14 Best Sights in The Outback, Australia

This is one of the prettiest (and coldest) swimming holes in the Red Centre, so it's quite popular with locals and visitors alike—it's also the deepest and most permanent water hole in the area, so you may glimpse wild creatures like wallabies or goannas (monitor lizards) quenching their thirst. Take the 3-km (2-mile) Dolomite Walk for a close-up look at this fascinating geological site.

Inside Watarrka National Park, Kings Canyon is one of the most spectacular sights in central Australia. Sprawling in scope, the canyon's sheer cliff walls shelter a world of ferns and woodlands, permanent springs, and rock pools. The main path is the 6-km (4-mile) Kings Canyon Rim Walk, which starts with a short but steep 15-minute climb straight up from the parking lot to the top of the escarpment; the view 886 feet down to the base of the canyon is amazing. Steep stairs mark your arrival into the scenic Garden of Eden—the only way out along the main trail is via another round of intense stair-climbing back up to the top of the canyon wall, so make sure you're carrying plenty of water for the hike. An easier walk, called the Creek Walk, which starts at the parking lot and winds through the base of the canyon, is just as worthwhile. Alternatively, Discovery Parks - Kings Canyon ( www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au) offers 8-, 15-, and 30-minute helicopter rides so you can view it all from above (from A$125, A$200, and A$400, respectively).

This beautiful park lies just 120 km (75 miles) southwest of Darwin off the Stuart Highway. Its 1,500 square km (579 square miles) are an untouched wilderness of monsoonal rain forests, rivers, and striking rock formations. The highlights include four separate, spectacular waterfalls—Florence, Tjaynera (Sandy Creek), Wangi, and Tolmer Falls—all of which have secluded plunge pools.  The pools are suitable for swimming but occasionally there are crocs here, so observe any "no swimming" signs.

There is also a dramatic group of large, freestanding sandstone pillars known as the Lost City (accessible only by four-wheel-drive track), and Magnetic Termite Mounds, which have an eerie resemblance to eroded grave markers, which dot the black-soiled plains of the park's northern area. You'll need to camp if you want to stay in the park; campgrounds and RV sites are located near several of the major sights (call the Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory at 08/8976–0282 for more information on the facilities, as they vary by campsite). There are also a few restaurants and modest hotels in the nearby town of Batchelor, though most folks just visit Litchfield as a day trip from Darwin, about a 90-minute drive away.

Collections at this excellent—and free—museum and art gallery encompass Aboriginal art and culture, maritime archaeology, Northern Territory history, and natural sciences. One gallery is devoted to Cyclone Tracy, where you can listen to a terrifying recording of the howling winds. You can also see "Sweetheart," a 16-foot, 10-inch stuffed saltwater crocodile that was known for attacking fishing boats on the Finniss River in the 1970s.

This gorge, cut by the sporadic Finke River, often described as the oldest river in the world, slices through the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges, revealing dramatic rock layering and tilting. Here the river forms a broad, cold, permanent water hole that's great for a bracing swim.

The Henbury Meteorites craters, 12 depressions between 6 feet and 600 feet across, are believed to have been formed by a meteorite shower 4,700 years ago—the largest one measures roughly 590 feet wide by 50 feet deep! To get here, you must travel 15 km (9 miles) off the highway on an unpaved road—conventional 2WD sedans will be fine, but be aware that some rental car companies don't cover you if you break down on unsealed roads.

More than 900 pearl divers are buried in the Japanese Cemetery, located on the road out to Broome's deepwater port. The graves testify to the contribution of the Japanese people to the development of the industry in Broome, as well as to the perils of pearl gathering in its early days.

John Flynn, the Royal Flying Doctor Service founder, is memorialized at this spot along Larapinta Drive just 6½ km (4 miles) west of Alice Springs in view of the majestic Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Range.

Entry is free at Lasseters Casino, where the action goes late into the night with more than 300 slot machines, plus blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat tables. Choose from five restaurants and bars, each with its own style ranging from exotic eats at Tali to tapas at Tempo. The Juicy Rump is known for live music, while Splash Cafe is a great place for a bite by the pool, and Casbah is perfectly positioned should you need a break from betting.

More than 3,000 ancient Aboriginal rock engravings (petroglyphs) are etched into sandstone outcrops in Napwerte/Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve, 35 km (22 miles) south of Alice on the road to Chamber's Pillar. Early morning and late-afternoon light are best for photographing the lines, circles, and animal tracks. A 2-km (1-mile) trail leads to several art sites. The reserve is open all day year-round and is accessible by regular (rather than four-wheel-drive) cars; technically, however, the road is unsealed, so check with your rental car company to make sure it's not against their rules to drive on it.

Amazing formations in the sandstone cliffs of the James Range take on rainbow colors in the early-morning and late-afternoon light; the colors are caused by water dissolving the red iron in the sandstone and further erosion that has created dramatic rock faces and squared towers. To reach the reserve, turn left off the Stuart Highway 75 km (46 miles) south of Alice. The next 22 km (13 miles) are on a dirt track, requiring a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle, this site is best experienced by taking a refreshing swim through the narrow, winding gorge. According to an Indigenous creation story, a fierce serpent makes its home in the pool, hence the name.

The closest gorge to Alice Springs—there's even a bicycle and walking track from the city center—greets you with views of stark-white ghost gums (Australian evergreen trees), red rocks, and gorgeous, purple-haze mountains that provide a taste of scenery to be seen farther into the ranges. Swimming is not permitted, but come in the morning and late afternoon for a chance to catch a glimpse of rock wallabies.

The cultural center is the first thing you'll come across after entering the park through a tollgate. The two buildings are built in a serpentine style, reflecting the Kuniya and Liru stories about two ancestral snakes who fought a long-ago battle on the southern side of Uluṟu. Inside, you can learn about Indigenous history and the return of the park to its Traditional Owners on October 26, 1985. There's also an excellent park ranger's station where you can get maps and hiking guides, as well as two art shops, Maruku and Walkatjara, where you'll likely see Aboriginal artists at work. Pick up a souvenir or grab refreshments at the Ininti Cafe, or rent a bicycle for another fun way to ride around Uluṟu (from A$55).