Sundowner: Spring/Summer 2019

acacia trees and you’ll no doubt see emu or a family of red kangaroo.
Go for a bush walk Crocodile Dundee-style or join a field guide in the
evening to track nocturnal creatures. Guests also have the opportunity to
camp out under the shooting stars.
Highlights include a private flight over the Wilpena Pound, where you
can take in the mighty scope of its natural amphitheatre, and trips to the
scenic Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorges. Sip on sundowners on the top of
a mountain ridge and return to your Outback lodge to dine on delicious
bush tucker.
PATAGONIA
CHILE
There’s no internet or a bar of phone signal here – just Patagonia’s
reverberating wilderness. It takes a boat ride and an hour’s drive on a dirt
road to get to Estancia Mercedes, a family ranch offering a true dose of
gaucho life. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda said, “he who does not know the
Chilean forests, does not know the planet”, and staying here among the
mountains, fjords, sea, and pines, that quote could not resonate more.
Expect authenticity – helping to lasso cattle and searching for herds
in the mountains. You can also enjoy outdoor pastimes, galloping on
horseback along ancestral trails or seeking out waterfalls for a quiet dip.
Or hike through native forest to the Cerro Mirador lookout point where
you can see ever-blue views of the Almirante Montt Gulf.
The main highlight, though, is joining the gauchos for the day,
rounding up cattle in the countryside. This is far from the tourist set up.
Head out into the wild, eyes peeled for roaming herds, and drive them
back to the corral with the help of steely dogs. After a hard day’s work,
share stories around the fire with your new cowboy family while tucking
into flamed steak and local wine.
At one of these ranches, wild-west fans can learn the ropes under
expert tutelage, riding Western style, practising horsemanship as well as
rope and wrangling techniques. Swing a lasso like a pro and master the
art of shoeing, then show off your skills at the gymkhana, jumping fences
and cantering around barrels – guaranteed family fun. Highlights include
cattle roundups and children’s camp specials that will have your Sundance
Kids reading animal body language and driving mini horse-carts. You’ll
also have the opportunity to ride out into the wide open spaces of the
prairie and camp out if you’re feeling more adventurous.
After days of working cattle, retreat to Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort
& Spa. Guests come here to lap up this desert oasis with waterways,
gondolas, and every bell and whistle – the flowering cacti and expansive
swimming pools are the perfect antidote to ranch work. You can knead
out any muscle ache in the spa.
CONTACT ABERCROMBIE & KENT
For more information, or to book your authentic cowboy experience,
call our travel specialists on 01242 547 760.
ARKABA
SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA
Australia’s Wild, Wild West can be explored from Arkaba, a former
sheep-station-turned stylish homestead set among 24,000 hectares of
private conservancy. On the edge of the eye-catching Flinders Ranges,
the landscape is a natural playground for adventurers, or anyone looking
to reconnect with nature. Drink in amber-coloured mountains and
golden plains, so expansive you could spend days exploring the
500 million-year-old red rock, fossils, and Aboriginal artwork.
While you can’t herd livestock any more at Arkaba, the removal of
sheep means that wildlife here gathers en masse, including the rare
yellow-footed wallaby and elusive quoll. Walk out among the creeks and
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