DAY 1 ULURU
Meals
Hello,
explorers! Surrounded by rusty earth and brilliant blue skies, you’re right in
the heart of Australia to begin your Outback safari tour in the heart of the
Red Centre in World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a Make
Travel Matter Experience. (Flights to arrive prior to 3pm). After meeting your
Travel Director and new travelling companions, you’ll head out for your first
visit through the desert landscapes and iconic, rusty red home of Uluru. Over a
sundowner of appetizers and sparkling wine, sit back as the surrounding grasses
blow and the sky lights up in red and orange illuminating 'The Rock’ rising 348
metres high. It’s the best way to experience the true beauty of mesmerizing
Uluru, connect to the land, and kick-off your trip. You’ll get a good night’s
rest in your Stays with Stories accommodation at the Desert Gardens Hotel.
Surrounded by the red dirt and desert trees, this indigenous owned hotel is the
perfect spot to immerse yourself in nature. Stay in or join an Optional
Experience Uluru Barbecue Dinner complete with a stargazing tour of the vast
Southern sky.
DAY 2 ULURU
Meals
It’s a
beautiful start to your first full day with a special sunrise in Uluru-Kata
Tjuta National Park. Grab a good spot, hot cocoa in hand, and watch the sun
light up Uluru and the sprawling desert. Then learn more about the park on a
guided walk with your Travel Director to Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of
Uluru. You’ll appreciate your guide's passion for the area and understanding on
the ancient rock art rich with history and lifetimes of stories that have been
preserved for hundreds of years. After a fascinating morning, kick back at the
pool or visit the art galleries and Town Square shopping village. Later in the
day you’ll get to enjoy even more of the National Park with a guided walk
through Walpa (meaning “wind”) Gorge to a lookout at Kata Tjuta’s thirty-six
domes of red-hued sedimentary rock. End your day of stunning natural
surroundings with another memorable Red Centre sunset paired with canapés and
sparkling wine in a tucked away, secret spot. Taking in the still magnificence
of Kata Tjuta, it’s ‘cheers’ to the Outback!
DAY 3 ULURU - KINGS CANYON
Meals
Sunrise fans
have another opportunity to greet the dawn at Uluru with an Optional Experience
at the Field of Light installation of artist Bruce Munro. As the sun rises in
the distance, you’ll make your way through 50,000 frosted glass spheres
lighting up the desert in violet, blue, and white like a field of flowers with
Uluru as your backdrop. You’ve never seen anything like it, and it will make
you appreciate Uluru and the land it occupies in a whole new way. Next up is a
gorgeous desert drive from Uluru to Watarrka National Park (named for an
Indigenous word meaning “umbrella bush”) to the ancient walls of Kings Canyon.
Put feet to ground on a guided walk along the sandy creek bed surrounded by the
striped cliff walls of golden yellow, orange, and red that rise 100 metres above
Kings Creek. Your stay in Kings Canyon is at Kings Canyon Resort, and
you’ll end the day swapping stories with the group over a relaxing dinner and
desert surrounds, topped off with a magical sunset over Carmichael Crag.
DAY 4 KINGS CANYON - ALICE SPRINGS
Meals
The early bird
catches the worm! Get a jump on the day with a sunrise hike with your Travel
Director to the top of Kings Canyon for a walk around its semi-circular edge.
From the top you’ll wind down through sandstone formations into the Garden of
Eden’s shaded, lush oasis of greenery. It’s a cooling finish to a big morning.
Relax and refresh at your hotel before making your way through the Outback to
central Australia’s Alice Springs. Learn all about the history of the town at
the circa 1871 Telegraph Station. This important site has a deep history of
sending messages between Darwin and Adelaide with a single wire, not only
connected Australia’s north and south, but also the first communication link
between Australia and England. Your first day Alice Springs with
360-degree views of ‘The Alice’ from the best vantage point, Anzac Hill. Take
it all in, from the Anzac Memorial to the panoramic views of the Western and
Eastern MacDonnell ranges.
DAY 5 ALICE SPRINGS
Meals
Start your day
with a Dive into Culture and history as a local Aboriginal guide shares the
traditions of the local Arrernte People in Alice Springs Desert Park. You’ll
also learn about the local desert birds like the Barn Owl, emu, and Princess
Parrot and animals including the dingo, red kangaroo, and Western Quoll. Then
get a fascinating window into the Outback meeting a Local Specialist at the
Royal Flying Doctor Service centre, learning how they provide emergency medical
assistance. You can even peek inside a replica of one of their small planes!
For the big finish, Connect with Locals over a starlit Be My Guest dinner at
the Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre. Brothers Tom and Danny Falzon will
tell you all about their sustainable, wind and solar powered lifestyle as
you’re treated to a home-cooked Aussie BBQ. They’ll share stories of ecology,
culture, and life on the farm as well as an astrology talk under the starry
night sky. Top it off with songs on the guitar and a didgeridoo accompanied sing-along,
and you have a night to remember in the Outback.
