Welcome to the final installment of my series about our 55-day trip to New Zealand and Australia with Fantasy RV Tours. If you missed reading about New Zealand’s South Island (part 1), New Zealand’s North Island (part 2), or about Australia (part 3) you can click on the blue links here. I hope you enjoy the tips, information, and photos of our journey of a lifetime to the amazing land down under.
The Outback: May 10-16
Our trip began in Sydney where we had a welcome dinner at the Raddison Blu Plaza hotel. All but one couple from our New Zealand/ Australia trip continued on to the Outback extension so we were already friends ready for another adventure together.
Alice Springs:
The next day we flew to Alice Springs, a remote town in Australia’s Northern Territory. Flying was definitey easier than driving over 1700 miles from Sydney. The Outback is a vast arid region that covers 75% of the continent but has less than 5% of the population. And I thought Texas had a lot of wide-open spaces!
Alice Springs is home to the Royal Flying Doctor Service which connects Australians living in rural and remote areas to primary health care and life saving medical services. It was started in 1928 by Reverend John Flynn to provide a mantle of safety to people of the bush. The service has grown to 82 aircraft which now make it possible for people to live, work, and travel across this large continent.
Alice Springs is also home to the School of the Air. This distance education service was first started by educator Adelaide Miethke who used the Flying Doctor’s 2-way radios to give education talks to children at remote homesteads all around the country. This developed into a correspondence program where children could interact with other children and ask questions of their teacher. School of the Air was a huge success that continues today, although now it is even better due to the internet.
We ended our day with a visit to the Original Outback Bush BBQ Dinner and Show. Located in the remote East MacDonnell Ranges, this fun-filled evening of entertainment and outback cuisine was a special event. Under the night sky we saw the southern cross, listened to the sounds of a didgeridoo, and heard great storytelling.
The next day we explored the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve. Established in 1871, this station was a pivotal link along Australia’s Overland Telegraph Line. It connected key population centers and integrated the continent into the broader telegraph network of the British Empire. Messages that previously could take months via sea voyage could now be delivered to London in as little as 5 hours—an amazing feat for the 19th century.
Ayers Rock:
It was a long 300 mile bus trip to Ayers Rock the next day. We had several interesting stops along the way…actually the only stops to be had in this deserted area. Our driver joked that he only had to remember 2 turns because the road was so straight. We were awed at the supersized semi trucks called road trains which make the long haul to transport goods through this desolate area.
Our destination, the Ayers Rock Resort, is a tourist outpost offering several hotels, restaurants, shops, and excursion opportunities along with shuttle busses to get around. We stayed at the Desert Gardens Hotel for several days which gave us lots of time to explore this unique area.
Our group was treated to the Field of Light dinner which began with views of Uluru at sunset while sampling gourmet canapes and sipping sparkling wine. As darkness fell, we were seated for a delicious buffet dinner under countless stars as a resident star talker decoded the southern night sky. Afterwards, we all strolled through the Field of Light with its pathways of soft and rhythmic colored lights.
Other adventures included a sunrise viewing of Uluru over the red desert and then venturing into the National Park itself. The park is home to both major landmarks: Uluru as well as Kata Tjuta, a group of large domed rock formations. A guided walk here gave us unique insight into the history of these cultural landmarks and the Anangu people.
We returned via a flight from Ayers Rock to Sydney. We were so glad we had planned to stay 4 extra days to finish seeing all of the great sights in this beautiful city. We enjoyed a ballet performance at the Sydney Opera House, visited Chinatown and several markets, explored the Sydney aquarium, made a day trip over to Manly Beach, ate lots of gelato, and got to visit the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Australian Museum….just to name a few! We all decided that Sydney is a city worth returning to again someday.
The entire 55-day adventure included time on New Zealand’s South and North islands, exploring the eastern coast of Australia, and now seeing the Outback. Everything was first class and all the details were taken care of by our Fantasy RV tour guides. All we had to do was relax and enjoy all of the amazing experiences. We made memories that will last a lifetime!
We were so impressed with our trip that we have since become Fantasy RV Tour Ambassadors and will guide trips of our own starting in 2025. Contact me if you are interested in knowing more about their 100 exciting tours to choose from.
Great finish! Glad I have your posts to fall back on. It was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip, and just imagine—after 55 days with the four of us together, we’re still friends!
Always the adventurers!! Amazing tales and experiences.