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New South WalesOutback:Urban EscapeFrom Sydney,yourclosest outback fixbegins near Parkes,a farming town of14,000 in therolling, silo-stud­ded wheat-and­sheep country ofNew South Wales.Seven years ofdrought haveturned the fieldstawny, but this isstill considered the"green outback"-a lusher, moretemperate versionof Australia's aridcenter. For themost part, touristamenities aresparse-as are resi­dents, save theweathered cow­boys and bushpoets who've beenworking thesesheep stations forgenerations.WHERE TO STAY:

Burrawang WestStation (1;SEEMAP) is a privatelyowned cattle ranchon 12,000 acres oframbling pasture­land. Built in 1993as a corporateretreat, the com­pound-purchasedin 2000 by SydneyentrepreneurGraham Pickles andhis wife, Jana-hassix wood-plankedguest cottages,each with a privatescreened porch anda marble bath. The

FLY RIGHT

In addition to majorU.S.carriers, Aus­tralia's national air­line, Qantas, fliesthe 14-hour route toSydney from LosAngeles two orthree times daily;the Qantas AussieAirPass includesround-trip interna­tional airfare andthree domesticflights, from $1,099(qantas.com.au).Apply for an elec­tronic tourist visaonline before you go($18;www.eta.immi.gov.au)

IN THROUGH THE OUTBACKGive yourself atleast ten days totour eastern Aus­tralia, with a stop inSydney before youhead into the bush.A three-hour guid­ed ascent of the440-foot-highSydney HarborBridge, overlookingthe Opera House, isarguably theworld's best curefor jet lag (from$159;www.bridge­climb.com). Cribfrom this itineraryfor the best mix ofstylish resorts andtrue adventure. Orbook your own cus­tom safari withUncharted Out­posts, a U.S.-basedoutfitter that spe­cializes in high-endindependent travel(unchartedout­posts.com).

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is a vast expanse of natural thrills and afreak show of brag-worthy fauna.

Australia's outback and its wildlife havealways been a draw, but until recently thecountry lacked a critical mass of luxuriousbush camps and guide services to deliver atrue safari experience. Now, with the ar­rival of several small, chic lodges on its far­thest fringes, Australia is becoming aDown Under version of Africa, where it'spossible to buzz via bush plane from onehideout to the next, immersing yourself inthe wilds without sacrificing comfort orstyle. The best thing about Australia, ofcourse, is the locals: relentlessly upbeat,unpretentious, and alwaysgame for adven­ture (howeverdubious). Chat up your hostsat any of the new outposts and next thingyou know you'll be tagging along on asheep-mustering mission or helping pusha bush plane out of a garage.

Late last fall, Iflew to Australia to experi ­ence the country's emerging safari culturefor myself, charting a course that focusedon the northeast coast and the Great Bard ­er Reef, the outback just outside of Sydney,

and the coast and interior ofSouth Australia. I flew in hel­icopters and bush planes(once with a baby-faced pilotwho looked barely old enoughto drive, let alone navigatesafely through a gale), slippedinto a contented, kangaroo­induced daze in the front seatof a Land Cruiser, and negoti ­ated that most loathsome ofdriving challenges, the trafficcircle-from the left side ofthe road - behind the wheel ofan electric buggy.

In Queensland's Whitsun­day Islands, a 19-year-oldskipper named Jack, withjumbo gold Ray- Bans andsalty - blond dreadlocks,tacked our catamaran backand forth across a white­capped bay. Soon, however, amotorboat approached and

Jack shoved the tiller toward me. "Here'smy ride," he said as he hopped into thedinghy and left me alone to sail. Over hisshoulder, he reassured me in the mostAussie of ways: "You'll be right!'

Australians' laid-back joie de vivre is anadaptive trait: The austral sun is toobright, the air too clear, and the horizontoo wide and possibility-full to harborprolonged pessimism. This, after all, is theoldest continent, a stalwart relic that'sbeen there, done that a thousand times

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As a country, a continent, and an islandunto itself, Australia is a land of bizarre ex­tremes-from desolate desert to tropicalrainforest and stunning coastline. It's alsohome to some of the most exotic nativewildlife you'll find anywhere: pogo-stick­ing 'roos, docilekoalas, and -if you happento be driving through Flinders Ranges Na­tional Park at dusk -leggy emus as ubiqui­tous as deer in New England. Roughly thesize of the lower 48, with a population of 21million (slightlyless than that ofTexas), Oz

I know this because a couple of months agoI was riding shotgun in a tiny bush plane,the cockpit barely bigger than the inside ofa Mini. The pilot, Ian Fargher, was flyingusfrom his sheep station in the FlindersRanges to Adelaide, the capital of SouthAustralia. Below us, mountains tilted atlopsided angles and the scrub-coveredearth was alive with kangaroos. True out­back, as advertised. Aswehummed south­ward in his 1969 SkyHawk II Cessna-aglorified gnat, with a single tinny pro­peller- Fargher glanced over at me, took

.his hands offthe yoke, and said with uplift­ing confidence, "OK,you're flyingnow!'

