Don’t Know the Australian Bush from the Outback; the Red Center from The Top End? Keep Reading & Learn What’s for You

Were you one of those kids who used to pore over the old National Geographic Magazines, and make lists of places you wanted to be the first person to explore? I was. Growing up in Port Stephens, and being forced to travel each school vacation, I became particularly enchanted by my own backyard, a 20-mile long beach, which is the largest continuously mobile coastal sand dune in the Southern Hemisphere, and the sheer vastness of what lay beyond it.

My parents used to throw us in the back of the old Jackeroo (small 4x4) and just drive. Sometimes we'd end up in the bush, sometimes the outback (yes, they are two different things, see below). These trips would always begin with Dad looking at Mum, smirking and saying "pack up the 'roo, we're goin' walkabout, kids!" In those days, there was nothing glamourous and luxurious about it, but to this day simply seeing a colour that is evocative of that time and place seriously can transport myself back there. Funny, but Heinz ketchup reminds me of the colour of our sunsets for many months after the Mount Pinatubo Volcano eruption in the Philippines in 1991.

And the stars. WOW! You have seen nothing until you've seen the Southern Sky at night.
So, here’s your cheat sheet on what’s what and what’s where in Australia.

Bush is something you can do within an hour or two from the city these days at an eco lodge on the far side of the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney at Wolgan Valley Resort

or at Kangaroo Island, an untouched gem of a wilderness island with over 254 bird species and 50 unique plants and flowers found nowhere else on Earth; Southern Ocean Lodge

Alternatively there is Tasmania - our secret emerald jewel - you could easily spend a week on this island and still not have seen it all. Cradle Mountain Lodge

Outback is old, hot, dry and fraught with tales of bushrangers and danger. It’s a little further out than the bush; perhaps a two- to five-hour flight inland depending on your specific destination, and it is the stuff of legends, literally. Indigenous Australian's have inhabited the land for well over 60,000 years and have a culture and heritage so incredibly rich. Whatever your fitness level, walking tours with your own local guide is a great way of intimately covering land which you may have been the first person to ever set foot on. Yep - Australia is THAT big. Camp under a canopy of stars in your elevated luxury "camp out." For an authentic look at a working farm/cattle ranch you cannot go past Arkaba Station

The Red Center If you're set on the red center which is often considered the heart of Australia, plan a side trip to Alice Springs, venture to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta. You will be exposed to an expansive living cultural landscape which very few are able to experience. Whether you spend your time learning of the ancient cultures of traditional owners, or exploring the stunning flora and fauna with expert guides, when you are face-to-face with this irresistible land, your senses come alive. Longitude 131

The Top End is something all together different - you have the polar opposites of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory - and the Kimberly Ranges, in Northern Western Australia. This is for the second or third time visitor to Australia, located just to the west of Kakadu National Park is Bamurru Plains. A profusion of bird and wildlife are on the doorstep of a unique bush camp that exudes ‘Wild Bush Luxury’ and brings a touch of style to a remote and beautiful wilderness. Safaris and helicopter mustering of water buffalo and cattle are among some of the exciting things you can do here!

For wildlife watching, bush-walking, photography, Aboriginal rock art or just soaking up the sights and sounds, Australia is in a class of its own. Come, get lost in time..

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