Northern Territories & South Australia
Singapore Airlines took us from London to Darwin via Singapore, and the first leg was on the Airbus A380 - smooth, quiet, spacious, and excellent Singapore Airlines service.
Darwin was hot, but at least it was the dry season, so the pleasant days and mild nights made it pleasurable and bearable. Darwin as a city, is remote and is very different to all the other major cities of Australia, but it is the Gateway to the northern Territories, and the vast expanse of bush, swamps and ancient rock formations, inhabited by the Aborigines, and their wonderful "rock art".
Trips through Lichfield Park, Arnhem Land, and Katherine Gorge, made "Crocodile Dundee" country, an awesome and moving experience, and well worth the visit.
A flight to Adelaide, opened up a new adventure, and after flying over Ayres Rock and the vast open outback, Adelaide, brought a different aspect of Australia. A compact, thriving and vibrant city, surrounded by parks, spectacular hills to the East, and pristine beaches to the West.
But our stay wasn't long, as we had a schedule to meet to more of the outback and the Flinders Ranges. This was via Clare Valley Wineries....such hardship! Green, fertile, perfect for leisure escapes, as well as wine and beer tasting, the Clare Valley is only 2hrs from Adelaide, and offers the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Flinders Ranges are another 3hrs further north, and as the landscape changed the temperatures rose again, but the clear nights were cold. This did not affect our itinerary of experiencing and staying in the real "outback", and staying on a working farm, with Tourist Guides, to see some of the most beautiful scenery. I'll never forget waking up, in the house about 1 mile from the Farm, having arrived there in complete darkness - the next morning bathed in blue skies and sunshine, revealed the most amazing view of Wilpena Pound - we then flew over the Pound, taking in the mountain ranges, stretching as far as the eye can see, and then disturbing the hoards of kangaroos grazing by the runway.
For those who have been to Australia's coastal cities and resorts, this is a whole new experience, and a must!