If you’ve ever decided against touring the Aussie Outback because you don’t have a 4WD, today is your lucky day.

You CAN visit the Australian Outback in a standard, non-4WD car! Just follow these simple rules:

• Choose destinations that don’t require an especially equipped vehicle – there are more than you think!
• Know your vehicle’s limitations – consider fuel economy, range, clearance, tyres, weight rating, space – in relation to where you want to go.
• Outsource the driving (eg take a tour, hitch a ride) when conditions don’t suit.
• Check all road, weather and travelling conditions in advance – rain, road works, flooding etc can all cause road closures.
• Take the advice you receive – be prepared to change your plans if conditions are not suitable for your vehicle.  Having a Plan B always helps!
• Get road assistance (eg NRMA, RAA, RACQ etc), but be aware of any exclusions – sometimes road assistance to remote areas isn’t available.

Pilchard and I have travelled to all the RedzAustralia TOP 10 Accessible Outback HOT Spots below in either a Subaru** Touring Wagon, a Subaru Forester or a Subaru Outback. Sometimes we’ve even had a NON-off-road camper trailer in tow. We’re not foolhardy risk-takers – we just follow those rules.

But if we can have these 10 Accessible Outback Experiences without extreme 4 wheel driving, then so can you!

1 Whale Watching

Head of Bight, South Australia

Stand atop the Bunda Cliffs – longest unbroken line of sea cliffs in the world – and watch the whales cavorting below! Yes, you’re in the Outback – and this section of the all-bitumen Eyre Highway separating Ceduna from Norseman, ~1200 km west, is Outback all the way.

Crossing the Nullarbor Plain en route from Sydney and Perth, around ~ 4000 km, is one of Australia’s great road trips. Full of life changing experiences – think driving Australia’s longest straight stretch of road; golfing on the world’s longest golf course; and unravelling the mystery of the Nullarbor Nymph (take links below for details) – it’s a TOP Outback experience in itself, even without the whales.

Where: Head of Bight Whale Watching centre is just off the Eyre Highway, ~220 km east of Eucla on the WA/SA border

When: Whale season is from June to October

Stay: Nullarbor Roadhouse, 26 km from Head of Bight Whale Watching area

MORE about Head of Bight and the Nullarbor Plain

2 Opal Fossicking

White Cliffs, New South Wales

The tiny opal mining town of White Cliffs is the only place in the world where unusual pineapple opals occur naturally. Despite spending a couple of afternoons on the mullock heaps, the only ‘colour’ (opal-speak for actual opal) we found was pretty, but worthless. Maybe you’ll have better luck? We certainly did when we gave the diggings away and ‘found’ some opal in the White Cliffs township, along with the world’s only above-ground mineshaft tour, a self-guided historic walk and unusual architecture shaped by harsh weather conditions and limited building materials.

If you’re car’s up to it, take the rugged, unsealed Wanaaring road for 33 km to the Paroo-Darling National Park and Peery Lake, at over 30 km long the largest overflow lake along the river.

Where: White Cliffs is 96 km north-west of Wilcannia, which is 195 km east of Broken Hill on fully sealed roads

MORE about White Cliffs

3 Mail Run

Quilpie, Queensland

It’d be difficult to drive yourself north over ~400 km of mostly dirt station tracks through magnificent outback scenery – it passes through 10 pastoral properties. But hitch a ride with the local postie to deliver the mail, catch up with some of the locals and see what’s outside the Quilpie city limits!

When you’re done with the Mail Run, climb nearby Baldy Top lookout (top photo) for a great view over this remote Boulder Opal mining town on the edge of nowhere. Explore west by driving 100 km to Eromanga, reportedly the furthest town from the ocean in Australia; fossick for opal at the caravan park’s ‘Deuces Wild’ lease; or drive 75 km south to Toompine for an Outback Pub experience.

Where: Quilpie is 211 km west of Charleville on the Cooper Developmental Road; and ~950 km west of Brisbane on the Warrego Highway, all sealed

MORE about Quilpie and Eromanga

4 The Gibb River Road

via Derby, Kimberley, Western Australia

There’s NO WAY that driving the 660 km of rugged, stony, tyre-shredding Gibb River Road (also known as the ‘Boys Own Adventure’ route) from Kununurra to Derby qualifies as an ‘Accessible Outback’ experience.

But the ‘Gibb River Road LITE’ version does!

Outsource the driving and hit the notorious road on a 4WD bus (it’s a school bus in its spare time) from North-west Kimberley town Derby for a 360 km round trip on the Gibb River Road to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek, then back again.

So sit back, enjoy morning tea and lunch en route to the main attractions, and save your car and/or rig for the bitumen.