This was toward the end of my ten -dayvisit, and I'd learned a thing or two by then.Namely, that when you're thousands ofmiles from home, across oceans and timezones, on a three - million - square - milelandmass that's almost entirely engulfedby desert, it helps to have a sense of humor.I'd also seen that in Australia, a story welltold trumps the mundane truth any day.Believe me when I tell you that I pilotedthat plane allthe way to Adelaide.

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Australia is a landof optimists.

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86 OUTSIDE FEBRUARY 2008 map by Sjissmo Rasniki

88 OUTSIDE FEBRUARY 2008

over but refuses to be fazed. Outdoor­loving Aussies aren't discouraged by thefact that some of the world's most ven­0mous snakes slither through these partsor that the oceans' creepiest agent of tor­ture, the box jellyfish, patrols the CoralSea-an army of killers the unflappablelocals simply call "bities!'

Over breakfast one day at BurrawangWest Station, property manager DougLoeb and I got to talking critters. A for­mer marketing executive from Sydney,Loeb, 39, epitomizes Australia's sunny,can-do ethos: By day, he's a sunburnedcowboy in a shearling vest and dustyboots; by night, you'll find him in hischef's whites, preparing gourmet lambshanks. That morning, before a hikealong Goobang Creek, I grilled Loebabout protocol should I trip over a stickthat was actually a death adder lying in

.wait. "Oh, no worries;' he said. "It'll hearyou coming and get out of your way!'

But if it didn't? I could always do what alocal rancher did when he was bitten in thebush, Loeb suggested: Lie absolutely stillon the ground for 12hours, to keep thevenom from pumping to my heart andkilling me on the spot. That seemed aslikely as, well, flying my own plane, butLoeb was grinning so assuredly, I couldn'thelp but believe him.

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main homesteadhouses an im­pressive Australianart collection,including Aboriginalbark paintings andcontemporarymetal sculpture(from $685 perperson per night;burrawangwest.com.au). WHAT TODO: Head out forthe day on four­wheeler "quad"

bikes to help herdcattle or check onnewborn lambs,cruise the ranchroads on a moun­tain bike, or paddlea kayak down Goo­bang Creek, whichwinds through theproperty. Also onsite: a pool, archery,two grass tenniscourts, and anindoor sauna.GETTING THERE:Burrawang is a five-

hour drive west of

Sydney ora 45-minute hopby plane. Fly com­mercial into Parkesvia Regional Ex­press ($200 round­trip; regionalex­press.com.au) orcharter a bush

flight from Sydneyto the station's dirtairstrip (from$3,000 for fourpassengers; airtex­aviation.com.au).

The WhitsundayIslands: OceanParadiseThis chain of 74lush isles offQueensland's cen­tral coast makes agorgeous basecamp for exploringthe Great BarrierReef. Though thecoral's a bit fartheroffshore here-35miles east of theresort center ofHamilton Island­than it is farthernorth, in bustlingCairns, the south­ern reef sees fewercrowds. And withprotected anchor­ages and shortcrossings, theWhitsundays are amecca for sailing.WHERE TO STAY:From the open-airlounge at Qualia (2),a serene five-starresort that openedon Hamilton Island'ssecluded northerntip in September,you'll have unob­structed views ofstill-wild Whit­sunday Island. The60 guest "pavilions"are equally stun-

ning: Each 1,292­square-foot roomoverlooks the water,with a privateplunge pool, ter­race, plasma TV,and cavernous slatebath (doubles from$1,264; qualiare­sort.com.au). Thecuisine-includingfresh-caught scal­lops prepared by aFrench chef-is justas indulgent.WHAT TO DO: Take

a scenic, 35-minutehelicopter flight tothe Great BarrierReef ($631; avta.com.au) andsnorkel with theresident "reefrats"-barefootdive masters wholive on pontoonspermanently sta­tioned on the reef.Back at Qualia, youcan skipper a cata­maran, play bocceby the pool, paddlea sit-on-top kayak,or hop into a four­seat "buggy" (anelectric golf cart)to explore the 15­mile network of dirttrails that loopsaround HamiltonIsland. Or considera week of sailing inthe Whitsundays(bareboat chartersfrom $2,884 perweek; sunsailwhit­sundays.com.au)before retreating toWoodwark Bay (3),a stunning, 4,000­acre retreat on themainland. Theentire resort, whichfeatures sevenPLEASE TURNTO PAGE 101