DAY 6 ALICE SPRINGS - TENNANT CREEK
Meals
Rise and shine
to your last day in Alice Springs visiting “the world’s largest classroom” at
the School of the Air. Tour the school with a Local Specialist, see the
teachers in action, and learn how they were the first to use two-way radio
broadcasts to educate remote students, providing support to children living in
the surrounding isolated communities. After an insightful morning, get out and
adventure in Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles), an amazing outcrop of precariously
balanced granite boulders. These massive rocks of up to six metres high,
believed by the Warmungu Aboriginal people to be the fossilised eggs of the
Rainbow Serpent, continue to crack and change shape even today. Walk among them
experiencing their majesty before reaching your home for the night in the
former 1930s gold-mining town of Tennant Creek, “the Territory’s heart of
gold.” Enjoy dinner with your travel mates in this history-rich spot sharing
the highlights of your Outback travels.
DAY 7 TENNANT CREEK - KATHERINE
Meals
It’s hard to
believe it’s only been one week, but there is so much more to see. Enjoy a
change of scenery in the Outback today on a visit to the quirky Daly Waters
Pub. As soon as you step inside and see the collection of memorabilia on the
walls, you’ll understand this pub’s encouragement to patrons to “leave
something behind.” Take in its history from the days when Qantas’ pilots
stopped to refuel on the nearby dirt runway as you sip on a cold schooner and
maybe leave one of your own treasures behind. Your next “watering hole” is
Mataranka’s hot springs to go for a refreshing dip in its crystal-clear,
thermal springs. These healing waters show you another side of the Outback and
are a relaxing stop on your way to Katherine, where the Outback meets the
Tropics. Settle into your centrally located hotel, enjoy a late dinner with the
group and maybe go for another swim in the pool.
DAY 8 KATHERINE - JABIRU
Meals
Get ready for a
big day in Nitmiluk National Park, where you’ll team up with an indigenous
Local Specialist for a two-hour riverboat cruise along the Katherine Gorge’s
ancient waterway of steep cliff walls, and maybe a freshwater crocodile or two
on the banks. You’ll have a chance to take a closer look at the indigenous rock
art before continuing your exploration on a second boat to the even bigger
cliffs of the deep river gorge. Every stop is stunning and enhanced by your
guide’s knowledge of the traditional Jawoyn landowners and the Jawoyn’s stories
of how the gorge was formed. Next up is Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and cultural jewel also known for its wildlife. Cruise the Yellow
Water Billabong as your Local Specialist points out the diverse species of
birdlife including magpie geese and perhaps more crocodiles. Your crocodile
adventures continue during your stay in the heart of Kakadu at the indigenous
owned hotel, whimsically designed in the shape of a crocodile.
DAY 9 JABIRU - DARWIN
Meals
Go big on a day
of history and culture before making your way to Darwin. You’ll begin at Ubirr,
one of Kakadu’s, and Australia’s, renowned Aboriginal rock art sites. Dive Into
Culture at this rocky landscape as your Travel Director shares the history and
the stories behind these illuminating images. Explore the loop trail past caves
and overhangs before a stop at Nadab lookout at Ubirr for the most endless view
over the wetlands of Kakadu - the filming location for Crocodile Dundee. Soak
in the vistas and get ready for a change of scenery as you travel to our home
for the next two nights, Darwin. Check into your hotel on the centrally located
Darwin Esplanade and head out to explore the city. You could catch a movie
under the stars at the Deckchair Cinema or see what’s cooking at the Mindil
Beach Sunset Market for dinner and a stellar sunset. With plenty of options to
choose from, including the Asian influenced food the city is known for, it may
be tough to pick your favourite.
DAY 10 DARWIN - LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK - DARWIN
Meals
Get excited for
your last full day of stunning nature and city sites. You’ll begin in
Litchfield National Park to see Northern Australia's own and over 100 years old
Magnetic Termite mounds reaching up to three metres high. Then you’re off to
Florence Falls for a short walk to a lookout point before the cooling waters of
Wangi Falls. Relax and go for a swim in its large swimming holes lined by
tumbling waterfalls and vined forests. After a day of fun and sun you’ll head
back to Darwin for your last evening. You’ll enjoy the full stretch of skyline
over a Farewell Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise with your Travel Director and
fellow travellers. Dine on a range of options from the Territory-inspired
banquet dinner as you learn Darwin history from your knowledgeable guide. It’s
grand finale of cityscapes and maybe a crocodile, dolphin, or turtle or two.
What better way to celebrate your Outback safari tour.
DAY 11 DARWIN
Meals
After a
wildlife and adventure filled trip in the Outback, it’s time to say farewell to
your fellow travellers this morning over breakfast before your transfer to
Darwin Airport for your onward flight (flights anytime).
