The 'Outbacker' tour - Darwin - Ayers Rock - Perth
(or vice-versa)

Travelling across the continent on the North - South route probably gives you the most comprehensive impression of Australia. We pass through three climatic zones, starting from the temperate climate of the south heading through the subtropics of the centre to the tropics of the north. Furthermore, Australia is not just desert and prairie, the South being reminiscent of Ireland and the North very similar to the tropics of Asia.

This tour can be mastered by bikers of average experience. All of the roads on the route are surfaced but there is always the opportunity to ride off the road and to have some "Enduro" fun.

The trip starts with a ride south from Darwin past the Adelaide River pub (where the water buffalo from the Crocodile Dundee film stands on the bar!) and on to Edith Falls. There you can swim beneath the waterfalls in a deep plunge pool shared with long neck turtles and tropical fish.

It's a great start to the tour and swimming's OK in the billabongs as it's on top of a steep rocky escarpment. Fortunately salt water crocs. can't climb! There's a lovely camp site here and sitting on a rock with the sun going down watching the birds and wildlife is the perfect end to your day's ride.

You'll turn west at Katherine and ride to Kununurra. Here you'll visit Lake Argyle which covers an area 18 times the size of Sydney Harbour. It's an amazing sight with the red cliffs of the Kimberley all around. From Kununurra you can take an optional flight over the relatively recently discovered Bungle Bungle Range. Huge beehive structures make you feel like you've traveled back into pre-history and a flight is the only way you can see some of the more remote areas of this amazing region.

Next stop is the largest meteor crater in Australia at Wolfe Creek and then you'll ride to Alice Springs, the signature outback town at the heart of Australia.

Standly Chasm and Ormiston Gorge are fairly close to Alice and well worth visiting before the ride to Kings Canyon station and the incredible gorge. It's a strenuous walk in places around the edge of the canyon but it's rewarded with breathtaking views over the edge and a swim in the Garden of Eden. This is a plunge pool at the top of a huge waterfall that cascades to the base of the canyon. Plants that exist nowhere on earth live here and it's amazing to take a swim in the middle of the desert with steep canyon walls all around.

Just as amazing is Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the nearby Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). It's an incredible sight after hundreds of kms of flat desert to view Uluru in the distance and even more impressive to walk around its base and see the changing colours as the sun sets.

Geologists have estimated that it also reaches a depth of 3000 m below ground level. This "giant" is a sacred place for the Aborigines who call it "Uluru". Every aspect of the rock, whether it be the 60 m long "kangaroo’s tail", the waterholes, the caves or the formations caused by erosion, such as the "The Brain", has its own individual religious importance for the indigenous population. Wall paintings can be seen in some of the caves. These are painted in three colours; red, representing the past, black, for life and white, for death.

Kata Tjuta is 45km away and is equally impressive but less well known. The Valley of the Winds walk is 7.5kms but worth every step if you have the time.

Other vehicles become few and far between as we head south along the Stuart Highway, the only road running north-south through the middle of Australia, with just the occasional roadtrain thundering past.

Coober Pedy is the most abundant source of opals in the world, providing 75% of world production and is a desert town. Most of the inhabitants live underground in dug-outs which are hewn out of the soft rock and which are often very comfortable dwellings. Our over night stay here is in a dug-out. Nearby there is an interesting museum which gives a good impression of the early pioneer days in Coober Pedy.

After riding south for so long through the red heart of Australia, we turn west to begin our crossing of the Nullarbor Plain. This endless plain (null abor means ‘without trees’ in Latin) is amazing for the distances, the friendly characters you meet on the way, typical Aussie roadhouse pubs and the most awe inspiring cliff top lookouts in Australia. There's even whale watching at Head of Bight from June to October. It’s as much about the people you meet as it is the scenery and a quick smile and a ‘hi!’ will have you chatting with people before you know it.

The stark landscapes of the interior fade into softer, more lush and forgiving areas as we approach the south west corner of Australia. Roads begin to have bends and corners in them once more, you'll actually have to start using the brakes and sighting a tree will no longer be a landmark event.

Esperance – amazingly, the beaches and coastline gets even better close to Esperance. Huge granite boulders sat in perfectly white sand alongside the incredibly blue water make this is a jaw-droppingly beautiful place. You’ll have a day to look around, take the coastal drive and relax on the stunning beaches.

Albany - the first town in W.A., it has an old world charm that’s surrounded by some of the most amazing beaches and coastal National Parks in Australia. You have a day to explore to give you time to visit the Blowholes, Nature’s Arch and The Gap. The beaches both here and in Esperance on your next stop were recently voted the best in Australia and the sand is so pure it squeaks when you walk on it. Add an amazingly turquoise ocean and steep coastal scenery and it’s a photographer’s paradise.

Margaret River – you have a full day to explore the surrounding area with its huge forests, world class vineyards, stunning pure white beaches and amazing coastline. It’s one of the most scenic but least well known parts of Australia and an incredibly beautiful, carefully kept Australian secret

Perth - Arguably the most scenic city in Australia. Cruise the Swan River, visit the wineries, relax on the superb beaches and spoil yourself shopping and dining in fine restaurants. It’s a great place to start/end the trip with a relaxed atmosphere and impressive city skyline.

This tour is full of unique experiences in a wild untouched countryside and will, by now, have provided you with a fantastic overview of the "real" Australia.