Arkaba Conservancy, Australia

The Arkaba Homestead itself is a classic Flinders building, with thick stone walls, deep shady verandahs and corrugated roofing, all set against the backdrop of the rugged Elder Range. Four traditional style bedrooms are located in the homestead, each with an en suite bathroom and access to the verandah for relaxing in the heat of day. The Coachman’s Cottage in the corner of the garden provides a fifth guest room with en suite bathroom. The rooms are air conditioned and have been designed with the homestead’s heritage in mind. With no telephones, televisions, minibars or the typical features of a hotel room to distract, the focus is on the experience in one of the most beautiful settings in Australia.

Arkaba was once a sheep station, before the team at Arkaba implemented a program to remove sheep, along with all non-native animals and by the year 2013, all sheep had been removed from the 60,000-acre property and Arkaba was officially developed into a wildlife conservancy. The conservancy is now home to an extraordinary variety of birdlife and wildlife. Red and Grey Kangaroos, Euros (Common Wallaroos) and Emus are regular sightings and, for the more intrepid walkers, a couple of colonies of Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies reside in the Elder Range.

Arkaba's topography offers some of outback Australia's most breathtaking scenery - and there's no question that for wildlife watching, bush-walking, photography or just soaking up the sights and sounds of outback Australia, the Flinders is in a class of its own - it provides a truly memorable introduction to the sheer scale of the outback.