www. travelmood. comWINTER 2008/ 09 13 australia Closer to Indonesia than it is to Australia's other state capitals, the city has survived three cyclones and, during WWII, 64 devastating bomb attacks. These days the youngest city in Australia has a lot to offer – Darwin is not only the gateway to the Northern Territory and Kakadu National Park, but a destination in its own right. It's also a springboard into the outback. The story of the Durack family, Irish immigrants and the first to establish successful cattle stations in the Kimberley area, is well documented in the Australian classic, Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack. In recent years the territory's cattle stations have evolved into intriguing tourist attractions where guests can roll up their sleeves and experience the skills needed to survive in this awesome, yet brutal, ancient landscape. Bullo River, where Luhrmann dropped in on a location recce in 2007, is a sprawling commercial cattle property that swallows up half a million acres of sun- baked land. Located in a spectacularly remote part of the Northern Territory it is accessible only by 4WD ( 500 miles from Darwin), private plane ( one- and- a-half hours from Darwin or 30 minutes from Kununurra) or helicopter. Unsurprisingly, the logistics of getting a production crew in and out of the remote station proved too tricky – after all, it's a 47- mile drive from the front gate to the homestead. Work on Bullo doesn't stop for guests; it simply flows on around them. During mustering season, between May and September, the cattle yards buzz with activity. Guests can watch the action or get down and dirty in the stockyards by helping the stockmen muster Bullo's 10,000 head of Brahman- cross cattle. In terms of time out Bullo offers boat cruises, heli- fishing, quad biking, outback cookery classes and crocodile and bird- spotting trips. Only when airborne do you grasp how vast the region is. A station tour by helicopter offers boundless views of the property, while recently discovered Aboriginal rock art can be seen on the towering red canyon walls that loom large over the Cascades – a stunning oasis found within the walls. Serious adventurers can try their hand at being stockman or stockwoman for the day on a five- day outback life and adventure package at the Outback Jackaroo and Jillaroo Experience, near Katherine ( 186 miles south of Darwin). The training facility offers a mix of theory and practice, as trainees gain experience through a range of equine and non- equine related station skills. Learn to become an outback cook, check for water bores and muster on horseback. Non- horsey types can learn to muster on a quad bike. At the end of training, guests are rewarded with a australia Experience AUSTRALIA OutbackStay at Home Valley Station ( used in Luhrmann's film), a stunning 700,000- acre working cattle ranch set against the majestic Cockburn Range. Activities include gorge walks and a mini cattle muster on horseback or in an open top bull- catcher. HistoryCruise along the Ord River from Kununurra. En route step back in time at the Argyle Homestead Museum, at the Durack Homestead on the banks of Lake Argyle. Indigenous cultureHead off from Darwin to the UNESCO World Heritage- listed Kakadu National Park on a three- day Kakadu camping safari. Swim to waterfalls, take a crocodile cruise and visit rock art sites with an Aboriginal guide. RomanceJoin Orion Expedition Cruises on a luxurious cruise. Leaving Darwin or Broome, sail past glistening white beaches, see the magnificent Mitchell Falls and explore remote communities along the Arnhem Land coast. AdventureDrive the Gibb River Road in a 4WD through the central Kimberley Plateau ( see pages 14- 15) andvisit the Kimberleys' acclaimed Bradshaw rock art sites. true station experience. To soak up more of that big- screen magic, head for the outback town of Kununurra ( a one- hour flight from Darwin), where the local Miriwoong and Gajirrawoong aboriginal communities and local stockmen played key roles as extras during the making of Australia. The fine- dining menu at the Argyle Room at the Kimberley Grande includes fresh barramundi and tender Kimberley beef and if you decide to check- in, staff can assist with scenic flights, boat cruises, canoeing adventures and fishing camps. Just a short ( by Aussie standards) 60- mile drive west of Kununurra, in the rugged desert landscape of the Kimberleys, is the exclusive one- million- acre El Questro Wilderness Park. A favourite bolthole for the likes of Hugh Jackman, Kidman and Kylie, it offers various types of accommodation depending on taste and budget. You can spend your nights camping under the stars, stay in a small bungalow at the station township, chill out in a tented cabin at the romantic Emma Gorge or splash out big time and stay at one of Australia's most exclusive addresses, the El Questro