Where: Windjana Gorge/Tunnel Creek Day Tour leaves from Derby, 220 km north-east of Broome, Western Australia

Road Conditions: Appalling! That’s why you’re letting someone else do the driving, remember??!!

MORE about the Gibb River Road and the Kimberley

5 Hiking

Ormiston Gorge, Northern Territory

The amazingly varied and superb Outback scenery makes the 7 km Ormiston Gorge and Pound walk one of the best short-ish hikes in Australia (IMHO). But it helps that it’s superbly placed amidst the ancient rocky landscape of the West MacDonnell Ranges, traversed by the Finke River, oldest waterway in the world.

Ormiston Gorge is the smart alternative if you want to dodge the crowds at Uluru AND experience Outback magic with classic scenery, wildlife and a variety of walks. It’s SO good, a two-night stay turned into six nights!

Where: Ormiston Gorge is in the West MacDonnell Ranges, 128 km west of Alice Springs on a fully sealed road.

MORE about Ormiston Gorge

6 Camel Races

Bedourie, Queensland

Don’t expect to see horses at the Bedourie races – it’s camels all the way in the lead up to nearby Boulia’s camel race weekend. Join Bedourie locals for a TOP day out with racing, wood-chopping, good Aussie tucker, entertainment and an evening dance – to be held in 2016 on 9 July.

Home of the iconic Bedourie Oven, the town sits almost half-way between two other Western Queensland racing icons – Boulia, and the centre of Australia’s racing universe – Birdsville, with it’s world famous race meet held in September. Once the races are over, explore the area or just relax in the town’s Hot Artesian Pools!

Or stick around for the Boulia Camel Races – longest track in Australia; then move on to Winton for more races the following weekend.

Where: Bedourie is a 216 km drive – mostly sealed with about 14 km of dirt – south of Boulia; or 164 km north of Birdsville – mostly dirt.

When: Bedourie Camel Races 2018 Dates TBA, but usually the weekend before the Boulia Camel Races; Boulia Camel Race Weekend on Friday 20^th – Sunday 22^nd July 2017 AND Winton Camel Races Dates TBA, but usually the weekend after the Boulia Camel Races.

MORE about Bedourie Camel Races

7 Unnatural Attractions

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Standing on the edge of a massive man-made crater stretching for nearly 4 km and waiting for a blast that’ll knock the sides out even further is like nothing else you’ll see in the Outback. A bold scheme (somewhat like its founder Alan Bond) the Super Pit combines leases and resources to more efficiently mine the Golden Mile – one of the richest seams of gold in the world.

A town able to survive because of an ambitious engineering feat piping water from the outskirts of Perth, nearly 600 km to the west, Kalgoorlie is a gold-mining town 24-7.

There’s nothing quite like the Outback’s natural attractions – but there’s something strangely compelling about this very unnatural one!

Where: 600 km east of Perth

MORE about Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Super Pit

8 RED!

Windorah, Queensland

A number of localities vie for the honour of being the REDdest place in Australia. But for the reddest accessible outback HOT spot, there’s no contest.

Even with my old FILM camera, the red sand dunes west of Queensland Outback town Windorah are so startlingly vivid they almost hurt the eyes. Windorah has the added inducement of being closest town to Australian icon Cooper’s Creek – only place in the world where two rivers meet to form a creek. Then a little further west there’s the weirdly signposted ‘Point of Interest’, and a little further beyond that, The Little Loo at the end of the Universe – my most popular Scenic Public Toilet ever!

That’s all very nice. But it’s those RED sand dunes that get me every time!

Where: Windorah is 239 km north-west of Quilpie (see #3 above), along the Diamantina Developmental Road

MORE about Windorah and Cooper’s Creek

9 Wildlife Watching

Marlgu Billabong, Kimberley, Western Australia

As the crocodiles zig-zagged through the otherwise tranquil waters of Marlgu Billabong, centrepiece of the Parry Lagoons Nature reserve, the 65 species of birds we saw over two visits seemed unperturbed. Maybe the crocs were after bigger prey? That’s why we stayed firmly behind the barriers of the viewing platform over this magnificent inland billabong and breeding ground that attracts thousands of birds.

And bird-watchers!!

Only a few kilometres from East Kimberley Town Wyndham, the lagoon is a dramatically beautiful dry-season oasis against the stark colours and boab-tree-studded landscape that surrounds it.

Where: Marlgu Billabong is ~15 km on a dirt road from Wyndham.  Wyndham is ~100 km north-west of Kununurra on a fully sealed road.

