questionsaboutwhatit is to be
Australian.Butthisself-revelatory
opportunityis notjustforAussies,it’salso
a drawcardforvisitorsfromtheworld
over.
Theautumnandwintermonthsare
perfecttimesto visit.Thedaysareclear
andcool,freefromtheoppressiveheat
thatsummercanproduce,andthenights
areperfectforsnugandcosycamping.
Thecoolerdayslendthemselvesperfectly
to allmannerof outdoorpursuits,bethey
simplywalking,hikingoverchallenging
terrainorcareeningthroughwickedly
twistingsingletrackroutesaboarda
two-wheeledsteed.
NotwodaysinCentralAustraliashould
everbethesamegiventhediversityof
adventuresonoffer.Whetheryou’rea
veteranvisitorto theCentreorvisitingfor
thefirsttime,fromthemomentyou
arrive,anabundanceof excitingfun-
filledadventureawaits.
A tripobjectiveintotheCentrecanbe
preciseorloose.Whynotsimplyorganise
a tripwitha straightforwardambitionto
explorethedesertlandscapebyfootoron
wheels?A multi-dayhikeormountain
bikeadventureshouldbeanexperience
of consummatepeace.Suretheeffort
andgrindis there,likeinallhikesorbike
rides,butthere’sa feelingof spaceand
remoteisolationuniqueto theCentre;an
imbuedrichnessto theadventureunlike
thatfeltinotherecosystems.Andit's
richnessof experiencethatalltrue
adventurersseek. —AFC
entralAustralia.The
wellspringof Dreamtimeand
byfarthebestplaceonEarth
to glimpsethegreatgoannain
thesky.Hometo Uluru,anearthly
monolithuniversallyrecognisedas
representingthebeatingheartof
Australia.It’soneof ourplanet’smost
powerfulandrecognisablegeographical
phenomena;a sacredredrock
surroundedbyanoceanof land.A place
witha 360-degreeuninterrupted
horizon.Suchis themagnanimous
feelingof spacewhenoutinthecentre,
it’snearlyimpossibleto notreachout
withbotharmsandspinwithinits
boundlesssymmetry.It’sanuncluttered
andancientecosystem;there’snowhere
elsequitelikeit onEarth.
Headingintothecentreis a riteof
passageformostAustralians.Infact,for
many,spendingsignificanttimeinthe
middleanswersa myriadof personal
CLOCKWISE FROM MAIN:
Ellery Creek waterhole in the West Macdonnell ranges; the magnificent, the
mystical and the timeless: Uluru; a wild brumby checks out some tourists
with a cameraOutdoor \ 17