，t<br > any people will tell you that Australia s soul lies somewhere in the ancient-<br >M looking and worn land of the continent s outback. Where its spirit may be exactly<br >doesn t matter， fnr everyone will find it in a different place. For some it may lie deep<br >in a cragg3 ， colourful gorge， o1: in a strange monolith flaring red at sunrise or sunset，<br >or bv a river of sand lined with big red gums. For others， it may be a lily-covered<br >billal~ong where herons， egrets and honking hordes of magpie geese feed， and where<br >restless， screeching corellas festoon nearby trees like cottonwool. Or it may be in the<br >immense desert plains with their red sand-dunes， white salt pans， seas of shimmering<br >gibber stones， and far horizons that stretch the mind and evoke a tremendous sense of<br > awe.<br > There is no specific boundary to fl~e outback; some even say it begins and ends in our<br > minds. Broadly， it applies to the land lying beyond the coastal cities， towns， the settled<br > rural areas， and the green slopes of the Great Dividing Range; this means that it covers<br > more than three-quarters of the continent.<br > A good portion of the outback pushes into tropical regions， where the climate is more<br > stable with its Weo distinct seasons， the Wet and the Dry. Despite the lush tropical<br > vegetation around its rivers and lagoons， this northern region is as inhospitable， and as<br > sparsely populated， as the rest of the outback. Further inland， the climate can be<br > unpredictable， since normal weather-patterns are frequently disrupted by droughts or<br > excessive rains.<br > The outback may be harsh， but there is lit+de doubt that its 1 500 000 square kilo-<br > metres contain some of the Earth s most unusual scenery. Its warm， rich colours are a<br > delight for photographers and artists. No scene is the same in the morning as in the<br > afternoon， at sunrise as at sunset， for the land responds wonderfully to the changes of<br > light as the sun progresses across the sky. The outback has a character and atmosphere<br > that is as unique as its scenery. It is often full of surprises: who would think that one<br > of the country s toughest mining towns would have more art galleries than pubs?<br > Broken Hill， in New Soud ~ Wales， is home to some of Australia s most famous outback<br > artists.<br > For the Aborigines， the original inhabitants， much of the outback is a ritual ground of<br > sacred Dreamtime legends. For white Australians， it is the heartland of our legends and<br > traditions: since its settlement， seemingly ordinary men and women have carried out<br > many cxtraordinary feats， often under severe hardship， in a land that will never tolerate<br > tl~e weak. These remarkable people and their exploits now live on in the outstanding<br > Smckman s Hall of Fame， in Longreach， western Queensland.<br > For many visitors， there is often a heightened expectation of adventure when<br > :erring oat hn a journey to the outback. This is largely because much of the region is<br > :till l.，ts~ frontier" country. It should never be taken lighdy by travellers， however<br >