MORE about Marlgu Billabong

10 Ridge Top Tour

Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, South Australia

Experience extreme Outback Adventure on a bone-shaking 4 hour return trip through the (almost) trackless adventureland of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary to Sillers Lookout. Even though you won’t be driving yourself on this tour, it’s full of heart-stopping action on steep tracks with vertigo-inducing drop-offs and staggering scenery from several vantage points that show off northern South Australia to supreme advantage.

Australia’s premier eco-tourism destination (IMHO), Arkaroola is set amidst a fantastic landscape with an extraordinary array of rocks and minerals, superb natural attractions, amazing self-drive exploratory tours (mostly 4WD only), rugged hikes and an observatory for star-gazing.

The Ridge-top tour is conducted by Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and for my money, it’s the ultimate Aussie Outback experience of all time. And I’m happy for any other tour operators to prove me wrong!

Where: Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is 125 km north-east from Copley on an all-weather dirt road. Copley is ~600 km north of Adelaide on a fully sealed road – and if the weather prevents you from getting out to Arkaroola, Copley makes a fine alternative destination

MORE about Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and Copley

WARNING:

This post is an introduction to guide you to some of the more accessible Outback Experiences.

ANY trip to the Outback, no matter how easy it appears, MUST be carefully planned.  Please visit websites like Travel Outback Australia, Outback Australia Travel Guide or Outback Travel Australia for advice and to ensure you are well-prepared, and carry extra water and supplies at all times.

Why?  Because you’ll be faced with:

• Long distances
• Extreme temperatures
• Minimal facilities
• Limited services, including mobile phone access
• Harsh conditions

* IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

** Please note: These models of Subaru generally have slightly higher clearance than a standard car, and can be switched to 4WD mode if required.

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The post Red’s TOP 10 Accessible Outback Experiences appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I was 4 – nearly 5! – the first time I crossed the Nullarbor. Christmas day, and we were on the Indian Pacific* heading for Adelaide. We’d spent Christmas eve in a pub somewhere in rough as guts Western Australian gold-mining town Kalgoorlie, but I don’t remember that.  Maybe I had blanked it out …

Many years later, I made my second Nullarbor crossing, this time as an adult by car along the Eyre Highway. And while it was hot, dry and dusty with a killer sand-laden wind fresh from the furnaces of hell, I couldn’t suppress the frisson of excitement that travelling this iconic landscape gave me.

Because the Eyre Highway’s 1660 km length**, crossing two monster states, three time zones and the world’s largest limestone karst shelf covering 200,000 km²makes a Nullarbor crossing the ultimate Australian rite-of-passage road trip!

The Nullarbor is WAY more than just a long, dusty drive from A to B.

With unique Australian AND World Exclusives jostling for position amidst magnificent coastal scenery, remote roadhouses and the opportunity to be truly alone, who WOULDN’T want to experience the wonders of the treeless (Null = none; arbor = tree) plain?

BUT … if you’re having trouble picturing how a Nullarbor crossing – perhaps the ultimate Australian travel adventure – is a good thing, here’s 6 trip-teaser things to see and do on the Nullarbor Plain so you can see what you’re missing!!

 1 The Golf:

OK, you’re on the Nullarbor on (arguably) Australia’s greatest road trip and I’m talking GOLF??

Yes.

Even if – like me – you’re NOT a golfer, you’ll surely want to add a World Exclusive like World’s LONGEST golf course to your repertoire, right??

Nullarbor Links stretches 1365 km (848 miles) over 18 holes from the ‘CY O’Connor’ and ‘Golden Mile’ holes in Kalgoorlie to ‘Denial Bay’ and ‘Oyster Beds’ at Ceduna with 14 other aptly named holes – think ‘Skylab’ at Balladonia, ‘Nullarbor Nymph’ at Eucla and ‘Dingo’s Den’ at the Nullarbor Roadhouse – along the way. And you don’t have to lug a whole lot of (to me) superfluous golfing gear around either! Hire clubs at each hole!!

MORE about Nullarbor Links!

2 The Bight:

Once across the border into South Australia, the highway skirts the Bunda cliffs with their white base of Wilson Bluff Limestone.

A dramatic edge to the Great Australian Bight – that 1160 km long mouthful shaped chunk that eats into Southern Australia – the impressive 200 km of unbroken cliffs is part of the longest sea-cliff line in the world.

From here, there’s NOTHING between you and Antarctica except what we Aussies call the Great Southern Ocean. To the rest of you, it’s just part of the Indian Ocean.

MORE about Great Australian Bight and Great Australian Bight Marine Park

3 The Whales and other Wildlife:

Between May and October each year, up to 60 Southern Right Whales migrate to this area to breed and calve. One of the best places to sight them is the northernmost tip of the curve of southern coastline, imaginatively called Head of Bight!