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Flinders Ranges: Authentic OutbackHow do you know you've landed in quin­tessential Aussie outback? The quickestway from A to B is by bush plane, the 'roosand emus outnumber the humans, andthe flying doctors drop onto the localairstrip once a month. Some 120 milesnorth of Adelaide, the vineyards andwheat fields give way to dusty, rollingsheep country, backed by the sandstonepeaks of the Flinders Ranges. WHERE TOSTAY: Angorichina Station (6) is a sprawl­ing sheep property run by fourth-genera­tion homesteader Ian Fargher and hiswife, Oi. There are just two guest rooms inthe low-slung ranch house, and meals aretaken family style on the terrace, over­looking a tennis court and the wool shed,so you'll feel at home right away (doublesfrom $1,196, including all meals and activi­ties; angorichinastation.com). WHAT TODO: Don't come with any hard-and-fastagenda because it won't compare towhat Ian will dream up: wandering downto the wool shed to watch the sheepshearing, walking with the kelpies(Aussie sheepdogs) to scout for eagles'nests, four-wheeling to the top of CareyHill for sundowners, tracking the skit­tish yellow-footed rock wallaby inFlinders Ranges National Park, orbuzzing the 213-square-mile propertyin lan's Cessna while he rounds upsheep or checks his wells. But the high­light of any visit to Ango is a ten­minute bush flight to the Prairie Hotel(7), in tiny Parachilna, for lunch. The100-year-old hotel and pub, run by Rossand Jane Fargher (Ian's brother and Oi'ssister), is an oasis of outback style, withgourmet 'roo burgers in the dining room,Aboriginal art on the walls, and-ofcourse-a dirt runway out back.GETTING THERE: Angorachina is a six­hour drive from Adelaide-or Ian will flyyou from the city and back in his Cessna($1,796 for up to two passengers). @)

Clare and Barossa Valleys:South Australia's Wine CountryWake up to row after row of grapevinesbacklit by the sun and you'll be forgiven forthinking you're in Northern California. Theepicenter of Australian viticulture sitssquarely in the Clare and Barossa valleys(twin appellations, like Napa and Sonoma),a couple of hours north of Adelaide. Withgently undulating vineyards, wooded hillsbreaking the horizon, and fields coveredwith purple wildflowers, the terrain isidyllic, and the lifestyle is just as sublime:weekly farmers' markets; tiny villages,each with their own butcher, baker, andwine maker; and between them, morethan 100 "cellar doors;' or tasting rooms.WHERETO STAY: In the Barossa Valley, theLouise (5) is a newly renovated Tuscan­style inn with private courtyards and the

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Kangaroo Island:Safari CentralEighty miles across the Gulf St. Vincentfrom Adelaide sits Kangaroo Island, 1,700square miles of rolling terrain crowded withwildlife. The isle's namesake thrives in thebrushy interior, and the southern coastlineshelters fur seals, fairy penguins, and sealions. But it's koalas that rule: Since beingintroduced from the mainland in 1928, themarsupial's population has boomed to30,000 on KI, giving it some of the highestkoala densities in the country. WHERE TOSTAY: When the Southern Ocean Lodge (4)opens for business on a craggy south­shore bluff in early March, the mod, 21-suiteeco-retreat-constructed with materials

such as local limestone and recycled tim­ber-will put the island on the internationalluxury map. The lodge has a refined, edge­of-the earth feel, with nothing but 2,500miles of ocean between you and Antarctica(doubles from $1,595, including all mealsand local guiding; southernoceanlodge.com.au). WHAT TO DO: Your best authorityon all things KI is naturalist CraigWickham (exceptionalkangaroo­island.com), who's been running wildlifesafaris for 18 years. Craig and his teamwill lead you through Kelly Hill Con­servation Park, a swath of grasslandthat's literally hopping with kangaroos;on a ten-mile hike along Cape Gan­theaume; or on a koala-tracking tripthrough the eucalyptus groves ofFlinders Chase National Park. GETTINGTHERE: It's a 20-minute flight fromAdelaide to Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, viaRegional Express ($141 round-trip; regional­express.com.au). Air South operates afour-passenger charter from $1,320 (air­south.com.au).

AUSTRALIA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 88.---------+_. . ._. . .. ~ .+_+.uu __uu + u· • u •• uuu __ u +__•.•. + ._ •.__ .•.• . uuu+_._

high-end thatch-roofed huts, rents to just region's most celebrated restaurant-itsone party of two to 14 guests each night menu, featuring Barossa corn-fed chicken(from $685 per person for a group of 14, and steamed asparagus, is sourced almostincluding meals; woodwarkbay.com.au). entirely from local farmers (doubles fromGETTING THERE: Jetstar and Qantas fly $280; thelouise.com.au). WHAT TO DO:daily from Sydney to Hamilton Island Sample the region's estate wines at Loan,(about $320 round-trip; jetstar.com). one of the valley's only organic winemakers;

Two Hands' shiraz cellar; and internationallyacclaimed Penfolds, just three miles up theroad from the Louise. The 745-mile HeysenTrail climbs the east flank of the Eden Valleyon its way from the Southern Ocean to theFlinders Ranges. Ask the chef at the inn topack a picnic, then hike a section of the trailfor breakfast with the kangaroos. In theClare Valley, the gravel Riesling Trail loops for15 miles past dozens of cellar doors, includ­ing Sevenhill, run by Jesuit priests since 1851.Rent a bike from Cogwebs, at the trail'sstart in Auburn, and taste as you ride (fullday, $35; cogwebs.com.au). GETTINGTHERE: Rent a car in Adelaide for thetwo-hour drive.

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