Outback

Rob van Driesum Denis O'Byrne Pete Cruttenden Elizabeth Swan AAic Looby Martin Robinson

LONELY PLANET PUBLICATIONS Melbourne • Oakland • London • Paris iontents - Text

•THE AUTHORS 5

BrHIS BOOK 9

•jPOREWORD 10

• iNTRODUCTION 11

1FACTS ABOUT THE 13 History 13 Fauna .31 Arts .47 Ceography 22 Palaeontology .38 Outback Life ... ..54 Geology 25 Aboriginal Land Rights .43 Social Conduct .57 Climate 26 Economy .46 Religion ..60 Flora 26 Population & People ... .47 Language .62 FACTS FOR THE VISITOR 64 Highlights 64 Photography & Video .. .76 Survival ...86 Planning 64 Time .76 Business Hours . ...87 Responsible Tourism 66 Electricity .76 Public Holidays . ...87 Tourist Offices 66 Weights & Measures .... .77 Special Events ... Travel Permits 66 Laundry .77 Activities .89 Money 67 Health .77 Work .93 Post & Communications 68 Women Travellers .82 Accommodation .93 Internet Resources 73 Disabled Travellers .82 Food .97 Books 73 Useful Organisations .... .83 Drinks .98 Newspapers & Magazines ...75 Dangers & Annoyances .85 Things To Buy ... .99 Radio & TV 76 Emergency .86 GETTING AROUND 101 Driving The Outback .101 Motorcycle .118 Mail Runs .125 Air .112 Bicycle .122 Organised Tours .125 Bus .114 Hitching ... .124 Train .116 Boat .125 THE CENTRAL DESERTS 129 Alice Springs 130 MacDonnell Ranges .158 Activities ...174 139 West From Alice Springs .160 Organised Tours ...175 The Route 141 East of Alice Springs .163 Facilities ...175 Detours 146 Alternative Routes .165 Tanami Track ...176 Facilities 147 Activities - West of The Route ...179 Alternative Transport 150 Alice Springs .165 Alternative Routes ...... 181 Uluru, Kata Tjuta & Activities - East of Organised Tours ...182 Kings Canyon 151 Alice Springs .167 Facilities ...182 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Organised Tours .167 Plenty Highway ...183 Park 151 Facilities .167 The Route ...185 Watarrka National Park & Finke Gorge .169 Alternative Route ...189 Kings Canyon 156 The Route .171 Facilities ...189 Alternative Transport 158 Detours ..: .174 Alternative Transport ...190 1 2 Contents - Text

Sandover Highway 191 Detours 222 244 The Route 192 Alternative Routes 222 The Route 250 Alternative Routes 193 Organised Tours 223 Yulara 251 Facilities 194 Facilities 224 Alternative Route 255 Finke & Old Andado ....225 Organised Tours 255 Tracks 194 The Route 228 Facilities 255 The Route 196 Detours 235 Alternative Transport 256 Detours 198 Alternative Route 235 Bomb Roads 256 Alternative Routes 199 Organised Tours 235 257 Organised Tours 200 Facilities ... 236 260 Facilities 201 Alternative Transport 237 261 Simpson Desert 201 237 262 Track Summary 206 The Route ....239 GaryJunction & Papumya Route Options 207 Alternative Routes 241 Roads 263 The Route 207 Activities ....241 Sandy Blight Junction Alternative Routes 210 Organised Tours ....241 Road 264 Facilities 212 Facilities ....242 Googs Track 265 213 Alternative Transport .... 244 THE SOUTH 267 267 Alternative Routes .. .287 Organised Tours .298 The Route 271 Activities .287 Facilities .298 Detours 273 Organised Tours .288 Alternative Transport .299 Activities 273 Facilities .288 Kidman Way .300 Facilities 274 Alternative Transport .291 The Route .302 Alternative Transport 275 Silver City Highway . ,.291 Organised Tours .304 Flinders Ranges 275 The Route .294 Facilities .304 The Route 279 Detours .297 Alternative Transport .305 THE IMORTH-WEST 306 307 Facilities .332 The Route ...342 The Route 313 Broome .332 Alternative Routes ...... 349 Detours 319 Things to See & Do .333 Organised Tours ...351 Alternative Routes 322 Organised Tours .333 Facilities ...351 Activities 323 Places to Stay .335 ...354 Organised Tours 324 Places to Eat .336 Special Preparations . ...357 Facilities 325 Getting There & Around .336 The Route ...360 Alternative Transport 328 Dampier Peninsula .337 Alternative Routes ...... 369 Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) The Route .338 Organised Tours ...370 National Park 329 Organised Tours .339 Facilities ...370 The Route 330 Facilities .339 Organised Tours 331 The Pilbara .340 THE TROPICS 372 Darwin 373 Information ..382 Geography .... .385 Around Darwin 380 The Park ..383 Climate .386 Litchfield National Activities ..384 Flora & Fauna .386 Park 381 Organised Tours ..384 Rock Art .388 History 381 Facilities ..384 Information .... .388 Flora & Fauna 381 Kakadu National Park ... ..385 The Park .388 Contents - Text 3

