Tour Report: The Great Unknown SA and WA

TOUR REPORT

The Great Unknown: A Journey into Australia’s Extraordinary Interior

For over twenty-five years, The Compass Society has been synonymous with exclusive, escorted adventures around the world. For our latest journey, however, we turned our focus inward – exploring some of the magnificent and lesser-known wonders within our own Australian backyard.

And what a journey it became!

With an intimate group of just twelve travellers, we ventured deep into outback South Australia, travelling by private aircraft, road and rail before ultimately joining the iconic Indian Pacific for our journey west to Perth.

Attempting to summarise such an adventure is a challenge. The experiences were wonderfully diverse, the landscapes immense and, true to the spirit of The Great Unknown, there always seemed to be another surprise waiting around the corner.

Into the Great Unknown

Our adventure began in Adelaide before heading north to Coober Pedy, where we immersed ourselves in one of Australia’s most distinctive outback communities – including, naturally, the experience of sleeping underground.

From there, the scale of the journey changed dramatically as we boarded our private aircraft for a multi-day air safari into some of South Australia’s most remote landscapes.

We soared above extraordinary terrain and landed in places few travellers have the opportunity to experience. We swam in the thermal waters of Dalhousie Springs, visited vast working stations and even experienced the novelty of quite literally parking our aircraft in the car park at Mount Dare!

At the spectacular Painted Hills, we explored on foot, surrounded by vivid colours and geological formations sculpted across an ancient landscape.

Characters, Curiosities and Outback Life

Of course, The Great Unknown wasn’t only about landscapes.

Some of our fondest memories came from the characters, communities and wonderfully quirky moments encountered along the way.

In Coober Pedy, we enjoyed our own private viewing of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the legendary drive-in theatre and tried our luck fossicking for gems at a private opal mine.

We stopped for coffee at the famous Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta, watched camels casually wander along the streets of Marree and discovered places where life still moves to a distinctly outback rhythm.

We also wandered through the evocative ghost towns of Farina and Beltana, where remnants of another era offered a fascinating glimpse into the determination and resilience of generations past.

Ancient Landscapes and Living Stories

The magnificent Flinders Ranges brought another dimension to our journey.

Here, amid a landscape hundreds of millions of years in the making, we spent time on Adnyamathanha Country and became completely engrossed in stories of Dreamtime and legends passed from generation to generation over thousands of years.

It was one of those experiences where the landscape becomes much more than something simply to admire – its stories, culture and immense age give it an entirely different meaning.

From Outback Tracks to Fine Wine

Our modes of transport throughout the journey were almost as varied as the places themselves.

One particularly memorable day saw us charter the historic Pichi Richi train, travelling from Quorn to Port Augusta. Some of us even had the opportunity to sit up front with the driver, watching the tracks unfold ahead of us.

Then, after days exploring the rugged interior, there was quite a delicious change of pace as we reached the Clare Valley.

Throughout the journey our dining experiences had ranged from hearty, old-fashioned pub meals deep in the outback to wonderfully fresh South Australian seafood. In Clare Valley, the contrast continued with beautiful wines, premium produce and exquisite degustation dining.

It seemed only appropriate that The Great Unknown should include a little indulgence along the way.

Sleeping Underground – and Under Five Stars

Our accommodation told much the same story.

Over the course of the journey, we slept underground in Coober Pedy, stayed in rustic outback dongas and cabins and, at other stages, relaxed in a luxury resort and beautiful five-star accommodation.

The contrasts became part of the adventure – and part of the fun.

Each experience belonged precisely where it was, allowing us to encounter these remote places as they really are while occasionally enjoying some very welcome luxury along the way.

Across Australia aboard the Indian Pacific

Eventually it was time to farewell our South Australian explorations and begin another great Australian adventure.

Boarding the iconic Indian Pacific in Adelaide, we settled into the rhythm and romance of rail travel for our journey across the Nullarbor towards Perth.

We travelled through landscapes that seemed to stretch endlessly towards the horizon, visited the remote railway settlement of Cook and experienced Rawlinna, on the edge of one of Australia’s enormous sheep stations.

After so many different ways of exploring the outback – private aircraft, road and heritage railway among them – there was something wonderfully fitting about completing our journey by watching Australia slowly unfold beyond the windows of one of the world’s great train journeys.

Twelve Travellers, One Remarkable Adventure

Looking back, perhaps what I remember most isn’t any single destination or experience.

It is the combination of them all.

The extraordinary landscapes. The people we met. The unexpected moments. The fabulous food and wine. The remote places. The laughter. And twelve travellers sharing the pleasure of discovering what might be waiting around the next corner.

The Great Unknown was exactly that – an adventure into places and experiences many of us knew comparatively little about before we began.

And perhaps that’s the greatest joy of travel.

Sometimes, you don’t need to journey to the other side of the world to discover somewhere extraordinary.

Sometimes, the great unknown is waiting in your own backyard.

If this journey has captured your imagination, I invite you to contact me to register your interest for our next Great Unknown Adventure.

— Cathi Burnett-Cosgrove, Travel Designer and Founder of The Compass Society