Almost all of Australia’s most appealing towns are along the coast, sandwiched between the crashing surf and a forested hinterland. But just occasionally, you can go much further inland to find somewhere delightfully weird and frankly unforgettable.
Not all of Australia’s outback towns come with character, but those that do tend to be overflowing with it.
Here are ten of the most enjoyable…
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Perhaps the best-known outback town internationally, Alice has got several strings to its bow. Try the Alice Springs Desert Park for outback wildlife, the Araluen Cultural Precinct for art and quirky tours by camel and hot air balloon.
This is also a great place to get an idea of how life in the outback works – both the School of the Air and the Royal Flying Doctor Service have visitor centres. See northernterritory.com
Broken Hill, New South Wales
Mining giant BHP was founded in Broken Hill, but the town has since developed a strong arty streak. The Pro Hart Gallery celebrates perhaps the quintessential outback artist, while the Living Desert State Park mixes wildlife with striking sculptures.
The Palace Hotel, meanwhile, was one of the stars of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert. It is now covered in murals, holds regular drag bingo sessions and is the centre of the annual Broken Heel drag festival in September. See destinationbrokenhill.com.au
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Deep in the South Australian outback, Coober Pedy just so happens to be the opal mining capital of the world. If you want to try your own luck, there’s a giant rubble heap in the centre of town you can rummage through – several opals have been found here. But Coober Pedy is most notable for being so hot that most people live underground in dugout cave homes. Some are open to visitors, but none are more spectacular than the subterranean Serbian Orthodox Church. See cooberpedy.com
Exmouth, Western Australia
The gateway to the Ningaloo Reef sits all alone at the end of a thirsty red dirt peninsula. In recent years, as swimming with whales and manta rays has joined the aquatic animal snorkelling opportunities once limited to whale sharks, Exmouth has started to become a proper town rather than a functional service centre. The resorts have upped their game and the Whalebone Brewing Company has brought in craft beer. The focus, though, is still on getting in the water with the big boys. See australiascoralcoast.com
Longreach, Queensland
Of all Queensland’s outback towns, Longreach packages what it has together in the most tourist-friendly manner. There are two top notch attractions in the Qantas Founders Museum and the Australian Stockman’s Hall Of Fame. There are also genuinely interesting accommodation options, such as the glamping at the Mitchell Grass Retreat. To top it off, Outback Pioneers offers a range of fun tours, whether Thomson River cruises or charging along dirt tracks on a stagecoach. See outbackpioneers.com.au
Winton, Queensland
If you like your outback towns a little weirder, Winton does the job nicely. The Royal Theatre is one of only two open-air theatres in the country, the Musical Fence is a wire fence that makes melodies when banged and twanged and Australian Age of Dinosaurs shows off the hundreds of dino fossils that have been found nearby. The highlight is the Waltzing Matilda Centre, however. Possibly the only museum in the world devoted to a poem, this tells the tale of how Banjo Paterson’s poem became an unofficial national anthem after being set to music on the nearby Dagworth Station. See matildacentre.com.au
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie may be a little rough around the edges, but this is no fly-in, fly-out mining town. The town centre is lined with goldrush-funded heritage buildings, while the Museum of the Goldfields and Hannan’s North Tourist Mine offer great insights into gold-digging, past and present. It’s also the only place you can legally play Two-Up outside of Anzac Day.
Kalgoorlie’s big attraction, though, is the Super Pit, one of the biggest open cast mines on earth. Kalgoorlie Tours takes you into the pit on a bus, which is dwarfed by the giant yellow diggers spiralling down into a staggeringly enormous hole in the ground. See kalgoorlietours.com.au
Katherine, Northern Territory
Primarily seen as a hopping off point for gorge cruises in Nitmiluk National Park, Katherine has a lot more to offer if you stay for a couple of nights. Try the Katherine Hot Springs for thermal bathing, the Katherine Outback Experience for bushmanship demos and the Top Didj Cultural Experience for Aboriginal art and insight. Oh yeah, and Katherine Gorge is pretty darned impressive, too. See visitkatherine.com.au
Charleville, Queensland
In the south-west of Queensland, Charleville provides an intriguing mix of experiences. The historic Corones Hotel ticks the heritage box, the Cosmos Centre offers space research and stargazing and the WWII Secret Base deals in war stories.
There’s also a Flying Doctors base with a visitor centre, while South West Air runs scenic flights over the outback landscape. See outbackqueensland.com.au
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is so established as a resort town that we don’t instinctively think of it as outback. One look at the red pindan dirt in the cliffs should provide ample reminder, as should a day trip up the Dampier Peninsula. But what makes Broome so great is that it is so unusual. You can go from riding camels down Cable Beach to seeing dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point, then drink fruitily tropical beers at the Matsos Brewery and learn about the town’s pearling industry aboard the historic Pearl Luggers.
Disclosure: David Whitley has been the guest of Tourism Australia and the state tourism boards.
