The Outback is as Australian as it gets and an essential part of any trip down under. You can’t really understand the enormity of Australia’s Red Center until you’re out there, driving hundreds of kilometers without seeing another vehicle. This isolation means there are just a few options available for taking in its majesty, and unfortunately, all are fairly expensive. The most popular option, and the one that the Permanent Holiday team chose, is to fly into Uluru or Alice Springs before catching a three or five day tour ending in either Adelaide, Alice Springs or Darwin. Flights to Uluru and Alice Springs are quite expensive, averaging around AUD $500 round trip from Melbourne, depending on when you go. We flew one way into Alice Springs before catching a three day tour that ended in Darwin, which worked because our next stop was Bali and flights from Darwin to Bali are cheap. There are also tours that start from Melbourne, but be aware that they’ll likely include long bus rides, depending on the tour length you choose.
A last option is to rent a car and travel the Outback on your own. However, unless you are willing to drive very long distances and, more importantly, are capable of camping in extraordinarily unforgiving circumstances, we think it’s almost always best to do a tour, one of the few places in Australia for which we’d say this. We’re completely serious when warning that death is a very real possibility due to the extreme heat and geographic isolation. For 99% of backpackers, then, a tour is the best option and these range widely in price. Generally, expect to spend around AUD $1,000 on this trip, including flights. A good round up of options can be found Backpackers World.
Why go:
Come on, it’s the Outback! You can’t understand Australia till you’ve seen the Red Center and you won’t regret it, despite the expense. Uluru is stunning and watching the sunset there will make you question if your life is even real. Kings Canyon is like walking on Mars; it’s truly a different world. Best of all is sleeping outside under stars so bright they stretch from horizon to horizon, clearly revealing the Milky Way and Southern Cross. The Outback is magical in its barren expanse and completely removed from the beaches and parties of the East Coast.
Which Tour:
We had a great experience doing Mulgas’ five day tour from Alice Springs to Darwin, which included most meals and all accommodation for AUD $669. This was the cheapest option for us, but depending on your individual circumstances, there may be better deals out there. We’ve also heard good reports about Groovy Grape, which offers the option to leave straight from Melbourne, while Wayoutback is another popular provider.
Tour Length:
Danny spent five days in the bush, while Noah and Zach spent three. Spending five days there means seeing Coober Pedy, a town that is almost entirely underground and considered the opal capital of the world, plus more gorgeous hikes. However, three days is definitely enough to get a feel for the Red Center. It really just depends on your heat tolerance and love of roughing it! If forced, we’d recommend a three day tour.
Darwin
Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory and Australia’s only tropical capital, has almost nothing going on, but as the last stop on many Outback tours and as a popular launching point into Asia via Bali, you may find yourself here for two or three days, which is the absolute maximum amount of time we recommend. Noah and Zach stayed in Chilli's Backpackers, which had below average rooms and a strange crowd but good wifi. The YHA Darwin is another option, with better rooms but worse wifi.
Although quite boring, Darwin is surrounded by national parks and outdoor adventure opportunities, from hiking and cliff jumping to fishing and crocodile tours. Litchfield and Kakadu are the two most well known parks and make Darwin a worthy destination on their own. Organized day tours from Darwin are a popular option, but are expensive and not nearly as fun as venturing on your own. Instead, rent a car with mates from your hostel; with four people, our day trip to Litchfield cost about AUD $30/person, as opposed to AUD $150 or more. Despite the brutal heat, we explored most of the 2WD accessible sites, including a few local watering holes. Our favorite was the Green Ant Creek hike, which winds briefly uphill before ending at cascading waterfalls and a deep plunge pool. Litchfield is filled with natural swimming holes, but most are closed during the wet season (from November to April) due to saltwater crocodile sightings and strong undertows. Even if just Green Ant Creek is open, however, a day trip to Litchfield is a must!
