Australia's Golden Outback 2024 Holiday Planner

stars in Kennedy Range National Park, and we were able to see Jupiter and Saturn, just in the absolute silence of the night. The quiet — it’s just otherworldly.” WOORAMULLA ECO CULTURAL JOURNEYS In the vast expanses of Gascoyne Junction, where the skies are painted with the masterstrokes of the universe, Yinggarda woman Rennee Turner beckons all who yearn for a connection to the stars. At the helm of Wooramulla Eco Cultural Journeys, Rennee has masterfully combined her rich Indigenous cultural knowledge with her passion for the cosmos—and created Star Story Tours. Each tour is a bespoke experience, curated on request. Visitors are greeted in town, where, over the span of a few hours and with the gleam of her laser pointer, Rennee meticulously traces the constellations, diving into fascinating Yinggarda cultural insights that give deeper meaning to the sky. As onlookers peer through one of her two telescopes, they can witness the moon progressing across the sky. The other telescope follows Rennee’s discussion, positioning gazers to spot constellations, uncover galaxies, and delve into the intricacies of the universe as she weaves illuminating Indigenous astronomy into her narration. “People say that it’s an Indigenous story, but no, what I say is it’s our Indigenous science. We’ve had westernised science for hundreds of years, whereas our science has been around for tens of thousands of years,” says Rennee. Melangata STATION STAY Situated in the Yalgoo region of WA, this sheep station has a unique heritage-listed homestead and offers various types of accommodation from campgrounds with basic facilities to a Homestead Dinner, Bed and Breakfast package. Tag-along, walking and homestead tours and camp oven cooking classes available. For more info & booking, contact Jo on (08) 9963 7777 or email melangatastationstay@gmail.com melangatastationstay.com.au

MOUNT AUGUSTUS TOURIST PARK

part of the world, the council has even recently introduced a weekly stargazing experience on the town oval. “Our light pollution is pretty much non-existent, and we get to stand here every night and it just feels like the stars are reaching down to touch us,” says Ainsley Hardie, the tourism and community development officer for the Shire of Upper Gascoyne. A team of volunteers, trained by experts from the Perth Observatory, lead the stargazing experience, showing visitors how to use the telescope while pointing out planets, stars, nebulas, and constellations that leave all awestruck. Ainsley recalls one spectacular eve where, “We took the team from Perth Observatory up around the Kennedy Loop track, with telescopes strapped very carefully in the back of utes. There were 36 of us that sat out under the

In the remote north of the Gascoyne Murchison, Mount Augustus Tourist Park sits beside the backdrop of Mount Augustus / Burringarrah — the largest monocline rock in the world and is twice the size of Uluru. About 300 kilometres from the nearest town, the tourist park is a place to fully decompress and connect with the vast landscape surrounding your campsite. This far into the desert, there aren’t clear seasons, and after months without rain the skies develop a crisp clarity. So, even without a telescope, you can just relax in your camping chair, and watch shooting stars and passing satellites. With the earth around you bathed in blackness, the depths of space feel close and tangible. As the tourist park manager, Sally Kingdon, says, “It’s a pretty special place, it sort of gets into your soul.” There are cabins, both unpowered and powered sites, and a bar and restaurant that’s open between April and September — often a spot to gather at outdoor tables and watch the stars appear above. GASCOYNE JUNCTION One of the central points of the region, Gascoyne Junction is a town lit by 18 street lights — the only street lights to be seen, within an area of 58,000 sq km — so it’s no wonder the opportunities for seeing stars here are glowing. The pastime is so active in this remote

Mt Augustus at sunfrise

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