My goodness! Your name has been thrown about the media today! Everyone it going crazy with the announcement of tickets! I didn't get tickets, but hey, that's life. I'm sure you've see a HUGE spike of Australian visitors to your site today as I was having problems even loading the page with the amount of traffic slowing it down. Woah!!
Anyway, I am totally distracted from what I am going to tell you about today. So last Thursday I attended a conference for work and it was centred about issues facing the Backpacking segment of the Tourism Industry. It was pretty interesting stuff and I enjoyed seeing some great tourism operators talk about their tours, hostels and about some pretty amazing places they operate in. I also got to listen to Tony Wheeler who is the founder of the Lonely Planet talk about some of his travels and my oh my, that man has travelled! If I could swap lives with anyone, it would be him.
Firstly though, I should take you over what a 'backpacker' is...(little disclaimer here - totally my opinion, not a definition from a dictionary), they are travellers who travels extensively throughout their chosen destination over a longer period of time. They generally stay in budget accommodation and spend their money on experiences. Particularly here in Australia and in the UK, take a year break between Study and beginning your career is the norm with many young people going through this 'right of passage'. Pretty much their mantra is, "how can I stay away from home for as long as I can and spend as little as I can".
So why, you may ask (and ask away, you're more than welcome to ask me anytime...) do I think Backpackers have the right idea?
Well Oprah, I love how they can be more adventurous and daring in where they travel to. One thing that they do spend money on is experiences. If they think it is truly worth their hard hoarded cash then they are willing to part with it.
So, where do they travel? Most backpackers do the "Backpacker Highway" travelling up the east coast of Australia from Sydney to Cairns BUT the more adventurous backpackers go inland in search for the outback. As you see the outback is what draws most of them to Australia in the first place. The big blue never ending skies, beautiful rugged scenery, outback characters and the unknown adventures that it brings.
They buy run down old cars and decide to drive from Adelaide to Darwin, or Alice Springs to Cairns. These routes takes you along never ending roads and tiny outback towns. One of these tiny towns they often end up is in Tennant Creek. Tennant Creek is the halfway stop between Alice Springs and Darwin. I often have people asking me whether you can drive from Darwin to Alice Springs in a day and the short answer to that is "No."
It takes a good 8 hours of solid driving to get to Tennant Creek from Alice Springs and this is desert country. But once you reach there you find a welcoming community that is quite proud of their gold mining history and strong aboriginal culture. Most people stop to have a look at the Devils Marbles (also known as Karlu Karlu) which is spectacular rock formations. (I've included a photo below, as this explains it better than I can!)
But, what these backpackers find out when they arrive, is that there is more to Tennent Creek than the Devils marbles (Karlu Karlu).
That the drive itself is quite beautiful where the road side scenery is broken up by patches of unexpected but very colourful wild flower displays along with numerous bird species and lizards. Along there road there is a turn off for the option to visit the Arlpwe Art Gallery. The gallery is located in Ali Curung, an Aboriginal Community 350kms north of Alice Springs and although the well signed posted turn off to the community seems to steam out of nowhere. It's only an easy 15 minute drive off the Stuart Highway and you’re there. The diversion was well worth the time as the gallery showcases some fantastic local artworks including paintings, pottery and artefact's, all of which are professionally arranged and labelled with the artist’s story and background.
These travellers who have plenty of time, also get to experience the Battery Hill Mining Centre, Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre, Lake Mary Ann and of course Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles) and Kunjarra (the Pebbles). For those a little more adventurous, they head out to Kelly's Ranch were they can learn how to ride a horse and for those with a little more experienced, can do a Bush Tucker Trail ride. Fun AND educational!
Now I know that most Australians themselves haven't travelled to such places and that these backpackers get a more in-depth into Australia than most people who call this place home.
So, I'm sure you can see Oprah why I think they have the best idea when it comes to travel. To immerse yourself into a destination is the only way one can truly learn and appreciate the people and culture they have sought to visit.
So Oprah, I don't expect you to grab a backpack and an old Holden Station Wagon on your travels, but i hope you think about the philosophy behind the 'backpacker' and seek out these outback communities that make Australia such a special place.
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