Postcard: Our Top End & Outback Road Trip
Please find our best travel images featured in the Uluru to Kakadu expedition trip album.
With the weight of the world's current situation, we decided to take off on an Outback and Top End adventure with our girls and turn our gift of time into a positive experience we'll all look back on with fondness.
Our journey began with an education in country music at the Golden Guitar in Tamworth. We hiked to the lofty summit in the Wurrunbungles to bask in the impressive vista of ancient volcanic remains and see the slither of rock called the Breadknife. The girls shone with delight on our Sunnyside Farm stay out the back of Dubbo as they cuddled potty lambs and chicks, cooked scones, and learned how to drive a 4x4 quad bike to round up cattle. We hand-fed giraffes at Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo before cycling our way around the zoo. Coco replicated the call and started up a memorable conversation with a very chatty Gibbon monkey.
From Broken Hill, the road became long and the vegetation low, and the red dust cued our entry into the outback. We sipped a cold one at the pub, marveled at the eclectic art before climbing atop a camel for a historical tour of Silverton. The birdlife shifted from the coastal varieties we were used to, and we spotted a new species of kangaroo (Euro) in the Narrows at Alligator Gorge. The evening sky burst with color, drenching Mount Remarkable in a Namibian-like array of warm colors, topped off to perfection with a double rainbow.
Lake Hart's crispy infinite stretch of salt had us playfully shapeshifting as the sun changed its face through the fading light. Lakeside, we listened to the rumbling whistle of the Ghan through the railway tracks speedily chug towards us in the dark of night.
We enjoyed the long quiet nights in an underground hotel in Coober Pedy. Paul shared his passion and entertaining mining tales on a fun and interactive tour of his working mine. Squeals of delight twirled with the lifted dust as the girls noodled for opals. The Breakaways took our breath away with its surreal otherworldly beauty.
Uluru and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) were made even more impressive by the carpet of dusky-colored wildflowers hugging their form. The shifting light from sunrise to sunset enhanced the sacredness of country, and the ancient stories held in its landscape are protected and shared by the Anangu, the traditional owners of the land. The Maruku gallery was bursting with a vibrant cultural art collection from across the Central and Western desert lands. A powerful place to behold and to stand on. I'm already dreaming of my return.
Kings Canyon and the West MacDonnell Range offered picturesque hikes in and around the escarpments that jut up and sprawl out across the red heart of our country. White Ghost gums majestically frame waterholes and windows to the red sandstone bluffs towering up through the lush flowering forest. Whistling kites soared overhead as budgerigars flit in a dash of green from hollow to waterhole.
We wandered through the ancient and vibrant botanic landscapes and met some unique outback animals at the Desert Park in Alice Springs. At the park, we marveled at the energy and adrenaline of free-flying birds as they soared through blue skies against the beauty of the MacDonnell Ranges.
The Devils Marbles are a fascinating geological marvel of ancient granite boulders that seem to have dropped from the heavens, precariously balanced and defying gravity, scattered across the valley floor. Coco Milou danced her way through the maze of boulders in her red dress, a gift of gratitude from a lovely woman in Wilcannia, in the glorious evening light.
We spent long hours floating and playfully splashing about in the sandy-bottomed thermal pool at Mataranka. A tropical oasis in the middle of the outback. On discovering turtles, the girls informed all the other bathers about everything they knew about turtles. We spent our evening grooving to a country beat and the sharp crack of the whip as World champion Nathan Whippy Griggs displayed his talent in an entertaining hour of humor and darning moves.
Our informative Jawoyn guide revealed the ancient creation stories that shaped the steep winding walls of the Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge as we cruised by Freshwater crocodiles sunning themselves on rocky outcrops. The night sky was dripping in color and smattered with the flapping of tens of thousands of Flying foxes as they lifted from their roost in search of food.
As we ventured north, the termite mounds grew from small red earth mounds to towering cathedrals. It was a delightful reward slipping into a pristine waterhole after hiking through the rocky open woodlands of Nitmiluk National Park or the dense monsoonal vine forests of Litchfield National Park. As we soaked our bodies in the refreshing crystal clear water, we watched Zebra finches dart in and out of pandanus palms and had Red-tailed Black Cockatoos screech as they flew overhead. The girls delighted in clambering up waterfalls and repeatedly leaping into the water below.
Darwin's Mindil market was a cultural feast of sound and flavors. We danced with the locals to the earthy rumblings of the digeridoo and watched the red, blistering sun dip into the ocean. Helen, a Wild Earth Explorer, gave us the insider's guided tour around Darwin, and at Crocosaurus Cove, the girls met some famous crocodiles that had graced the movie screen in movies like Crocodile Dundee. Coco saved a chicken and was rewarded a giant teddy bear for her kindness. A twist of fate would have us met my Kindship family at a local market. Elah and Barbara generously shared how to prepare and weave pandanus palm, which made me feel blessed to have such a nourishing cultural connection.
