A Visual Guide to Visiting the Australian Outback
Visiting the Australian Outback may seem like a big challenge – as in literally big. It’s large enough to be the world’s sixth-largest country, with harsh terrain, intense heat, and large swaths of unpopulated territory.
You can’t just drop everything and head to the Outback without planning. But for those who do prepare, the Outback presents a chance to get delightfully lost in nature as you discover sights and culture you can’t find anywhere else.
To get you ready, here’s a detailed infographic on taking a road trip through the Outback, created by Bulletvisible.
Size and Population
This vast interior covers millions of miles, including hundreds of national parks, thousands of conservation areas, rural experiences and cultural heritage sites.
Distance
The outback is so huge that it spans many climate zones. By sticking to sealed roads and checking average annual temperatures and rainfall estimates against your travel route, you can easily avoid potential washouts and floods.
Related: A Photo Tour of Australia’s Remote Northern Territory: Worth Going the Extra Mile
Tourism
From nature walks to gnamma holes, the Australian outback offers adventures and natural wonder, and is one of the prime locations to explore Aboriginal culture, history, spirituality, and language.
Related: Forget Ziplining — It’s All About Tree Surfing in Australia
Agriculture and Mining
Housing cattle stations as big as whole countries and underground gold mines, the Outback looks after some colossal places. Search for gold with a tour of the Super Pit mine — located in the largest gold producing region in Australia, the Golden Mile.
Explore: Preparation
Driving across the Australian outback is no mean feat – among those incredible sunset backdrops and endless horizons lie potential hazards and difficult conditions. Packing the right items in your car can be the most important thing you can do for a safe road trip.
Related: A National Geographic Photographer Looks Back on an Epic Trek Across Australia
Explore: Common Sense
Avoid common road-trip pitfalls by using a mixture of common sense, and handy tips when planning your journey and throughout.
Likely animals
There is much bird and wildlife spotting to be done, so keep your eyes peeled. And while you’re there, nature walks are a must.
Respect the Outback
Minimize your road trip’s impact on the environment through carbon offsetting, helping protect Australia’s wildlife with a visit to one of the Outback’s many wildlife reserves, or removing sand from gnamma holes.
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