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A world unseen: Why India should be on your travel bucket list

<p><a href="http://www.incredibleindia.org/"><span data-contrast="none">India</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> is not only a country bursting with rich culture, divine cuisines and an abundance of invigorating experiences</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">–</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">travelling there</span><span data-contrast="auto"> is an opportunity to learn about one of the world’s oldest civilisations and why it is the ultimate bucket list destination. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Those looking to fulfil their appetite for a country jampacked with adventure and curiosity will be </span><span data-contrast="auto">thrilled</span><span data-contrast="auto"> to learn about India with its breathtaking landscapes, picturesque monoliths at every turn and historical roots </span><span data-contrast="auto">dating back </span><span data-contrast="auto">to the </span><span data-contrast="auto">1</span><span data-contrast="auto">st</span><span data-contrast="auto"> century.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">A home to almost 1.3 billion</span><span data-contrast="auto"> people</span><span data-contrast="auto">, India is one of the most ethnically diverse and colourful places </span><span data-contrast="auto">you can imagine</span><span data-contrast="auto">. With a spirituality so enthralling, curious travellers have made it their mission to </span><span data-contrast="auto">visit</span><span data-contrast="auto"> the aged country to learn what makes India an encounter unlike any other. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">A feature that makes India particularly unique is </span><span data-contrast="auto">the fact that </span><span data-contrast="auto">it is home to one of the </span><span data-contrast="auto">world’s </span><span data-contrast="auto">largest wildlife sanctuaries.</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">The Dampa Tiger reserve spans an area of </span><span data-contrast="auto">more than </span><span data-contrast="auto">500 </span><span data-contrast="auto">square kilometres </span><span data-contrast="auto">and exists as a respite for Bengal tigers on the verge of extinction. Dampa’s project aims to ensure a viable population of the ferocious creatures continues on and gives the </span><span data-contrast="auto">species</span><span data-contrast="auto"> a habitat to exist in peacefully. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Whether you fully enwrap yourself in the lifestyle changes that </span><span data-contrast="auto">captivating</span><span data-contrast="auto"> India has to offer</span><span data-contrast="auto"> or simply breeze through the wonderous cities like a true tourist, there is something for everyone to see and </span><span data-contrast="auto">experience</span><span data-contrast="auto">. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Here is why India </span><span data-contrast="auto">is your ultimate travel bucket list destination</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><strong>The ancient city of Dimapur </strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/dimapur.html"><span data-contrast="none">Dimapur</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, </span><span data-contrast="auto">meaning “the city of the great river”</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> holds a lush landscape and the promise of a holiday captured by intriguing history, incredible monoliths and a mellow serenity </span><span data-contrast="auto">unlike anything else throughout the</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">tumultuous</span><span data-contrast="auto"> cities of stunning India. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">While parts of the historic city are bound by bustling centres and </span><span data-contrast="auto">other hallmarks of </span><span data-contrast="auto">modernisation, there is a special solace found in its </span><span data-contrast="auto">n</span><span data-contrast="auto">orth-east region</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> as it is a place </span><span data-contrast="auto">that </span><span data-contrast="auto">remains thronged by its ancient past and natural wonders. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Adventures should take the trek and wander through the untampered tropical jungle known as Triple Falls, located near the village of Chumukedima on the outskirts of Dimapur. Its most enchanting feature is the three glistening streams </span><span data-contrast="auto">that </span><span data-contrast="auto">cascade from a height of </span><span data-contrast="auto">85 metres</span><span data-contrast="auto">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The falls </span><span data-contrast="auto">are renowned as </span><span data-contrast="auto">a tranquil </span><span data-contrast="auto">destination </span><span data-contrast="auto">for its pin</span><span data-contrast="auto">-</span><span data-contrast="auto">drop silence that has remained unchanged centur</span><span data-contrast="auto">y upon century</span><span data-contrast="auto">. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Solace seekers hoping to adopt a new sense of enlightenment will find Dimapur to be a captivating city, holding roots to the 13</span><span data-contrast="auto">th</span><span data-contrast="auto"> century AD. </span><span data-contrast="auto">One of the their more well-known attractions include</span><span data-contrast="auto">s</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/dimapur/intanki-national-park.html"><span data-contrast="none">Intanki</span><span data-contrast="none"> National Park in Nagaland</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, an equatorial forest </span><span data-contrast="auto">in which</span><span data-contrast="auto"> travellers may have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the cit</span><span data-contrast="auto">y’s</span><span data-contrast="auto"> unique feature</span><span data-contrast="auto">:</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">h</span><span data-contrast="auto">oolock gibbons. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The mighty little ape is a unique part of </span><span data-contrast="auto">n</span><span data-contrast="auto">ortheast India and can hold a swing at a speed of 55km per hour. It is not the only distinctive creature that w</span><span data-contrast="auto">a</span><span data-contrast="auto">nders through the dense</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> lush greenery of Intanki, which includes other rare species like the great hornbill, clouded leopard, barking deer, sambar and sloth bear. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The entire forest is covered in semi</span><span data-contrast="auto">-</span><span data-contrast="auto">tropical trees, and</span><span data-contrast="auto"> has </span><span data-contrast="auto">a thick, dense </span><span data-contrast="auto">selection</span><span data-contrast="auto"> of greenery and flora including mahogany, bamboo and rattan. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The stunning</span><span data-contrast="auto"> site</span><span data-contrast="auto"> was declared a national park in 1993, and in 2005 it went further to be listed as an elephant reserve. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Keep in mind, if</span><span data-contrast="auto"> you do travel to the </span><span data-contrast="auto">national park</span><span data-contrast="auto"> to spot its exotic creatures for yourself, remember it’s</span><span data-contrast="auto"> unique wonders </span><span data-contrast="auto">may</span><span data-contrast="auto"> elude you</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">–</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">so</span><span data-contrast="auto"> stay sharp. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><strong>The untouched paradise of Lachung </strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">A Himalayan village nestled perfectly into the </span><span data-contrast="auto">n</span><span data-contrast="auto">ortheast region of India, </span><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/lachung.html"><span data-contrast="none">Lachung</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> is the epitome of a secret best kept hidden.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">At the confluence of the quaint town rests the Lachen Chu rivers and is just one of the </span><span data-contrast="auto">many </span><span data-contrast="auto">glorious experiences available for curious travellers looking to add a spiritually enlightening pitstop to their trip. The rock </span><span data-contrast="auto">that </span><span data-contrast="auto">spills out the mineral water that flows into the river is believed to be blessed by the patron saint of Sikkim, Guru Padmasambhava. Holy devotees will tell any listening ear about the visible imprints of his palm and foot implanted on the </span><span data-contrast="auto">l</span><span data-contrast="auto">iving rock. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The rivers are both tributaries of the River Teesta and translates to “small pass”</span><span data-contrast="auto">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Not too far away </span><span data-contrast="auto">is</span><span data-contrast="auto"> a peaceful retreat by the water,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">the hallowed </span><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/lachung/lachung-monastery.html"><span data-contrast="none">Lachung Monastery</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> foun</span><span data-contrast="auto">d at a height of about 2,750m. Forming at the base of the Green Lake trek, the colourful and bright structure has become a symbol of cultural and religious heritage. While it is small in size, it is mighty in its significance to the small town. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Nowadays, travellers may be lucky to find stray sightseers or locals touring around the mostly closed monastery, which remains as a small tribute to history for the Himalayan village. