November 8th, 2011 
Tushar Mathur Australia is as famous for its vast “outback” as it is for its sparkling beaches, but relatively few overseas visitors venture into the outback unless it is to see Uluru. It is an understandable but unfortunate oversight. Unlike the ill-fated Burke and Wills, whose expedition through the outback ended in disaster, today’s outback explorers can do so in complete safety. While Uluru should be high on your “Must See” list of Australian destinations, here are some outback destinations that you won’t want to miss, either.
Broken Hill
Broken Hill is arguably as popular a holiday destination amongst east coast Australians as Uluru is. Part of its attraction is that it is located close enough to Sydney that it is more easily and cheaply reached, but of course who would bother unless there was something to see there?
For Australians, the mystique of the outback goes far beyond the hardships of the early explorers. When you visit Broken Hill, you are visiting a magical place that embraces all of Australia’s history, from the Dreamtime to the gold and silver rushes to the present:
- Originally settled by the Barkindji aboriginal clan, you can see superb examples of ancient aboriginal rock art as old as 8000 years in nearby Mutawintji National Park.
- Broken Hill’s nickname is “Silver City.” The rush for silver in the 19th century was as frantic as the Australian gold rush and many of Broken Hill’s attractions date from that tumultuous era.
- In the 1960s, Broken Hill was rediscovered by Australia’s artistic community. The spectacular beauty of this outback region has provided them with inspiration ever since. This new breed of Broken Hill explorer inspired and instigated the creation of the spectacular Living Desert Reserve. Within the confines of the reserve is the amazing Sculpture Symposium, an outdoor art gallery that you will never forget.
The Flinders Ranges
The South Australian outback is as awesome as the outback gets. Said to be some of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, they have gone through some major changes in their 130 million year history and the whole story is told in the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail. You don’t need to be a geologist in order to read the story, since the twelve mile long trail is signposted at intervals throughout its length.
If you explore the Flinders, you won’t want to miss Wilpena Pound. This amazing natural amphitheater was once thought to be the remains of an extinct volcano, but is now known to be where two great continental plates collided. The entrance to Wilpena Pound is not far from the old mining town of Coober Pedy.
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