Homestead. Fill the long days with boat rides along the Chamberlain Gorge, fish for the elusive barramundi or discover rainforest pockets, gorges, waterfalls and remote billabongs on horseback. At Zebedee thermal springs you can rejuvenate in a series of thermal pools hidden among sheer cliffs and ancient Livingstonia Palms – perfect for relaxing after a gorge trek or a horse ride. From a helicopter you'll see a different world unfold, as the chopper swoops into massive rust- red canyons for close- ups of cascading waterfalls, before hovering above five- metre long crocodiles lying in wait for unsuspecting victims. Nope – there's never a dull moment in the utterly inspiring Australian outback. Outback Jackaroo & Jillaroo Experience A seven- day Footsteps of the Movie tour( Darwin- Cockburn Rangers- Darwin) visiting sites from the movie with overnight stays in Darwin, Katherine, Bullo River Station and Diggers Rest costs from £ 1,326 per person. A Deluxe Tented Camp at Voyages El Questro's Emma Gorge from £ 103 per night. A 10- night Kimberley Expeditionwith Orion Expedition Cruises in an Ocean View State Room costs from £ 3,747 per person. ( Local fuel surcharge applies – check with your consultant). Stays at Bullo River Stationfrom £ 767 including all meals, some alcoholic drinks, activities including fishing, station activities, gorge cruising and guiding. A three- day Kakadu and Katherine Camping Safariwith APT costs from £ 360 per person. BOOK IT NOW Image: Charles Darwin University, Katherine Campus Images © of Press Association

Cape Londonderry Cape Leveque RD RIVER GIBB RD DUNCAN HIGHWAY VICTORIA HWYSTUART HWY ARNHEM RD RIVER GIBB HWY KAKADU NORTHERN HIGHWAY GREAT Nat. Pk. Purnululu Nat. Pk. Litchfield Park National Kakadu Nat. Pk. Nitmiluk Gregory National Park El Questro Home Valley Gibb River Scale in Kilometres 050100 Katherine Jabiru Victoria River Willare Roadhouse Bridge Derby Roadhouse Mary River Imintji Store Roadhouse BROOME DARWIN Bark Hut Inn Noonamah Adelaide River Roadhouse Hayes Creek Daly River Roadhouse Emerald Springs Pine Creek Creek Timber Crossing FitzroyHalls Creek ( Turkey Creek) Warmun Kununurra Kalumburu Wyndham Mt. Barnett Beagle Bay Bathurst Island Melville Island NORTHERN TERRITORY WESTERN AUSTRALIA NORTHERN TERRITORY WESTERN AUSTRALIA INDIAN OCEAN SEA TIMOR SOUND KING Argyle Lake © Copyright RACWA 2008 The ' Australia Way' Unsealed Roads The ' Australia Way' Unsealed Roads Sealed Roads LEGEND Airports The Australia Way The Australia Way is a classic journey through the heart of outback Australia, putting you in the set and among the scenery of Baz Luhurman's epic movie Australia. The 1,165- mile journey from Darwin to Broome ( or vice- versa) combines dramatic landscapes and a colourful cast of outback characters with abundant wartime heritage, opportunities for nature and wildlife experiences and indigenous culture. Perth Broome Darwin Alice Springs Y ou've seen, or are probably about to see, the movie — now put yourself in it by journeying through the dramatic landscape that inspired Baz Luhrmann to create the Australiastory. Knocking spots of some of the world's well- worn classic drives, this thrilling new journey through the heart of the Australian outback lets visitors live for themselves the dramatic scenescapes that are set to enthral film audiences the world over. As it winds its way from the vibrant and tropical harbour city of Darwin in the Northern Territory to the exotic pearling town of Broome in Western Australia, the 1,165- mile Australia Way maps the route taken by the English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley ( Nicole Kidman), and cattle drover ( Hugh Jackman), as they drive 1,500 head of cattle across northern Australia through red escarpments, lush green waterholes and wide open spaces of Australia's northwest. Home to some of Australia's most spectacular and untamed countryside, and journeying through a landscape filled with pioneer history, the drive takes in some of the country's most unique natural wonders, including World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge, as well as the Kimberley's Lake Argyle and the mighty Bungle Bungle Range. This is iconic, big- country Australia in all its red, raw, glory. But there's more to this epic journey than ogling dramatic landscapes from a car. The Australia Way offers travellers the ' real' Australia in spades, capturing its spirit via a colourful cast of true- blue Aussie characters and offering plenty of scope for exploring its wartime heritage and rich, indigenous culture. Whether it's exploring laid- back country Pack your swag, throw on your Akubra hat and unleash your sense of adventure on the Australia Way. Tracing the epic journey made by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in the film Australia, this brand- new drive aims to recapture Australia's pioneering spirit australia