The Breakaways, Coober Pedy

The Breakaways are a series of flat-topped mesas and eroded hills rising sharply from the gibber plains about 33km north of Coober Pedy. The colours shift dramatically at sunrise and sunset — deep red, bone white, muted yellow — and the silence out here is absolute. This is outback South Australia at its most raw. The area featured as a filming location for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which should tell you something about the vibe.

Access is via a well-maintained dirt road from Coober Pedy. A conservation reserve pass is required and can be purchased at the Coober Pedy visitor centre. Most vehicles handle the road fine in dry conditions but check locally after rain — the pale clay surface becomes impassable when wet. Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light and to avoid the midday heat.

Mars-red mesas in outback South Australia.