Australia Guide
Inland New South Wales
Inland New South Wales is a very different proposition from the populous coast, and although it's not a stand-alone holiday destination and it might strike you as boring at times, travelling here gives you a real insight into the Australian way of life. The region stretches inland for around a thousand kilometres, covering a strikingly wide range of landscapes, from the rugged slopes of the Great Dividing Range to the red-earth desert of the Outback, dotted with relatively small agricultural and mining communities. The Great Dividing Range itself runs parallel to the coast, splitting the state in two.
West of the range, towns such as Bathurst and Dubbo date back to the early days of Australian exploration, when the discovery of a passage through the Blue Mountains opened up the rolling plains of the west. Free (non-convict) settlers appropriated vast areas of rich pastureland here and made immense fortunes off the back of sheep farming, establishing the agricultural prosperity that continues to this day. When gold was discovered near Bathurst in 1851, and the first goldrush began, New South Wales' fortunes were assured. Although penal transportations ceased the following year, the population continued to increase rapidly and the economy boomed as fortune-seekers arrived in droves. At much the same time, Victoria broke off to form a separate colony, followed by Queensland in 1859.
Highlights
1 Tamworth Boot-scoot with country music fans from all over the world during Tamworth's famous annual festival.
2 Coonabarabran Gaze at a multitude of stars in Australia's "astronomy capital".
3 Gunnedah Home to one of the healthiest koala populations in the state, and a good place to spot them in the wild.
4 Broken Hill Take a mine tour, visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service or browse the art galleries of this gracious Outback town.
5 Mutawintji National Park Aboriginal rock art is the main draw of the remote Mutawintji National Park.
6 Mungo National Park Sunset on the Walls of China dunes, camping under the stars and a morning drive past dozens of kangaroos and emus make Mungo special.
The Darling River Run
Adventurous travellers wanting to see a remoter tranche of Outback should consider heading southwest from Bourke on the Darling River Run ( 
www.darlingriverrun.com.au) – one of Australia's last great adventures taking in 829km of Outback history, heritage and landscape running from Brewarrina near Bourke southwest to Wentworth.
The route is unsealed and closely follows the east and west banks of the Darling River. There's a good map of the region downloadable from www.outbackbeds.com.au which has excellent links to accommodation in the area. You can also just camp beside the river pretty much wherever you want.
First stop, 100km southwest of Bourke, is tiny Louth, where there's a river crossing and Shindy's Inn ( 
02/6874 7422; cabins $30, cottage $76-100) sells diesel and petrol, and has basic accommodation. In early August the population of thirty briefly balloons to around 4000 for the Louth Races, along the lines of its more famous Birdsville cousin.
You can get a real Outback experience by staying at either Trilby Station, 25km downstream ( 02/6874 7420, www.trilbystation.com.au; camping $18, powered site $20, bunks $30, a/c rooms $76-100), or Kallara Station, a further 50km southwest ( 02/6837 3963, www.kallarastation.com.au; camping from $5 per person, bunkhouse $25, a/c rooms $76-100). Both offer meals by arrangement.
At Tilpa, 15km on, there's a bridge over the river and the classic Outback pub, the 1890s Tilpa Hotel ( 02/6837 3928; $61-75), with shared-bath rooms, meals (the steak sandwiches are huge) and fuel.
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