Going underground: A seriously different outback escape

 

It can be stiflingly hot in the Australian outback during summer, so where better to stay than in the cooler air underground?

The outback is home to three underground motels where you can sleep under the earth, but the largest, with 48 subterranean rooms, is the White Cliffs Underground Motel in the wild country of New South Wales.

Until November, 2025, guests can descend below the desert sands to you room and save money with a special, two-night package that has just been launched.

Offering one of the quirkiest hotel stays in Australia, the ‘dugout’ motel bills itself as the largest underground hotel on the planet. 

The property offers a comfortable, year-round temperature of 22 degrees underground as well as a licensed restaurant, café and bar, its media release tells me.

Located in the rugged opal mining hamlet of White Cliffs, you will find yourself 1025km from Sydney and 781km north-east of Adelaide - thankfully there is a sealed road all the way.

With a population of just 150, White Cliffs is certainly quirky, with a lunar-like landscape (below) dotted with thousands of opal diggings made by treasure hunters seeking their fortune ever since opals were discovered here in 1884.

The White Cliffs Underground Motel is owned by the outback NSW accommodation group Out of the Ordinary Outback, which is offering a two-night ‘Experience White Cliffs’ package that includes two nights’ underground accommodation, a drink on arrival, continental breakfast each day, an underground opal mine tour with a local opal hunter and a tour of White Cliffs with a local expert.

The two-night package is available for $545 per couple - a saving of $160 on full pricing. The price for solo travellers is $455 - a saving of A$90. And for a family of four, the package is priced at $725 - a saving of $300

* The package is available until November 30, 2025, and there is no booking deadline. 

The offer is subject to availability and conditions apply. Book through Out of the Ordinary Outback on 1300 679 688 or visit www.undergroundmotel.com.au.

Here is the direct link to package; www.undergroundmotel.com.au/explorewhitecliffsnsw 

New accommodation options in the Territory outback

There are two very different new accommodation options in Australia's Northern Territory.

The Luxury eco-friendly safari lodge Bamurru Plains will open its new accommodation offering, Jabiru Retreat, from May 1.

Jabiru Retreat is a more private stay within a camp experience, featuring two safari-style bungalows connected by a walkway, leading to a private plunge pool and shaded deck overlooking the Mary River floodplains.

The retreat, billed as being ideal for two couples sharing, will accommodates four to six guests, and the package on offer includes daily guided wilderness safaris across the diverse landscapes of Kakadu - from rivers with sunbaking crocodiles to floodplains with birdlife, forests, and woodlands.

Trips to explore ancient rock art and Indigenous culture are an optional day trip away.

Although it is accessible by road in three hours, Bamurru Plains staff recommend flying in via a privately chartered flight from Darwin. See https://www.bamurruplains.com/

At Uluru, meanwhile, Voyages Ayers Rock Resort has re-opened its budget-friendly accommodation, Outback Hotel and Lodge (above) following a multi-million-dollar renovation including enhanced guest rooms, new en-suite bathrooms and a refurbished swimming pool.

The Outback Hotel and Lodge’s 125 rooms all feature free wifi, air-conditioning, walk-in rain showers, new electronics and large prints from Aboriginal artist Delma Forbes adorn the walls.

A range of accommodation - including bank bed rooms and rooms with en suites - is on offer and guests can access Voyages’ cultural activities, airport transfers and shuttle bus service. See https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/

How to explore Australia in style; on the water and by rail

Two of Australia’s greatest regional travel icons - the Murray River and the Indian Pacific train - are to be showcased in a new ‘slow travel’ rail and river cruise package released exclusively by leading small ship cruise specialist Cruise Traveller. 

Cruise Traveller’s 10-night ‘Australia by Paddlewheel and Locomotion’ package - available from July to November, 2022 - features a four-night cruise along the legendary Murray River aboard the only overnight passenger paddle steamer on the river, the deluxe, 18-guest PS Emmylou. 

That is followed by a journey on board the Indian Pacific train across the outback. 

The PS Emmylou starred in the hit 1983 TV mini-series All the Rivers Run starring Sigrid Thornton, and is still one of the most recognisable paddle steamers in Australia. 

Cruise Traveller’s itinerary begins with a night’s accommodation in Melbourne before a transfer to the Murray River town of Echuca to board PS Emmylou, which offers overnight, boutique river cruises.

A four-night trip along the meandering Murray follows, with visits to wineries, historic farm stations, indigenous sites and the World Heritage-listed river red gum wetlands at Barmah. 

Guests will also enjoy meals and complimentary barista-made espresso coffees and dinner beverages on deck, riverside picnics, a campfire dinner on the riverbank under the stars and the chance to join the crew in the wheelhouse and even try their hand at steering the boat alongside the skipper. 

At dusk, the wood-fired paddle steamer ties up at tranquil and remote moorings, allowing guests to experience the serenity and wildlife of the bush at night. 

After a night back in Melbourne, guests will fly to Adelaide for a three-night stay and free time to explore the stately city before boarding the Indian Pacific for an overnight journey to Sydney via the outback town of Broken Hill where the train will stop for a local tour. 

Offering all-inclusive fine dining, wines and beverages, the famous Indian Pacific train is designed to rekindle the golden era of rail travel, with panoramic windows in sleeping cabins and the lounge and restaurant cars. 

Three departure dates are available in 2022: July 10, August 14 and November 6. 

Including a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide, meals and beverages on the Indian Pacific and meals and dinner beverages on PS Emmylou as well as transfers along the way, the 10-night ‘Australia by Paddlewheel and Locomotion’ package is available from $4895 per person, twin-share. 

Visit www.cruisetraveller.com.au/locomotion or call Cruise Traveller on 1800 507 777.