Flights to Australia from the United States are long and expensive, which is exactly why the Northern Territory Tourism board is trying to lure visitors with the prospect of free flights. The reasoning goes that if travelers are already making the long trek to the far-flung continent, they might as well see as much of it as possible.
In conjunction with Qantas Airlines, Australia is doing what it can to bring more Americans, via a free one-way flight, to the Australian Outback.
The program has been dubbed ‘Fly Free to the Outback,’ but you’ll have to already be inside of Australia’s borders in order to take advantage of the flight. You can choose to start in either Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, and choose from Darwin, Uluru, or Alice Springs as your destination. The only other requirement is that you book a two-night stay with one of the qualified providers.
The two-night minimum is far from your biggest problem, as you’ll want to spend plenty of time exploring the incredible wilderness contained within the Outback. Ayers Rock is one of the biggest landmarks that’s been created by nature, as it stands 1,142 feet above the ground below. Ayers Rock has also been a sight of spiritual pilgrimage for the indigenous population.
For the intrepid tourists who want to explore the land by foot, Nitmiluk National Park is the place to go for some of the best hiking the Outback has to offer. Far from being a dessert, you can traverse a portion of the jungle while in view of breathtaking gorges and awe-inspiring waterfalls.
Not only that, there’s plenty of Aboriginal paintings scattered throughout the cliffs within the parks. If you’re looking for more of a desert adventure, however, then Alice Springs is the place to go, especially if you want to ride a camel.