Snap, a loud, sharp clapping snap resounds in our ears as the beastie body of a Saltwater crocodile lunges up in the air, grasping its morsel of dangling food from the end of our guide's line and splashing us on its reentry. The sheer force used to propel the crocodile upwards is incredible and thrilling to watch.
The lifting veil of fog revealed the wild and wonderous Top End wetlands with its pretty water lilies skirting its waterways. Massive Saltwater crocodiles were deceptively draped in the muddy shallows as Snake-necked darters plunge for a tasty catch. Jacana chicks huddle under the safety of their father's legs as the stately Jabiru confidently fishes amongst the lily pads. Flocks of Magpie geese fluty song fills the air as they fly overhead, and a flash of color catches our eye as a Kingfisher dives into the water.
We experienced the rich cultural space where elaborate Aboriginal rock-art lines the sandstone escarpment facing the abundant lush green floodplains connecting Arnhem Land with Kakadu. We stood atop Rock Country, taking in the immense beauty of the untamed wilderness and vast panoramas. We hiked through savannah woodlands and listened to ancient stories and old ways of life from Johny, a traditional custodian of the area. From the air, on our scenic flight, the magnitude of the depth of experience that has made this ancient land so sacred amplified the prolific beauty of the tapestry of magnificent landscapes below us.
As we rounded the corner on our homeward journey through the South Western corner of Queensland, we fossicked for ancient fossils, marveled at the monstrous remains of marine dinosaurs in Richmond, and learned about prehistoric Australia at the Age of Dinosaurs in Winton. We saw footprints scrambling for escape from a Dinosaur Stampede frozen in time. We enjoyed the clever lyrics of a Bush poet performing a reenactment of Banjo Patersons' life and the Australian classic The Man from Snowy River.
The girls gained hands-on experience deep down in the dark tunnels at the Mount Isa Copper and Lead mine and were shocked at the thundering sound when given a chance to pull the lever to detonate explosives. The QANTAS hanger museum at its original headquarters in Longreach was fascinating with its informative and interactive displays.
Warmed by the flickering fire, we huddled together. We gazed up at the infinite starry night sky as we listened to the mythology of the constellations' insight at the Cosmos Centre in Charleville. We peered through a powerful telescope at the golden glow of Saturn, and within the black space of the Southern Cross, we were dazzled by the sparkle of The Jewelbox.
Brad shared an indigenous perspective on the troubling years of assimilation and highlighted the incredible talent and technology required to build the Brewarrina fish traps that sustained large resident mobs living by the river for thousands of years before colonization.
We were lead down into the narrow tunnels in the Chamber of the Black Hand mine in Lightning Ridge, and we were taken back by the beauty of the extensive collection of hand-carved sculptures the owner forged into the sandstone rock with a butter knife.
Our girls grew their understanding and knowledge of our vast country and returned with a new level of confidence. In addition, we made touching new relationships with a variety of interesting people who added color and depth to our travel experience. It was powerful and profoundly moving for me to read "Dark Emu" by Bruce Pasco and "Songlines-The Power and The Promise" by Margo Neale as we traveled through country. It has opened my eyes to the brilliance of our First Nations people, their hardships, their ancient knowledge systems, and their technologies. Thomas honed his birding photography skills and was impressed by the beauty of the Outback and Top End landscapes. It was a fabulous trip we’ll cherish forever.
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Back-to-Back Itineraries Not To Miss in 2024
2024 AUSTRALIA 01
Uluru to Kakadu
2024 ● 14 DAYS ● 16 GUESTS
Journey through Australia's remote Red Centre, the Outback and Top End to witness spectacular landscapes, prolific wildlife and engage with the world's oldest continuing living culture. A land of stunning diversity, where waterfalls cascade over sandstone escarpments into ancient gorges, Aboriginal rock art decorates cliff faces, and waterways are filled with large saltwater crocodiles and a countless array of birdlife. Travel in style from Uluru to Kakadu aboard The Ghan on one of the world's great railway journeys.
2024 AUSTRALIA 02
Minke Whales, Reef & Rainforest
2024 ● 10 DAYS ● 16 GUESTS
Discover the treasures of Northern Queensland as we head deep into the Daintree rainforest, where ancient ferns and towering palms, glistening rivers, and white-sand beaches are home to many rainforest dwellers. Then, travel onboard a yacht to the northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef to snorkel and dive spectacular pinnacles filled with marine life and come eye-to-eye with playful and curious Minke whales. One of the most remarkable and unique wildlife encounters you can have in the wild.