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><strong>A city to marvel in, Jorhat </strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The breathtaking</span><span data-contrast="auto"> artistic</span><span data-contrast="auto"> city of </span><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/jorhat.html"><span data-contrast="none">Jorhat</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">is beloved among veteran travellers for its cultural excellence, numerous tombs and mosques, expansive gardens and most of all, its tea plantations. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The tea capital of India attracts </span><span data-contrast="auto">significant visitor numbers </span><span data-contrast="auto">with its natural charm and has </span><span data-contrast="auto">more than </span><span data-contrast="auto">135 tea gardens in the agricultural town. Spread across a profuse green landscape, Jorhat is the major hub for not only tea but a number of experienced craftsmen </span><span data-contrast="auto">whose</span><span data-contrast="auto"> art has taken generations to perfect. The city is not just a major resource for the country, it has become a powerhouse as one of the oldest and most influential centres of commerce and trade in Assam. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Built around two major markets, </span><span data-contrast="auto">Chowkihat</span><span data-contrast="auto"> and </span><span data-contrast="auto">Macharhat</span><span data-contrast="auto">, Jorhat was the capital of the Ahom </span><span data-contrast="auto">kingdom</span><span data-contrast="auto"> – a tai</span><span data-contrast="auto">-</span><span data-contrast="auto">speaking province which migrated from China around the 1</span><span data-contrast="auto">st</span><span data-contrast="auto"> century CE. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The modern-day district of Jorhat was created in 1983 when it was split from </span><span data-contrast="auto">Sibsagar</span><span data-contrast="auto"> district</span><span data-contrast="auto">. It has since </span><span data-contrast="auto">developed a distinctive mark of its own that has become a beloved fixture of the city almost 40 years later. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Just 140km away from Jorhat is the quaint but bustling </span><span data-contrast="auto">city</span><span data-contrast="auto"> of </span><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/jorhat/dibrugarh.html"><span data-contrast="none">Dibrugarh</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> that will touch the spiritual and cultural itch of every traveller. Filled with opportunities to explore breathtaking rainforests, </span><span data-contrast="auto">w</span><span data-contrast="auto">ildlife sanctuaries and temples</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> it</span><span data-contrast="auto">’</span><span data-contrast="auto">s no wonder </span><span data-contrast="auto">adventurers </span><span data-contrast="auto">have flocked to this popular travel destination for decades upon decades. </span><span data-contrast="auto">Renowned as the “Tea City of India”</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> the major city has become a booming enterprise for its tea, oil and tourism. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The city’s most popular temple is the </span><a href="https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/destinations/agartala/jagannath-temple.html"><span data-contrast="none">Jagannath Temple</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, which is a replica of the famous temple of </span><span data-contrast="auto">Jagannath</span><span data-contrast="auto"> in </span><span data-contrast="auto">Puri</span><span data-contrast="auto">. The mesmerising dagoba took over three generations to assemble and interestingly enough is reported to have no shadow at all – at any time of the day from any direction possible. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">A marvel to behold, the architectural genius has been interpreted by holy devotees and visitors as Lord Jagannath’s message to humanity. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Now travelling to </span><a href="http://www.incredibleindia.org/"><span data-contrast="none">India</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> is a definite no-brainer. Come experience the lush greenery, kindness of locals and immersive culture for yourself. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p> <p><em>This article was written in partnership with India Tourism.  </em></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>

International Travel

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A spiritual oasis in the outback

