From Sydney there are several day trips too, like a visit to the UNESCO-listed Blue Mountains National Park, with a stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park. Here was a chance to see some of Australia’s natives - Kangaroo, Wallaby, Koala and Kookaburra. Further up, driving through dense eucalyptus forests we arrive at Jamison Valley lookout point for some stunning views of surrounding mountains and valleys, and the massive Three Sisters rock formations.

     After a few days, we felt sufficiently rested for our flight to Alice Springs, where we joined a tour of the region known as the Red Centre. Driving long distances, especially in the summer heat can be tiring. Hence, one of the easiest ways to cover a lot of ground in a short time is to take advantage of one or more of the many excellent coach tours.

     Sitting back while someone else does the driving not only allows you to concentrate on the scenery rather than the road signs, it is also much more relaxing. There is the added advantage of having the services of an expert guide. Any questions they are unable to answer can be taken care of by an onboard reference library!

     Travelling west through West MacDonnell National Park, we began to see just what makes the Red Centre red. Mile after mile of rusty-coloured soil covered a landscape littered with white-barked ghost gum (eucalyptus) trees, while above it all was a deep blue sky mixed with cotton-wool clouds.

     We were in the heart of outback country - not dry and barren as I had expected, but surprisingly green, with a profusion of desert flora. The vast reddish rocks and craggy gorges were interspersed by lush water-holes which attract an abundance of insects, lizards, butterflies and all manner of birds, from eagles and kestrels to pink-breasted galah parrots and flocks of colourful budgerigars.

     Our first stop was at the memorial site to Reverend John Flynn’s grave, founder of the ‘Flying Doctor Service’. A large granite monolith is placed over the grave which stands alone in the vast open space at the base of Mount Gillen.

    Although many of the rocks and gorges have names such as Simpsons Gap, Ormiston Gorge, Ellery Creek and Stanley Chasm - reminders of the European pioneers who first conquered them, much of this is aboriginal land.

     There are several guided walks to help venture deeper into the wilderness and appreciate the eye-popping scenery, like the 1.5 km walk through Stanley Chasm’s rugged landscape surrounded by white gum trees. Spotting several wild Rock Wallabys nearby shying away from our group was an added bonus. Then a stop at the spectacular Ellery Creek Big Hole, an outback waterhole where the ice cold, clear waters run into depths of 100 feet. The only sounds are the gentle ripples by the shores and bird life. Ormiston Gorge, a large waterhole is a popular picnicking and swimming spot, with a towering red rock backdrop.

     Another short but interesting excursion we came across was a Ghost Gum Walk. Not far from Alice Springs, the 15 minute walk takes you through a grassland and corkwood trees amidst a variety of gum trees. The guide explained how the gum trees which are flammable due to the oil in them, and in excess heat have been the cause of many wild fires.

     One of our overnight stops was at Glen Helen Homestead, perched on the edge of the Finke River and overshadowed by the vast dramatic sandstone walls of Glen Helen Gorge. Crocodile steak was on the dinner menu, which with slight trepidation, I was determined to try and enjoyed. The next day we woke before dawn for a walk along the river bank to watch the sun rise over the water before returning to the homestead for a hearty breakfast, watched over by Ernie, the family’s pet kangaroo.

Kakadu National Park, Nourlangie Rock

Nourlangie Roack, aboriginal cave painting

     A 45 minute flight by light aircraft over jungle territory, and views of Twin Falls, took us to Jabiru in the middle of the Kakadu National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty with rivers, mangrove swamps and verdant rain forests. After a short drive, avoiding some recently flooded roads, we came to Nourlangie Rock, site of some of Australia’s most ancient and best preserved Aboriginal cave paintings. This famous site, with its stunning rock art, documents life in the region from thousands of years ago. The paintings apart, our guide also pointed to huge spiders, that had come out taking shelter in the crevices, due to the recent tropical showers.

     Then it was off for a cruise on the scenic Yellow Water Billabong (Ngurrungurrudjba) with its abundance fish and water birds and home to crocodiles, although we only spotted a couple a distance away. The scenery couldn’t be more different to the reddish sandstone landscapes we had seen just a few days ago. It felt like untouched terrain. Everything was green, mangroves and trees protruding out of the water towards the blue sky, and sounds of bird life, (our guide pointing out a Whistling Kite bird of prey), as we gently cruised along.

     Back in Darwin, it was dinner at a local restaurant serving grilled Barramundi fish with oysters and macadamia nuts - a delicious end to a full days extraordinary sightseeing.

Tiwi Islands (Bathurst Island), church

Tiwi Islands, indigenous art

     Our final destination, via a 30 minutes flight in a tiny five-seater aircraft was the offshore Tiwi Islands, home to a small catholic aboriginal community. Despite being converted to Catholicism more than a century ago, today the islanders have regained their language and culture. At Bathurst, the island we visited, the local guide was happy to show us around a church, small museum, and works of art done by school children. The indigenous art prints and paintings by some of the islanders have been showcased around Australia.

     Tiwi islanders, with their unique lifestyle, and blend of ancient and modern cultures left us with a fitting symbol of Australian diversity and the realisation that, after three weeks and more than 2500 miles (4023km) of travelling, we had barely scratched the surface of what this vast country has to offer.

     TRAVEL TIP: A hat, good walking shows and a supply of drinking water are essential when touring the Red Centre and the tropical north, as temperatures can soar to 100F (37C) in the middle of the day.