displays, soaring forests and the vast expanses of the Golden Outback. You'll walk beneath towering karri and tingle trees on the Ancient Empire walk, and delight in the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, where suspended pathways lead through the forest canopy. In Kalgoorlie (Karlkurla), you'll delve into the gold rush past before standing in awe of Wave Rock (Katter Kich), a 2.7bn-year-old granite swell shaped like a breaking ocean wave. And in the coastal gem of Esperance (Kepa Kurl), you'll be greeted by dazzling white-sand beaches, clear turquoise waters and wild, windswept beauty. In the Margaret River Region, gourmet indulgence takes centre stage, with lunch and tastings at a renowned local winery. To cap it off, you'll spend a night in the port city of Fremantle(Walyalup), visit the WA Maritime Museum – home to the legendary Australia II racing yacht – and cruise up the Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan) to Perth (Boorloo). There's a dream adventure waiting for everyone in Western Australia. Discover more at
Sydney Morning Herald
14-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Largest floodwater on record creates rare outback spectacle
The largest volume of floodwater on record for parts of South Australia have left communities and stations isolated and some famous trails closed. The floodwaters, flowing down from Queensland to the state's north-east, have caused the closure of the 472-kilometre Strzelecki Track as well as a South Australian section of the Birdsville Trail. But the waters have also flowed to South Australia's Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, bringing Australia's largest salt lake alive for the second year in a row. Australia's lowest natural point, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre covers an area of 9500 square kilometres. Flooding of the usually dry lake is a once-every-several-years occurrence. Back-to-back drenchings are rare, though it hasn't been completely dry for some years. Even more rare: a filling, and that's what's predicted this year. The last time was from the record-smashing 1974 floods. When the water comes, so too, does the wildlife, including migratory birds and even marine life from below the lake's surface. The outback landscape is its own spectacle. Journey Beyond's Alicia Triggs says Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is best appreciated from a bird's-eye perspective. The company's Outback Spirit is running Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and Flinders Ranges Spectacular five-day, all-inclusive, small-group coach tours that include two scenic flights over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre as well as exploring Wilpena Pound, in South Australia's Flinders Ranges.
