Outback Australia Maps - How to Map Out Your Outback Adventure

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Author: Amanda Markham

By some accounts, the vast Australian outback takes up 70% of the Australian continent. Regardless of the exact figure, the outback takes up a large part of inland Australia, and is often portrayed as hostile, beautiful, enigmatic and even breath-taking.

Occupying an area roughly twice the size of Texas, the outback's mystique captures the hearts and minds both Australians and overseas visitors alike. Far from being just a flat, dry plain, covered in red dirt and the occasional massive red rock, the Australian outback is home to mountains, vast savannahs, rivers, waterholes, gorges and of course, deserts.

A little known fact about the outback is its rich biodiversity. It's home to more than half of Australia's 140 species of marsupials (pouched mammals), several hundred bird and reptile species.

Far from being dangerous, the Australian outback is the place to have an adventure or safari in one of the most world's most peaceful and politically stable countries.

The outback is an ideal place to see kangaroos, emus, incredible birdlife and meet very special animals like Bilbies and Mala. It's also the ideal place to get away from it all, relaxing next to a shady waterhole, camping under skies lit with more stars than you'll ever imagine existed or hiking up a mountain on the world famous Larapinta Trail: the outback has something for everyone. No matter how often there is never a dull moment here with so much to do and even more to discover.

To plan your outback adventure, you're going to need some great outback maps. A really good place to start is with some of the free online, downloadable outback maps. Using some of these handy online resources, you'll be able to get an idea of just how big the outback really is, and where places like Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Ayers Rock and Lake Eyre are in relation to capital cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin.

A good outback map should include road distances - so you'll understand that you can't possibly drive from Perth to Ayers Rock/Uluru in one day!- fuel stops, accommodation options, places to buy food and the locations of banking facilities and camping areas.

Next, you'll need a map of some of the major outback towns, such as Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Port Augusta and maybe even Mt Isa or Broken Hill. By starting with free, online town maps, you'll be able to print them out prior to your arrival, locate your accommodation and get an idea of where things are.

Also, you'll want to check out some of the maps of the outback's national parks. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, where Ayers Rock is located, Kings Canyon/Watarrka and the massive West MacDonnell National Parks all have free, online maps provided by both Parks Australia and the Northern Territory's Parks and Wildlife Service that you can download easily and print out.

However, if you're after the very best information or you want to venture out and explore some of the outback many out of the way places or tracks like the Oodnadatta Track, then you'll need to buy one of the commercially available maps.

These maps give incredible details and are loved by true Aussie off-road adventurers. You'll not only find road distances, fuel, supplies and accommodation details, you'll find GPS coordinates, notes about track conditions and tips for driving, lesser-known points of interest, and even notes about history, wildlife and Aboriginal culture.

For free outback maps covering the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland, including major towns such as Coober Pedy, Port Augusta, Birdsville and Alice Springs, and lots of insider tips on how to plan your Australian outback adventure, check out: http://www.travel-outback-australia.com.

I hope this information helps you to plan your outback Australia vacation, so you'll fall in love with the outback like so many other visitors have.

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