Get below the cliff line on the Great Australian Bight Marine Park’s viewing platform that puts you as close to the whales as you can get without getting wet! But don’t just drop in like we did – break your journey at the nearby Nullarbor Roadhouse so you can spend all the time you want whale watching.

If whales aren’t your thing, birdwatch at the Eyre Bird Observatory – Nullarbor Quail-thrush is only found on the Nullarbor!

Failing that, foolishly driving from dusk onwards will virtually guarantee sightings of wildlife up REAL close …

MORE about Head of Bight’s Whale Watching AND Eyre Bird Observatory

4 The Exclusives:

A Nullarbor road-trip really is the best way to appreciate Australia’s size and scope as well as some experiences to be had nowhere else in Australia – or the World!

During the trip, experience the longest straight stretch of road in Australia!

Just how long IS 90-mile straight?? Of course … it’s 91.1 miles (or 146.6 km)!!

And if you miss the bight and longest line of sea-cliffs in the world because you’re travelling by train, make up for it by riding the longest straight stretch of railway line in the world – 478 km (297 miles).

Under the world record breaking limestone karst, worn by the weathering of millenia, lies the world’s longest cave system complete with rockholes and blowholes, including Koonalda Cave and Murrawijinie Caves near the Nullarbor Roadhouse.

At 2.5 million acres, Rawlinna station is the biggest sheep station in the world!

Yes, that makes it bigger than quite a number of countries … although the dry sheep equivalent out here is pretty low!

Taking a photo of the big nothing emptiness isn’t too difficult … on roads this long, there’s not a lot of other traffic to get in the way!

5 The History:

Perhaps because of its isolation, harsh climate and unique features, the Nullarbor’s fascinating history can be experienced along the way.

Several settlements and roadhouses are built around the Telegraph line, like Eucla, near the WA/SA border, once the busiest Telegraph Station outside the capital cities when it opened in 1877. Drowning in sand, the ruins can still be accessed by 4WD.

The Eyre Bird Observatory was once an historic Telegraph Station, itself on the site of a watering hole used by Edward John Eyre during his Nullarbor Crossing. Back on the highway, nearby Cocklebiddy was once an Aboriginal mission. Indigenous legend and history is further explored at the Head of Bight Interpretive Centre.

If you can remember back to 1979, spare a thought for Skylab when you reach Balladonia – debris was found at Woorlba Sheep Station 40 km east. A Cultural Heritage Museum in the hotel complex also recreates the area’s history including Aboriginal Dreaming legend and Afghan Cameleers.

To cement YOUR place in history, pick up a Nullarbor Crossing Certificate from the Norseman Tourist Centre OR from the Port Augusta Wadlata Visitor Information Centre – depending on from which end your trip started!!

6 The Nullarbor Nymph:

The story of a blonde white woman living among kangaroos on the Nullarbor Plain was first reported, perhaps unsurprisingly on the day after Xmas, 1971.

After some footage of a woman wearing kangaroo skins was released – did I mention she was half-naked?? – the small town of Eucla (then with a population of 8) on the Western Australian side of the border with South Australia, was swamped by journalists from around the world.

Sadly, the Nullarbor Nymph was outed as a hoax in 1972, although perhaps she remains a subliminal fantasy for in the ‘best’ Aussie tradition, the story of the nymph has been immortalised in a (you’ll not be surprised to hear low-budget) film.

Most – if not all – travellers won’t get to see the nymph, so will have to content themselves with this Aussie BIG Thing at the Half-way Across Australia mark instead …

MORE about the Nullarbor Nymph AND more about the FILM and Kimba’s BIG Galah!

Just between us, this is only the beginning … there are WAAAAY more than these 6 things to see and do on the Nullarbor!  But I’ll leave finding the rest up to you!!

Interested? Intrigued?? Incited??? THEN … Read MORE:

• The Nullarbor Plain, South Australia and Western Australia
• Travellers Guide to the Nullarbor

ALL the Aussie ABCs:

• M is for Mount Kosciuszko
• L is for Lookout
• K is for Kangaroo
• J is for Jabiru
• I is for Islands
• H is for Holiday
• G is for Gorge
• F is for Fossils
• E is for Emu
• D is for Dune
• C is for Crocodile
• B is for Bushranger
• A is for Alice Springs

* Famous Australian train running from Sydney to Perth ie between the Indian and Pacific oceans!!

** From Norseman, Western Australia to Port Augusta, South Australia – with the accepted limits of the Nullarbor Plain being the ~1200 km from Norseman to Ceduna. The actual distance from Perth to Adelaide is 2700 km.

The post Aussie ABC: N is for Nullarbor appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.