<p>Setting out early, fully caffeinated in anticipation of the quiet and empty road before us, we skirt around the suburbs of Perth, get on the Great Northern Highway and leave the city behind.</p> <p>Bush land and small farms line the road, punctuated with the occasional turnoff to some isolated town. There is little to look at except the trucks trundling down to Perth, yet it's essential to remain attentive, keeping an eye out for kangaroos who are famous for jumping onto the road at the wrong moment.</p> <p>You can find some incredible things in the outback of Western Australia, and after about two hours of driving we come upon one: a Benedictine monastery. This is New Norcia, founded more than a century and a half ago as a mission and now one of the state's most unlikely tourist destinations.</p> <p>I grew up about 100 kilometres away, which, for this part of the world, means "nearby". Yet I have never actually visited. I'm back home for the summer and have my foreign boyfriend in tow, so it seems like the perfect time to play tourist.</p> <p>Rounding the final bend, with only one small sign to indicate we are almost there, we shoot straight through the town of New Norcia and out the other side. It takes only a couple of seconds.</p> <p>"Whoops, I guess that was it," I say, putting the car into reverse and pulling a U-turn.</p> <p>After finding a shady place to park, we stretch our stiff limbs and look around. The Moore River, its presence made visible by the belt of trees that follows it, curves away to the east. The enormous freight trucks we call "road trains" occasionally rumble along the highway, sending white cockatoos screeching to the safety of tall gum trees. Just beyond the town limits, old-fashioned plowing equipment silently rusts away with only a fly or two for audience. And proudly, weirdly, a collection of buildings in Spanish Colonial style, looking as though they have been transplanted from Mexico, rise up from the red dusty ground.</p> <p><strong>Salvado’s Vision</strong></p> <p>To Dom Rosendo Salvado, the Spanish Benedictine monk who arrived in these parts in 1846, this landscape must have looked like an extraordinary, alien world. After walking for several days with a handful of companions, carrying only what they and a team of bullocks could manage, Salvado came to this area because it was home to a large community of Aboriginals, whom he planned to convert. He named his monastery after the Italian town of Norcia, birthplace of St Benedict.</p> <p>Salvado died in 1900, but his vision continued, and the monastery operated several schools through much of the 20th century. The number of monks peaked in the late 19th century at 70 men; today New Norcia is home to just nine monks who are assisted by employees from nearby towns in managing the buildings and tourist facilities.</p> <p>Despite its remoteness, New Norcia is never short of visitors, especially on weekends. Those who seek it out are a varied bunch: motorcycle clubs enjoying the winding roads; corporate groups and schoolchildren staying in the former school dormitories; those seeking spiritual guidance from the monks; curious day-trippers like ourselves.</p> <p>Casual visitors are unlikely to run into the monks, who tend to keep to the monastery compound, but you can arrange to meet and share meals with them or take part in the daily chapel services. My boyfriend and I have set up a meeting with Father David Barry, a soft-spoken scholar who worked as a bricklayer and as a jackeroo - a cattle station worker - before joining the monastery in 1955.</p> <p>Dressed in pristine white robes that match his short hair and beard, Father David appears at once incongruous and utterly at home. Our conversation ranges from the practicalities of joining a monastery to a discussion about the birth of the Benedictine order to what life is like for him here.</p> <p>"It's above all a life of prayer," he says. "But you can't live a life only of prayer." He throws in a dry joke about a now extinct order of monks who believed all they had to do in life was pray, and mostly went to bed hungry. "If you want to eat, you have to work."</p> <p>Most Benedictine monasteries strive to be self-sufficient, and, despite their small number, the monks here have done a good job of commercialising their resources. Artisan bread, olive oil and wine containing ingredients grown on the town's land are all sold under the name New Norcia, although much of the production is now done off-site by third parties.</p> <p>Father David has devoted much of the past 15 years to research in the town's extensive archives, a treasure trove for historians and even more for the Aboriginal community. Under various government decrees, between the late 1800s and 1970s, thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were forcibly removed from their parents and raised in government or church-run institutions. As a result, many Aboriginal families know little about their ancestry. From the beginning of New Norcia's history, Salvado kept meticulous records including birth, death and marriage registers, which have helped Aboriginal people from the region piece together their histories.</p> <p>After our chat, the three of us walk along the dusty gravel road that hugs the side of the monastery, trying to stay under the shade of the cape lilac trees. Behind a gated entrance, the monastery is a kind of oasis, with native plants adding a splash of colour to the high, white walls. Father David stops, pointing out the glorious yellow of a cassia fistula, or golden shower plant. Native to the Indian subcontinent, it is a long way from home yet thrives in the tough Australian soil. A statue of Saint Benedict watches over us from the front of the monastery, and I try to imagine what he would have thought of New Norcia, rooted in a far-flung corner of a land he never even knew existed.