Activities 391 Organised Tours 418 Organised Tours 451 Organised Tours 391 Facilities 419 Facilities 451 Facilities 392 Alternative Transport 420 Alternative Transport 454 Alternative Transport 393 Cairns To Musgrave Thursday Island & Cobourg Peninsula . 393 Via Cooktown 420 Torres Strait 454 Gulf Track ,395 The Route 423 History 455 The Route 397 Alternative Routes . 431 Thursday Island 455 Detours 404 Activities 432 Hörn Island 457 Organised Tours 405 Organised Tours 432 Other Islands 457 Facilities 406 Facilities 432 Matilda Highway 457 Cairns ,407 Alternative Transport 434 The Route 459 Kennedy Highway .. ,414 Cape York ,435 Organised Tours 466 The Route 416 The Route 440 Facilities 467 Detour 418 Detours 449 Alternative Transport 470 CHECKLISTS 472

GLOSSARY 474

INDEX 489

MAP LEGEND back page

METRIC CONVERSION inside back cover Contents - Maps

FACTS ABOUT THE OUTBACK Great Artesian Basin 24 Palaeontological & Archaeological Sites 40 THE CENTRAL DESERTS The Central Deserts 129 Uluru 153 Finke & Old Andado Alice Springs 131 Kata Tjuta 155 Tracks 195 Central Alice Springs 136 Kings Canyon 156 Simpson Desert, Oodnadatta, Stuart Highway: Alice Springs - MacDonnell Ranges 160-1 Strezlecki & Birdsville Darwin 140 Finke Gorge 170 Tracks 204-5 Stuart Highway: Port Augusta - Mereenie Loop Road 175 Gunbarrel Highway Alice Springs 140 Tanami Track 177 & Bomb Roads 246-7 Uluru, Kata Tjuta & Kings Plenty and Sandover Canyon 151 Highways 184 THE SOUTH The South 267 Flinders Ranges National Kidman Way 301 Eyre Highway 268-9 Park 280 Flinders Ranges 276 Silver City Highway 292 THE NORTH-WEST The North-West 306 Pilbara 341 Canning Stock Route: Gibb River Road 308-9 Millstream-Chichester Well 1-30 358-9 Pumululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park 344 Canning Stock Route: National Park 330 Karijini (Hamersley Range) Well 31-Tanami Track ....362-3 Broome 334 National Park 348 Dampier Peninsula 338 Around Marble Bar 350 THE TROPICS The Tropics 372 Gulf Track: Roper Bar Cooktown 427 Darwin 375 to Normanton 398-9 Cape York Track 436 Central Darwin 378 Cairns 410 Weipa 450 Litchfield National Park 382 Kennedy Highway 415 Matilda Highway 458 Kakadu National Park 387 Cairns to Musgrave via Cobourg Peninsula 394 Cooktown 422 Head into the Australian outback for unforgettable experiences you won't find anywhere else. Link Copied! By Leah Dobihal. A journey into the Australian outback is one you'll never forget. One of Western Australia’s most mesmerising outback experiences happens only after the sun goes down. Three nights a month, between March and October, the coastal town of Broome in the remote Kimberley region, celebrates one of outback Australia's most unbelievable sights: the Staircase to the Moon. Australia has a worldwide reputation for its rugged outback. Between the east and west coasts, there are thousands of kilometers of rural landscapes to explore – including everything from tropical rainforests and cascading waterfalls, to huge expanses of red desert that stretch on for hours at a time. If you’re keen to tick some sensational sights and experiences off your bucket list by seeing Australia’s unique and diverse landscapes for yourself, consider adding one of these outback destinations to your itinerary! 01 of 08. Travel guide to the Australian Outback, Kimberley region and the Northern Territory. Australia travel advice, insider information, Outback photos. The Outback Australia Travel Guide A Guide To The Real Australian Outback. This Australian Outback travel guide is written by a real person, who has a very real life here out back. That's why the guide covers a lot more than the usual tourist attractions in Outback Australia. (Of course I cover those as well.) The outback is a large area of Australia and stretches out across most states. The best way to experience all that the Australian outback has to offer is to travel by road, rail or horseback (sometimes), however, if time is short, then you will need to go by plane, as the distance is large. Every state will have their own differences in wildlife and fauna, as well as what the towns and areas have to offer tourists. A lot of the Northern Territory is considered the outback. In Australia we basically have three zones for living, colloquially known as 'the coastal strip', 'the bush' and 'the outback'. Over 80% of us live within 50 km of the coast, about 15% of us live in or near the country towns of the bush and just 5% live in the outback, even though it comprises about 70% of our landmass. Apart from the Great Dividing Range in the south east, there is no obvious or official dividing line between each zone, you just gradually evolve into each one as you leave