Here’s something unusual, a post NOT written by me.
The Australian Outback.
Endless stretches of red desert eventually blurring into bright blue horizons…this popular image immediately evokes Australia’s infamous Outback. If you love wide open spaces – and the thrill of quickly spotting the odd kangaroo! – a drive through the Outback will become a crucial part of living Down Under for you.
It is rare to find an Australian resident who does not own a car. Getting accustomed to the vast distances and hundreds of thousands of kilometres of road cannot be avoided – and this is not only due to the fact that driving between state capitals can take you longer than an entire day.
Cruising down Stuart Highway, the road connecting Darwin (in the north) to Adelaide (in the south), should not just be done out of necessity. In fact, it shouldn’t be done for the sole reason of reaching Ayers Rock – the one part of the Outback non-Australian residents have probably heard of! – either.
The Outback deserves to be explored for its own unique reasons: set aside a day – or more! – and take to the road. Sticking to the beaten track requires far less preparation than daring to explore the unmarked routes through the desert.
If you do choose this latter option, make sure that you have done your research, and are well prepared for the absolute isolation you will undoubtedly discover. Either way, however, you will quickly become immersed in the natural world. Experiencing this world is definitely one of the most popular reasons for taking the big leap and moving to Australia for good.
Nature abounds in plenty of forms – contrary to popular opinion, the desert does not inhibit the growth of all plants, or the survival of animals. The Outback is home to a unique selection of natural life, ranging from snakes and dingoes to palm trees that can‘t be found anywhere else in the world.
These weird life forms are complimented by the bizarre rock formations which dot the landscape at completely irregular intervals. Amongst the most famous of these are the strange and wonderful Devil’s Marbles, Uluru and the Olgas. But who knows what else you might catch sight of in a drive through this utterly individual environment!
Some see the unbroken stretches of desert as a disadvantage, an unfortunate fact that means the entire central part of an otherwise inhabitable country is completely unfit for settlement. But it is this very fact that enhances the charm of the Outback: it has not changed since its formation millions of years ago, and so has managed to accomplish something rare in the current world.
Unaffected by human excesses, the Outback can be seen as it was by the Aborigines thousands of years ago.
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For more information about the outback you can read the following three posts which were written by me…
Hi bob 🙂 i have a small problem here. I’m an international nursing student this feb 2013. I’m choosing between brisbane and darwin. Which city should i choose? In terms of number of part time jobs abailable and migration opportunities in the future? I’m really hoping for your reply. Thank you 🙂
I can’t tell you anything about available job opportunities between Brisbane and Darwin, but you could research it yourself if you check out my page about Getting a Job or a Sponsorship. Use the links to the three employment agencies to see what’s available for what you do in each city.
I obviously prefer Brisbane, that’s why I live here, Darwin is very hot and humid, in case you didn’t know. You could also check out my page A Quick Guide to Choosing a City in Australia.
When we said we were going to drive inland from Brisbane so many people told us not to bother and that there was nothing to see. How wrong they were! The best four months of my life have left me aspiring to become a Grey Nomad exploring the rest of this beautiful country 🙂
Yes, people have said that to us before as well. Nothing to see? I think it’s great driving through miles and miles of nothing, except empty roads, fields, sunshine, freedom, plants, sunsets, rivers, lakes, billabong’s and occasional glimpses of the normally shy wildlife.
All broken up every now and then with the view of a small town with 20 or so houses and one pub. Marvellous!