Sunday, January 4, 2009

Life in the Outback of Australia


Life in the Outback of Australia can be lonely and harsh in this region often referred to by Aussies as the 'back of beyond'.

With so much of the country being desert, more than 90% of the country's population live in the urban centres along the coasts. Much of the dry, barren land is used for massive cattle and sheep farms. It takes a special type of person to be able to spend their life in the isolation of the Outback but the country has adapted somewhat with special services like The Flying Doctors Service and the School of the Air.

What is it like to live in the Outback? If you like the big screen, head off to the theatre to see Baz Luhrmann's Australia The Movie. It is only getting mediocre reviews, but the scenery and filming is inspiring people to travel to the Outback to see more of this incredible and unique landscape.

The other great option is to pick up a copy of Thorn Birds - the 1977 best selling novel written by Colleen McCullough set on a fictional sheep station in the Australian Outback. The novel was a best seller, then turned into a TV Mini-Series and became the United State's second highest rated mini-series after Roots.

It has just been announced that Thorn Birds is now going to be turned into a theatrical musical production - but we will see if they can actually capture the essence of the Outback on stage as it was done in the novel and on TV.

To read more about Thorn Birds the Musical - Click Here

If you are really interested in seeing what life is like on a cattle or sheep station you can incorporate a visit on a trip to Australia. Choose from something as short as an afternoon tour with lunch or plan a bit of a working holiday to get your dirty and properly involved in the operation.

Below is a short video depicting a little bit about what life is like on a Cattle Farm and then the second video is all about the incredible Royal Flying Doctors Service








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