</p> <p><strong>Careful conversation</strong></p> <p>We meet Father David again for lunch time at the refectory. As the only guests, we are invited to take the first servings from the buffet trolley. Plates are passed, red wine is poured and we all get chatting. Mentioning our home, Paris, provokes a lively discussion, and it dawns on me that several of the men around the table came to New Norcia after living varied "ordinary" lives.</p> <p>I'm fascinated by the tidbits of information I glean about them, but I police my questions because I've noticed something interesting about the way these men talk. The Benedictine order discourages idle chitchat, so even though conversation is open and friendly, every question is carefully posed, and responses are weighed.</p> <p>Indeed, we are lucky to be having conversation at all. If we had been visiting at any other time of the year, the meal would have been conducted in silence, broken only by the voice of the designated reader who recites from a work of non-fiction and takes his meal later. But this was the Christmas holiday break, with about half of the monastery residents away on vacation, so prayer schedules and duties are light and rules are relaxed.</p> <p>After lunch, we leave the calm monastery, crossing the highway that divides the town in two, and join the afternoon walking tour in the visitor's centre.</p> <p>Brushing away flies and taking great swigs from bottles of water, our small group of mostly "grey nomads" - retired Australians living out of camper vans - crisscrosses the town. Moving from site to site, we take in its history, observing the one remaining mission cottage, the chapel, the now empty Saint Gertrude's girls' college and Saint Ildephonsus boys' college - once thriving boarding schools for white Australian children - and the outside of the monastery itself.</p> <p>We take our way through the large Education Centre, a space used to host cultural workshops and outdoor activities for the visiting groups. I spot a pile of tools and branches stacked neatly on a small grassy field and learn that they are used to teach school groups how to build a traditional bush shelter. As we move inside, I'm impressed by the extensive and fascinating exhibition about the history of New Norcia and its relationship to the local Yuat people.</p> <p>The displays include local food, examples of tools and clothing, and are interspersed with extracts of Dom Salvado's diary and notes, written as he became more and more knowledgeable of their culture. He eventually became fluent in the language and customs of the Yuat, and he produced the only known dictionary of their language. Because last year marked the 200th anniversary of his birth, the character of Dom Salvado looms large over the town, and we seem to be catching the tail end of a number of events and exhibitions designed to commemorate it.</p> <p>At the end of the visit, I browse through the small gift shop and pick up the English translation of Salvado's memoirs, which will occupy me for weeks to come. Written in a spare yet engaging way, it is an adventure story told at a cracking pace, describing a Western Australia that is both familiar and foreign: a beautiful yet treacherous landscape untouched by Europeans and full of mystery.</p> <p><strong>Last stop</strong></p> <p>Before leaving town, we stop in the only building we hadn't visited yet: the New Norcia Hotel. Built in 1927 to accommodate the visiting parents of the boarding school students, it is grand and welcoming, with polished handrails and a wide, shady veranda, a relic of a bygone era. In the corner, a group of dusty characters recover from a hot day's work outside, and I'm pleased to see the Western Australian-made Swan Draught beer on tap. We order pints.</p> <p>There's a sign advertising wood-fired pizza, but that will have to wait until the next visit. We still have a long drive ahead of us, and I don't want to be out on the quiet roads at dusk when those kangaroos are even harder to spot.</p> <p>As we drive away, I catch a glimpse of an intriguing sign indicating a restricted access road. I slow down and peer at it as we pass. It's the turnoff for the New Norcia Station, a deep-space antenna with a 114-foot dish, built by the European Space Agency in 2003 to communicate with satellites.</p> <p>It's incredible, the things you can find in the Australian outback.</p> <p><em>Written by Anna Hartley. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/landing-plane-on-bhutan-paro-airport-runway/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The world’s most difficult runway to land</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/lifetime-ban-british-airways-flight-for-getting-up/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Woman gets banned from airline for life for getting up too often on flight</em></span></strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/03/singapore-airlines-new-plane-end-jetlag/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">This new plane could be the end of jetlag</span></em></strong></a></p>

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