Going Walkabout
By: Lisa Wolff, Yahoo!7 Travel

So far, I've been blown away by my visit to the Outback. I have visited Uluru and travelled the Red Centre Way to Kings Canyon. The journey continues...

The only way you can experience an authentic "walkabout" is if you are lead by Aborigines. I was privileged to be able to camp out within the Ipolera community, of which Mavis and Herman Malbunka are the traditional owners and custodians.

Back in the city, the only encounters I have had with Aborigines has been the didgeridoo players attracting crowds in the tourist areas. So it was fascinating for me to learn more about this ancient culture from two respected elders of the Outback.

Natural treatments
Mavis took us for a guided tour of their vast barren Tjilpa Valley. She shared the secrets of bush medicine - how you can boil certain leaves and use them as an ointment. She gave us insight into her intriguing attachment to the spiritual world and entertained us with some traditional Aboriginal tales.

I asked if Mavis and her family still hunt. "These days, we go together to hunt our food in shops," Mavis replied wryly. Although they're still doing all they can to bring the younger generation back to the land and help combat alcohol abuse.

We feasted on a delicious bush barbeque under the stars, complete with a fire-baked apple pudding. We then climbed into our swags - a large canvas pouch into which goes the sleeping bag. Despite the icy temperature, I was pretty snug in my cocoon.

Essential pit-stop
We spent the following night at Glen Helen Resort, which has a panoramic vista of the West McDonnell ranges. The rooms are pretty basic and show their age (they were built in the 50's) but the restaurant serves tasty food (I had a delicious kangaroo steak with a wattle and strawberry sauce) and there's a decent pool and bar to relax in. Plus it's the only fuel station between Kings Canyon and Alice Springs, which makes it a convenient pit-stop.

We paid a brief visit to Ellery Creek big hole, a serene lake surrounded by craggy cliffs. It's one of those places that you could just sit for hours and reflect on the purity of nature.

We tore ourselves away from the pristine water and made our way to Standley Chasm. Today, we were going to get a sample of the Larapinta Trail. This 230-kilometre hike from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder is making regular appearances on hiker's list of must-do's. World Expeditions offer three, four, seven and fourteen day Larapinta hiking trips. It's a reasonably tough walk with trails averaging 14 kilometres per day.

Gourmet delights
We had a taste of the Larapinta - a short 2km walk to Standley Chasm. The terrain was beautiful - red rock, astounding formations and a couple of challenging obstacles. Although the scenery was glorious, the lunch that our guide, Rob, magic-ed up was even more remarkable. Rob delves into his backpack and within minutes he has prepared a gourmet picnic of crunchy rolls, cold meat and a variety of freshly cut salads. Bush comfort at its very best. If this is what they call roughing it, then bring it on!

A short drive away, we arrived at our final destination of Alice Springs. We settled into the Alice Springs resort before going into the town for dinner. After being immersed in the desert land, it was a bit of a shock to the system to be back in a city. Everything seemed too loud, too garish. It was a good thing that the next morning we could once again escape the bustle.

After a 4am wakeup call, we drove to the middle of nowhere. Outback Ballooning were already waiting for us. The propane gas heaters were fired up and soon the flaccid canvas became a humungous red and orange balloon. We clambered on board the snug 16-seater basket and soon we were floating. It was the most serene experience. I looked down and marvelled at the striking patchwork below.

Floating in the Outback
The balloon glided at a leisurely pace of 20 km per hour as we watched the sun rise. It's a precision science to keep the balloon afloat and as soon as the sun heats up the air, navigation becomes more challenging. Hence the crack of dawn start.

Upon finding a clearing in the bush, the pilot guided the balloon back to earth and after a couple of bounces, the basket came to a stop. We helped pack up the balloon and then returned to the resort for a champagne brekkie.

What a romantic experience! For anyone thinking of proposing, a hot air balloon in the outback would be a perfect setting. For the ultimate in decadence, invest in a private balloon ride, priced at around $1,500.

I may have returned to earth, but I was still very much up in the air. In fact, the Outback had such an effect on me that the serenity stayed with me for weeks. It was a journey of a lifetime and now that I've done my walkabout, I don't think I'll be able to stay away.

Click here to watch amazing video clips featuring the great Australian Outback.