Transform Yourself

Get inspired by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in Australia and then get set to explore our incredible bush land … in style! You might come back a very different person.

Luxury station stay

If you really want to immerse yourself in the outback way of life, then a stay at Burrawang West Station is for you. Stretching across 4856 hectares of Lachlan River country in NSW, the fully operational cattle station offers first-class accommodation, fine dining and adventure. From kangaroo spotting to cattle rounding to spa-soaking to Aboriginal painting, there is something for everyone at this quintessential homestead — there is even a bush poet and a didgeridoo instructor for those who fancy trying their hand at the important Aboriginal instrument! Rates start at $800 per person per night. For more information, visit www.burrawangwest.com.au.

Yoga bush retreat

Set in the magic of the Blue Mountains, just a 90-minute drive from Sydney, Ghost Hill Road is a stunning eight hectare bush property dedicated to self renewal. Whether you book in for a two-night retreat package or a three-night detox package you'll come away feeling utterly refreshed and relaxed. Enjoy sleep-ins, fresh air, spa treatments, country-style hamper breakfasts, organic food, and a guided bush walk with your personal trainer, not to mention yoga classes on the sunny deck. Packages start at $380 and you can visit www.ghosthillroad.com.au for more details.

Traditional train trip

If you thought there was nothing luxurious or typically Australian about a train ride then you haven't heard of The Ghan. Built in 1929 to link Adelaide to Darwin, the 2979km of track is one of the most famous routes in the world and it's just gone platinum! With lush cabins, ensuites and 24-hour cabin steward service, it certainly makes the three-day, two-night journey more than comfortable. And while you're enjoying your barramundi, kangaroo steak or lamb sausages you can watch the vast, rich outback go by outside. At more than $1000 a person a day it's not cheap but it sure is worth it as there's plenty of stop-offs on the way. Check www.gsr.com.au for more details.

Red earth retreat

If a good holiday to you is all about channelling a little Rex Hunt then get your rods and get to Voyages El Questro Wilderness Park in Western Australia. With 400,000 hectares of bushland, this park boasts some of the most incredible animals, fish and bird life imaginable and the waterfalls and waterholes aren't too bad either, so expect some exceptional barramundi fishing. You can also take a scenic flight from El Questro over the magnificent sandstone formations of the World Heritage-listed Bungle Bungles — an outback must-see. Voyages El Questro Wilderness Park is open from April 1 to October 31, each year and three-night packages at the park’s Emma Gorge Resort start from $540 per room. For more information, visit www.elquestro.com.au.

Awesome air safaris

Someone once said the best view is always from the air. So why not get up above the Red Centre thanks to Australian Adventures? From Lake Eyre to the Great Barrier Reef you can soar over some of the most beautiful sites in the world while learning a lot about the history and culture of each place. Gourmet meals, barbecue campfires and champagne at sunset are included in the tours, as well as the best available accommodation. Tours range from four days to 14 days and start at around $3500. For more information, visit www.airadventure.com.au.

Quaint country comforts

On the edge of the outback on the way to the Flinders Rangers in South Australia is a grand old country home with its doors wide open. North Bundaleer is set on 162 hectares of native bushland and farmland and was completed in 1901. Good food, fresh air, and good company are in abundance with formal evening meals hosted by the owners being one of the great delights. The historic mining towns of Burra and Mintaro are not far away and bushwalking along the Heyson and Mawson Trails is a treat. You can even share your homemade cuppa and cake with the local sheep, cows, kangaroos and rosellas. Rooms start from $250 per person twin-share and you can visit www.northbundaleer.com.au for more details.

Heavenly hot springs

Mataranka is a sleepy outback town between Alice Springs and Darwin. Its population may only be around 320, but it still manages to attract over 200,000 tourists a year. Why? Because of the amazing Mataranka Springs. More than 160,000 litres of spring water flow through the pools, which are heated by the earth to a balmy 34°Celsius. Said to relax, restore and rejuvenate the body, the springs have become an outback traveller's oasis. If you're planning on popping by Mataranka, you may want to do it around May when the town puts its festival shoes on and kicks up for a party including art exhibitions, live entertainment, bush dancing and rodeos. Accommodation at the Mataranka Homestead starts at around $95 per double per night. For more information, visit www.mataranka.nt.gov.au.

Wilderness walks

The rainforests of the Tarkine in Tasmania are some of the most unique in the world. Not only are they extremely rare (over 85 percent of earth's rainforests have been logged, burnt or converted to farmland) but hardly anyone knows about them. The 447,000 hectare Tarkine Wilderness Area is also home to 54 threatened or endangered species of flora and fauna and you can literally camp with the animals as you pitch your tent under the giant trees! The Tarkine also has a great number of significant aboriginal sites, many of which pre-date the pyramids! The walks will set you back about $1500 but you should do it while you still can! Hit www.tarkinetrails.com.au for info.

Five-star camping

If the word "camping" usually makes you break out in hives, you can rest easy because not only is roughing-it a thing of the past, but now you can actually camp out in style! Located in the NSW bush near Jervis Bay, Paperbark Camp is the ultimate eco-friendly retreat. Luxurious tents with everything from opulent spa baths to queen beds with crisp, cotton sheets, it is the epitome of comfortable. There's no need to eat burnt marshmallows for dinner either because the tree-top restaurant's menu features gourmet organic local produce and contemporary bush tucker. If you're up to it, you can go for a bushwalk or canoe along the nearby Currambene Creek, or you can just sit and relax in the fresh air. Jervis Bay is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney and accommodation at Paperbark Camp starts at $320 twin share. For more information, visit www.paperbarkcamp.com.au.

Contacts

Station stay
Phone: (02) 6897 5277
Fax: (02) 6897 5286
bookings@burrawangwest.com.au
www.burrawangwest.com.au

Air safaris
PO Box 339
Hamilton, Vic 3300
Ph: (03) 5572 1371 or 1800 033 160 (toll free)
info@airadventure.com.au
www.airadventure.com.au

Yoga retreat
73 Ghost Hill Road
Bilpin, NSW 2758
(off Bells Line of Road)
Mob: 0410 484 120
brenda@ghosthillroad.com.au
www.ghosthillroad.com.au

Red Earth resort
Voyages Travel Centre
GPO Box 3589
Sydney, NSW 2001
Ph: (02) 8296 8010 or 1300 134 044 (toll free)
Fax: (02) 9299 2103
travel@voyages.com.au
www.elquestro.com.au