Southern Cross, Australia

Capital City

With a population of just 523, Southern Cross is a sleepy outpost in the middle of the Australian desert, far removed from the comforts of city life. The town was founded in 1888 after a gold rush, and today its economy still depends on wheat and cereal crops. While the railway has connected Southern Cross to the coast, the climate remains brutally hot and dry. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as evidenced by the town's convoluted railway history of line openings, closures, and authorizations. This remote, provincial town is best suited for those seeking an off-the-grid, agricultural lifestyle - anyone else may find Southern Cross a bleak and isolated place to call home.