The Outback refers to the remote areas of Australia outside the urban centres. It should not necessarily be confused with the Bush, which refers to rural, undeveloped land or country areas. Interestingly the Outback does not officially exist in government parlance so you will not see it demarcated on any government sanctioned maps.

The Outback holds a special place in the hearts of Australians. It is varied in terrain and climate and huge in scale. It is a harsh and unforgiving place, a difficult place to live in and survive.

Arid lands

Most of the Outback's soil is so poor, it is unable to support quality cattle feed to make cattle farming economically viable. This is especially true for the North of Australia, which despite its significant rainfall cannot support cropping as the earth is mostly made up of ironstone and bauxite.

The land is marginally fertile in the Lake Eyre rangelands known for sheep and cattle farming - a vast area occupying 1/6th of the continent's territory at the meeting point of South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and a small sliver of New South Wales.

The Outback - a major economic contributor

In spite of its limitations, the Outback's size still makes its grazing lands quite valuable. The Outback is rich in iron, aluminum, manganese, uranium, gold, nickel, lead and zinc, making it a valuable mining resource.

A popular tourist destination

Organised travel to the Outback is popular, but if you're planning to rent a car and go it on your own, you should plan ahead. Few roads in the Outback are paved so a four wheel drive vehicle is essential. On remote roads additional supplies and spare fuel may be required - and occasionally a convoy of vehicles.

There are many popular tourist attractions in the Outback. These include:

• Alice Springs
• Birdsville
• Uluru (Ayers Rock)
• Coober Pedy
• Devils Marbles
• Katherine River Gorge
• Kakadu National Park
• Kings Canyon Watarrka
• Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
• MacDonnell Ranges
• Mount Isa
• Monkey Mia
• Broome

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