I colori dell'Outback

The Clare Valley unfolds north of Adelaide among rolling hills and sun-drenched rows of vines, guardian of a long winemaking tradition and celebrated as one of the world’s finest regions for Riesling. Its historic cellars, many founded by German and Irish settlers in the nineteenth century, alternate with picturesque villages such as Mintaro and evocative Sevenhill, where Jesuits have made wine since 1851. The Riesling Trail, a cycling path along a former railway line, invites visitors to explore the valley between tastings. The Clare Valley is an ideal destination for lovers of wine, rural landscapes and genuine hospitality.

Mountain ranges hundreds of millions of years old, the Flinders Ranges rise from the South Australian outback in a succession of reddish ridges, deep gorges and plains dotted with eucalyptus. At the heart of the region lies Wilpena Pound (Ikara), a spectacular natural amphitheatre of mountains enclosing a valley sacred to the Adnyamathanha people. Trails cross primeval landscapes where kangaroos, emus and wedge-tailed eagles roam undisturbed, while the rocks reveal some of the oldest fossils on Earth. At sunset the walls glow ochre and purple, and the nights offer star-filled skies without equal. The Flinders Ranges are the Australian interior in its purest, most silent form.

A tiny outpost in the heart of South Australia, Parachilna has only a handful of residents yet offers a privileged gateway to the Flinders Ranges, among the oldest mountain chains on Earth. Its historic Prairie Hotel is renowned for outback cuisine featuring native meats such as kangaroo and emu. All around stretch red plains, spectacular gorges and the imposing natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound. Under starry skies and endless horizons, Parachilna captures the very essence of the Australian outback.

Coober Pedy guards the title of opal capital of the world in the scorching desert of South Australia, where extreme heat drove its residents to seek shelter underground. Its celebrated “dugouts” – homes, churches and even hotels carved into the rock – stay at a constant temperature and make this mining town truly unique. On the surface, the lunar landscape of mullock heaps and abandoned shafts has served as a backdrop for many films. Between fossicking for opals, exploring the desert expanses of the nearby Breakaways and sleeping in a subterranean dwelling, Coober Pedy offers an experience quite unlike any other.

Alice Springs lies at the geographic heart of the Australian continent, an outback town set among the ancient ridges of the MacDonnell Ranges. The spiritual capital of the Red Centre, it has long been a crossroads of Aboriginal cultures and a launch point for exploring one of the planet's most remote landscapes. Its galleries display the dot paintings of the desert peoples, while the surroundings hold dramatic gorges such as Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm, where the rock walls turn red under the midday sun. From here one reaches Uluru and Kings Canyon and uncovers pioneer stories along the old telegraph line. A solitary, proud town suspended in the vastness of the red desert.