Our flying tour group, leader Mal Shipton in front.

Agricultural center & a typical small town.

This style hotel/pub was a fixture in every outback town.

Can't overemphasize the importance of sheep in Australia.

Ever hear that phrase? Pull the wool over a sheep's eyes and he lays passively.

Your basic outback vehicle: 4WD, a deep fording kit and a shortwave radio.

Amazing how a few feet makes a difference.

Are you sure it is supposed to sound like that?

Good thing there is no sound with this picture!

Self-sufficient and a LONG way from town.

Mining town in NW Queensland.

The Outback is Road Train country. Very impressive coming at you.

Mt. Isa had a nearby fossil bed which was one of the richest anywhere.

In the Outback, where there is water there is livestock.

This is why it is called the "Red Center".

The Outback's "big city", the town of Alice Springs is a major hub.

A legend in the early Outback, often the only medical help within hundreds of miles. Still a major factor.

A nice little town.

Alice Springs was initially a major station on the transcontinental telegraph line.

Upthrust rock walls trap underground water, key to Alice Springs' steady supply.

Just to the right of the tree, they blend in but are very common.

We dined well, even in the most outback of the Outback.

On the track to Ayres Rock, this formation is millions of years old.

Australia's geography is some of the oldest, most stable on the planet. These features are ancient.

Companion formation to Ayres Rock, the Olgas are equally impressive.

Standing alone, Ayres Rock has attracted humans from the very beginning.

A bit of waiting time brought out the kitten in the girls.

And the child in the boys.

A true oasis, the resort was suprisingly fancy.

Although it seemed civilized near the settlement, this sign warned of the lack of supplies for hundreds of miles.

Australia's native eagle in flight. These guys grabbed whatever they could.

Looking like an ordinary songbird, this guy is into raw meat.

A tradition, we quaffed a bottle of wine while the sun set.

Opal capitol of the world, Coober Pedy attracts a unique brand of human.

Dusty and very back-country, Coober Pedy reminds of Alaskan villages....less the snow, of course.

Unique grave. This guy was obviously a typical Coober Pedy character, in death as well as life.

This is a church, built entirely underground like many buildings in Coober Pedy.

The solid & stable limestone can be hollowed out into very large rooms without reinforcement.

Typical of the underground construction. Interior temps hold to the mid-70s even during summer.

This home had about 8 rooms and over 2000 sq ft. of living space.

This is the type of machine used to hollow out the underground rooms.

The archtypical Outback town, Birdsville sits at the east edge of the barren Simpson Desert.

Hotel, bar, gathering spot for the entire town. Park your plane, outbackmobile or camel at the door.

Shortwave was the only communication in the early days, and foot power was popular.

Powered by kerosene, these ammona absorption refrigerators kept stuff cool and could even make a bit of ice.

We spent a couple of nights at a sheep "station". Quiet, roomy and laid back.

D enjoys a morning fire along with a friend.

We never really got the hang of it, but somehow avoided damaging the airplanes anyway.

We used ATV "Mules" to cruise the 10,000+ acres surrounding the ranch house.

Our last stop, Brampton is a popular resort for Aussie vacationers.

Lovely island, lots of trails and beaches where you can be totally alone.

Not a lot to do on the island, but we went out to see the underwater sights.

This was one of our last sunsets. Hated to leave.

What can I say?