8 Unforgettable Outback Collection Experiences

Land journeys designed to give you a true sense of the Australian outback spirit

We are proud to have released our new 35th Anniversary Outback Collection; land journeys. Here are our eight most unforgettable moments you can experience in the outback with Scenic.

1. The Blue Lake of Mt Gambier

The Blue Lake in South Australia’s Mount Gambier occupies an extinct volcano crater. From November to February the lake's blue changes to an intense deep turquoise. How did it come be so blue? A huge layer of limestone sits under Mount Gambier and is made up entirely of the fossils of marine animals and shells. Over time, rainfall has soaked into the limestone like a huge sponge, or aquifer. The Blue Lake is a ‘window’ into the aquifer.

2. The regeneration of Kangaroo Island

The 2019-20 bushfires across Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, burnt a large section of Flinders Chase National Park, but it hasn’t taken long for many native plant species to regenerate and even thrive after the fire. The Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch, countless walking trails and fur seal colonies are some of the reasons why Scenic guests love Kangaroo Island.

3. The indigenous stories of Wilpena Pound

Wilpena Pound in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges is a very sacred site to the Adnyamathanha people. They believe Wilpena Pound was formed when two Dreamtime serpents travelled south and carved the landscape in their wake. The Adnyamathanha people will connect you to more than 100 million years of tradition, culture and this unforgettable land.

4. Living Desert Sculptures Museum

The Living Desert is in the Barrier Ranges, 12km from Broken Hill in outback New South Wales. On top of the highest hill, at the end of a 900m-long walking trail, are 12 sandstone sculptures. They were designed to make their best showing with the coming or going of the sun.

5. Mungo National Park - another world

If you want to see the Walls of China or feel as though you’re walking on Mars, head to Mungo National Park in New South Wales. This 30km dune formation protects burials and fossils. There’s a boardwalk around this fragile environment, providing views across the ancient dry lakebed of Lake Mungo.

6. Generational farming in Charters Towers

Living and Learning Across the Generations is the motto of Wambiana Station in Queensland, which has been the home and workplace of the Lyons family since 1912. Native wildlife lives harmoniously with cattle here. Spend the day learning about life on a remote cattle station, the history of the property and their sustainable grazing practices.

7. Explore Australia’s history in Winton

Winton in Central West Queensland is the dinosaur capital of Australia and home of Waltzing Matilda. Banjo Patterson’s Waltzing Matilda was penned in 1895 and rumoured to have been first performed at the North Gregory Hotel. In dedication, it has its own museum, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, housing the largest collection of fossils in the world.

8. Cosmos Centre in Charleville

On a clear night, viewing the beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy, through the powerful Meade telescopes, unaffected by lights and pollution in Charleville, Queensland, will make you feel like you can reach for the stars. Observe binary stars, star clusters, planets and the moon. If you’re a city dweller, you will truly relish the opportunity to appreciate the cosmos.