The Great Australian Outback

In my hometown of Loughborough in the East Midlands of England, a street fair has been held there ever since medieval times. For three whole days and nights during November the market place and adjoining streets becomes a huge funfair. The aroma of candy floss, toffee apples and hotdogs mix with diesel as white knuckle rides and sideshows provide excitement for both the young and old.  

I remember one such ride that regularly appeared during the 1960’s called “The Rotor” It was a rickety wooden cylinder in structure with stairs that led to a viewing platform at the top for the less adventurous. The real action took place downstairs in the middle. The rotor as its name implies spun so fast that the riders would be flung outwards with such force that they would stick to the outer walls, rather like a top loading washing machine. As if this wasn’t enough the floor disappeared leaving a gaping hole in the street,
I thought that this was quite a clever design feature, as it saved the operators the bother of cleaning up any vomit once the ride had stopped.  

I liken the Australian outback to a huge fairground rotor, where a very powerful natural energy source has flung off the greater population of Australia and banished them to live on the perimeter coastal cities of the country. On the other hand maybe I have been watching far too much Doctor Who.

It is true that the Australian Outback is quite a powerful place, having a strong unreleasing hold on the people who choose to live there. The red dust gets under your skin and many find it hard to live anywhere else, even with all the hardships that living in an unforgiving land can bring about.

The Outback is vast; it covers more than three quarters of the continent of Australia, 3.5 million square kilometres of land in all. It has a unique natural beauty and character, which must be treated with the respect that it deserves. Many a traveller has perished in this quite unforgiving land. 

The outback is an ancient land, one of the oldest places on earth. The aborigines tell of it’s beginnings in their wonderful dreamtime stories of old, but where does the outback began and end? Traditionally it has been said that you are only in the Outback once you are “Beyond the black stump” or “The back o Bourke” but iIn these modern times that we now find ourselves and with the increase in the number of city people visiting the area, the outback now unofficially begins beyond the last coffee franchise in the city.

So just what is it that makes the outback such a special place? Well for me it is the remoteness, the solitude and the quiet. I love the huge arid deserts and the wildlife they support.
The harsh and rugged landscape, the blue sky and wonderful sunsets. The outback is full of interesting characters that have a refreshing outlook on life. I admire their spirit, endurance and their determination to make a go of it, even when battling against Mother Nature. Maybe it is the unforgiving heat of summer, or the huge sheep and cattle stations, stockmen and their families. Perhaps it is the Royal Flying Doctor Service which provides a vital medical lifeline, or is it the School of the Air which provides an education for the outback children. Is it the Aboriginal people who first tamed the outback and learnt to respect and understand it?
It is all these things and much, much more.

Yes the outback truly is a wonderful place to live and visit.
After all, ten billion flies a day can’t be wrong, can they?