www. travelmood. comWINTER 2008/ 0915 " G'day – and welcome to our place" Sixteen years ago Austrian- born Franz Ranacher answered an advertisement in the NT News. ' Wanted: two men, must be fit for station work'. He and a fellow backpacker set off from Darwin for Bullo station, located 497 miles southwest of the tropical capital. " It took us three hours to travel from the front gate to the homestead," said Franz. In 2001 he and wife Marlee took ownership of the half- million- acre property, made famous by Australian pioneer Sara Henderson's best- selling autobiography From Strength to Strength. Half a world away from his former home, Franz wouldn't want to be anywhere else. " I'm still finding ancient Aboriginal rock art sites – where else in the world could you do that?" Bullo River station owner and manager, Franz Ranacher towns, honing your jackaroo ( ranch hand) techniques on a cattle station or luxuriating in an outback spa – there's so much to see and do along the Way, you'll have trouble fitting it all in. The Australia Way Darwin to Kununurra via Kakadu National Park and Katherine Start in Darwin, the Northern territory's vibrant capital and Australia's frontline defence during WWII. Take a walking tour of the city before lunching at Stokes Hill Wharf, where the movie's pivotal scenes were shot, including the recreation of the Japanese air raid on Darwin. Visit the city's colourful markets and galleries, sample a smorgasbord of international cuisine and see a movie under the stars at the Deckchair Cinema, before heading out of the city to explore world- class nature destinations. These include Litchfield National Parkand the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, famous for its aboriginal rock art galleries, waterfalls, gorges, rainforests, water- lillied billabongs, wildlife- filled wetlands and vast grasslands. Further south, in Katherine, follow in the footsteps of Nicole or Hugh by spending a week on a cattle station at the Outback Jackeroo andJillaroo School. Just down the road at Nitmiluk National Park you can gaze up at the etched rock walls that stand sentry over the emerald green waters of the magical Katherine Gorge. Pushing west, head past Victoria River Roadhouse and take the Escarpment Walk – get there early to enjoy the morning sunshine bounce off the water. At Timber Creek board a cruise on the Victoria River to spot saltwater crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks. STAY: For a hands- on glimpse into outback life make a stop at Bullo River Station. Lend a hand with the cattle, hook a huge barramundi and re- live the day's adventures at the evening barbie. Kununurra to Purnululu National Park The rich, rugged Kimberley region was the setting for many of the film's pivotal scenes. Kununurra, which means ' big water' in the local Aboriginal language, is the gateway to Western Australia's East Kimberley– one of the world's last true wilderness areas. After a day's shooting in the Outback, cast and crew would hot- foot it to the Kununurra Hotel, a popular watering hole for locals and travellers. Tuck into local fare at the Zebra Rock Baror enjoy a sunset dinner at the Pump House, overlooking Lake Kununurra. Venture into red- earth country on a 4WD adventure, experience a cattle muster at stations the size of small European countries and give yourself the star treatment with a scenic flight over the magnificent CockburnRangesor the striped, beehive- like Bungle Bungleranges in the World Heritage listed Purnululu National Park. Explore the inland waterways by river cruiser or up the ante on a luxury liner on Lake Argyle, home to an impressive array of bird and animal life. STAY: Tucked away on Australia's northwest coast, and so remote you won't find it on any map, is the bush camp Faraway Bay. Check in to one of the six secluded cabins at this outstanding wilderness retreat and enjoy expansive views of the Timor Sea. Purnululu National Park to Broome Continuing through the Kimberley, explore the historical frontier towns that characterise the Australian outback along the Gibb River Road. Derby, the oldest town, is a springboard to the magnificent Buccaneer Archipelago, whose islands are accessible by a 30- minute light aircraft flight, or boat trip. The former pearling town ofBroomeis where the outback meets the sea – its rich ochre earth and blue skies stretch to the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Watch the sun set at world- famous Cable Beach and dip into the local history, and maybe even your pocket, in the pursuit of pearls! In Broome you can do as little or as much as you like. Relax on the stunning white beach, or poolside at one of the town's stylish hotels, take a scenic flight over the Horizontal Waterfalls; spend a day with an Aboriginal family at Cape Leveque, exploring mission ruins and reef walking, and take in a movie at Broome's Sun Pictures – from a deck chair under the stars. STAY: Check- in to a villa with plunge pool at Broome's Cable Beach Club Resort and enjoy the services of your very own butler. You've earned it. A nine- day Gibb River Roadself- drive ( Broome- Darwin) costs from £ 1,026 per person including car hire, transfers and accommodation. A 11- day 4WD Kimberley Safarifrom Broome to Darwin with APT Connections costs from £ 919 per person including overnight bush camping and stays at Windjana Gorge and El Questrro. A six- day self- drive from Darwin via Kakadu, Katherine and Litchfield National Parks costs from £ 370 per person including car hire and accommodation. Return flight to Broomeor Darwinfrom £ 915 with Qantas. BOOK IT NOW Images: of Tourism Northern Territory andTourism Western Australia

16WINTER2008/ 09 www. travelmood. com A s the sun tucks itself behind the iNoyoni Rocks escarpment, bowing out on another spectacular ' winter's' day, I'm afforded a front- row view of the natural amphitheatre below. Dusk is creeping across the Islandwana Valley, bathing its tawny expanse in a warm glow. From these plains that carpet the valley floor the eye is drawn across the rolling foothills towards Mount Isandlwana herself – preening, sphinx- like over the plains and craggy outcrops beyond. It's hard to believe that in summer this burnt orange tableau sprinkled with thatched rondavels will be lawn- tennis green. Cowbells tinkle, and the invasive drone of the city is replaced by the low- level hum of village life as the timeless rural routines of ancient Africa are wafted upwards on curls of wood smoke. I linger on my balcony perch at Isandlwana Lodge long after the cows have come home, rapt in the thrall of Zululand, until the village is plunged into to an inky blackness and a kindly waiter approaches with a poncho for ' madam' to ward off the evening's winter chill. Referred to as the Land of Kings, KwaZulu- Natal is a place of great historical, cultural and natural significance. History is writ large on the province's famous Battlefield sites and in some 20,000 rock paintings left by the area's original inhabitants, the San Bushmen. Two World Heritage Sites – the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park and the St Lucia Wetlands Park ( now known as the Greater iSimangaliso Wetland Park) are also found here. History aside, it's impossible not to be stirred by the region's rugged landscapes and traditional way of life. The seaside city of Durban is the springboard into the province, but the drive to Isandlwana from Durban, through rolling countryside and rural towns and villages splashed with bougainvillea, is far removed from the cosmopolitan gateway. On the N2 highway heading north swathes of sugar cane give way to undulating hills, orange orchards and buttery cornfields studded with rondavels. Endless beaches sweep down the province's south coast, while the swathe of land separating coast and battlefields boasts vast tracts of open grassland, forest and lakes. Humpback whales can be spotted at Richard's Bay, and the town of Eshowe forms part of the country's first bird trail, the Zululand Birding Route. As for the Big Five, many South Africans will tell you that the safari experience in KZN is special, not least because it is regarded as the true birthplace of game conservation on the African continent. It was here that the world- acclaimed Operation Rhino was introduced during the Fifties and Sixties, successfully capturing and relocating white rhino to havens within South Africa and The seaside city of Durban is the springboard into KwaZulu- Natal — home to the famous Anglo- Zulu battlefield sites, some of the country's key conservation areas and an amazing array of wildlife and birdlife, writes Teresa Machan