Why you should leave the bitumen behind

With a little time and budget to take off and see Australia, it’s easy to understand why so many tourists give in to the azure allure and head to the coast. After all, this incredible nation has 26,000km of waterfront and all of it is worth a visit.

But if you can resist that temptation and plot a course inwards, the red centre has an incredible offering all of its own. In this adventure by road we went north from South Australia’s capital Adelaide in search of splendid isolation and the true remoteness that few other places on earth can offer.

For this trip we hooked up a JB Caravans Gator X behind a GMSV Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 for a tough but versatile (albeit circa $300K) freedom machine combo. Let's go!

The Flinders Ranges is an absolute national treasure. Both an apparent geological impossibility, but also an unexpected destination for the food and drink enthusiast. Taking our first opportunity to camp off grid, we settled into a basic but pretty site near Brachina Gorge.

From here, a number of attractions are within easy reach such as the gorge itself for fossil hunting and breathtaking hikes (in both senses of the word), as well as the Wilpena Pound resort for comfortable accommodation including pool, and the must-visit Prairie Hotel.

Here you’ll find a true outback paradox. There’s a lot to love about the traditional remote Australian inn, but the pub at Parachilna is anything but. In place of the outback bar-favourite pot and a Parma, the Prairie Hotel is a completely unexpected ‘feral food’ culinary experience.

Camel, goat, emu, saltbush bread and kangaroo? All absolutely delicious and good for your conscience. While you’re devouring the mixed grill, feel good in the knowledge that all species are either invasive or create minimal environmental impact.

And make sure you grab a glass of something at the bar too because all the tap beers are made here at the Parachilna Brew Project - Australia’s most remote brewery.

Not far away, you’ll find Brachina Gorge and a winding track that takes you around the north end of Wilpena Pound. There are other ways to go but this particular passage includes incredible scenery carved out by one of the oldest reefs on earth, elusive and rare yellow-footed rock wallabies and numerous fossil sites.

Eventually the trail leads to the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre where you can camp, eat, swim or follow the trails into the pound itself. But for the most elevating experience, a plane ride 2000 feet above the natural geological landmark reveals its full scale and beauty - and you’ll never look at this part of the world the same again.

Head even higher up and it becomes clear that Wilpena Pound is part of en even larger geological signature of rock carving its way north. Follow it about another 150km or three hour’s drive and you’ll arrive at another geological and scientific haven - Arkaroola.

It might only be a relatively small community primarily serving a steady flow of tourists, but this place offers an amazing insight into the universe whether you look up or down. Firstly, the mountains to the north contain some of the earth’s richest uranium deposits and this area contributes 10 percent of the total global demand for the critical energy mineral.

If you’re lucky enough to chat to Doug Sprigg, he’ll enlighten you on how a tiny village hidden away in the hills and his father Reginald made some significant geological discoveries that still matter to this day.

Once the sun sets, the fascination continues with nightly astronomy tours that capitalise on Arkaroola’s unique position. With minimal climatic turbulence thanks to the surrounding desert, and its isolation from, well, anything really, this place has earned the highest level on the international dark sky scale, achieving the status of ‘sanctuary’.

Even though humans stare up at the same universe, there are only a handful of places on earth where it can be viewed in such brilliance and clarity. Astonishingly, nearly a third of all people on earth cannot see the Milky Way with the naked eye such is the extent of global light pollution, but in Arkaroola, the galaxy’s luminance is so bright it can light your path ahead on a moonless night.

From Arkaroola, choices of trails further north are limited. Connecting back to the B83 eventually leads through the spookily quiet Leigh Creek former mining town to Marree. Turning right continues the path north on sealed road and the Birdsville Track, but with a little more sense of adventure, the bitumen comes to an end and the famous (sometimes infamous) Oodnadatta Track begins.

A few preparations are essential such as spare fuel, water and food, tools and repair parts and safety and recovery gear because when the Oodnadatta bites, it’s never just a nibble.

Along the way you’ll find gems including Coward springs where, as the name suggests, you can bathe in a natural mineral spring at a constant 29 degrees all year round, and as an added bonus the large date plantation has been providing a delicious sweet desert dessert since before the Old Ghan railway arrived in 1885.

Further west is the tiny town of William Creek - population: two. At certain times of the year, plane traffic is almost as busy through town as SUVs with aircraft crossing the road to get from the hangars to the airstrip.

A majority of them are on their way up to see the largest ephemeral lake in Australia - Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. Spanning a colossal 9500 square kilometres, the best way to see its majesty is from the air, but skirting around its shores on four wheels is still an amazing experience.

It’s tempting to keep heading north west deeper into the Red Centre for globally recognised tourist attractions such as Uluru, but there’s a different destination that might not be as internationally renowned or beautiful, but is eccentric and unmissably strange.

Spear off the Oodnadatta just after William Creek and two hours later you’ll hit Coober Pedy. But this small town is so extraordinarily weird and packed full of so many bizarre personalities and, at times, macabre history, we’ll save that story for next time…

Related: THE BIG DASH: Getting serious in Coober Pedy