Tour Dates & Route Map

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26 May - 8 June 2011
17 August - 30 August 2011

Additional tour due to demand:
1 August - 14 August 2011

a UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

An outback tour using small aircraft and experienced pilots, and ventures into areas difficult to reach by other means. You will meet the local identities and stay overnight in accommodation that portrays the character of the area. This tour is conducted by Stawell Aviation Services who have an intimate knowledge of the outback and its history.

DAY 1-STAWELL TO NOCCUNDRA

We depart Stawell and track north over the Wimmera grain growing areas, passing Lake Tyrrel near Sea Lake and cross the Murray River at Mildura, where we stop for a short coffee break and top up of fuel. From Mildura we track north over the Darling River flood plain, the Menindee Lakes, for a lunch and fuel stop at the opal mining town of White Cliffs. Here there may be an optional short tour around the opal fields for a $10 donation to the local State Emergency Service.

Following lunch we track north crossing the flood plains of the Paroo and Bulloo Rivers and cross the famous "Dog Fence" on the Queensland border just east of the "Adelaide Gate". We then commence our journey across the Channel Country of the Cooper Creek, Thomson, Barcoo and Diamantina Rivers. All of these rivers run inland to Lake Eyre and we will see the other end of these systems when we overfly the Warburton Groove at the northern end of Lake Eyre on Day 12 of this tour. We land at Noccundra Hotel on the banks of the Wilson River, our home for the night. The hotel is a rare surviving late 19th century hotel, the only inhabited building in the town which is contained within the Nocatunga Pastoral Lease. This is a very remote and unique Outback Pub which provides comfortable accommodation and great home cooked meals.

DAY 2-NOCCUNDRA TO LONGREACH

After breakfast at Noccundra we depart for Windorah. Our track takes us over some very remote cattle stations and we cross the channel country of the Cooper Creek before landing.

After refueling we depart for Longreach, crossing the junction of the Thomson and the Barcoo Rivers. This is the only place in the world where a "river" becomes a "creek", as the Thomson and Barcoo Rivers join to become the Cooper Creek. We arrive in Longreach in time for lunch at the Stockman's Hall of Fame. The remainder of the day is yours to spend as you wish, maybe tour the Stockmans Hall of Fame or the nearby QANTAS museum, with our overnight accommodation being the nearby Jumbuck Motel.

DAY 3-longreach to burketown

The cold winter of Victoria has well and truly been left behind; the days are warm and sunny with clear sky making for smooth flying conditions. After breakfast we will have around 2 hours to complete your visit to the Stockmans Hall of Fame or QANTAS museum before departing to fly north west over Queensland's black soil country. 

We overfly Winton and the Combo Waterhole, where the swagman in waltzing Matilda drowned. We then track to the Burke and Wills Roadhouse for lunch. A short afternoon's flight will have you arriving in Burketown.

This evening's dinner will have you choosing between freshly caught Barramundi or Gulf Country Beef at the Burketown Pub. Subject to the availability of local transport we may take a short tour around the Burketown area, visit the old boiling down works, the Albert River and the oldest running Artesian bore in northern Queensland over a hundred years old.

DAY 4-BURKETOWN TO MATARANKA

After a hearty breakfast at the Burketown Pub, we depart and track to the coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria where, from a height of 500 feet, the amazingly varied marine life is clearly visible in the crystal clear waters. We follow this coastline with magnificent scenery for 140nm (260km) before turning inland to fly over southern Arnhemland passing many remote aboriginal communities and over rugged, rocky and inaccessible country to Mataranka.

Mataranka Homestead Resort is situated on the banks of the Roper River, where a swim in the Hot Thermal springs and a visit to the Elsey Homestead of "We of the Never Never" fame is available. Relax in the tropical setting with dinner served in the Bistro and enjoy the outdoor evening's entertainment, before retiring to our motel room accommodation.

DAY 5-MATARANKA TO KUNUNURRA

We breakfast at Jeanie's Kitchen, and then we are airborne to Tindal RAAF Base for fuel. If we are lucky we will witness the fighter jets departing for their gunnery training runs. This is an ear splitting experience as up to 16 jets depart in pairs for their morning exercises.

Leaving Tindal we track via the Katherine Gorge, and over fly the Kakadu National Park and Yellow Waters Lagoon for a landing at Cooinda. We then join a cruise of Yellow Waters Lagoon and will see the crocodiles, bird life and vegetation of this amazing area.

Following lunch we leave for Kununurra on the Ord River. Enroute we cross the Daly River and the majestic Victoria River near Bulloo River Station. Upon arrival we transfer to our home for the next three nights, the very spacious Lakeview Apartments. Tonight we enjoy local pizza relaxing by the pool.

DAY 6-KUNUNURRA

Today you will take the longest daily river cruise in Australia with award winning Triple J Tours traveling 55km on the Ord River through the Carlton Gorge with magnificent scenery and prolific bird life, stopping for a cuppa and refreshments mid way. These tours are conducted on boats equipped with 600 hp motors and can travel quite fast on the open stretches of river.

Lunch today will be at the Argyle Inn, and a local fish caught in Lake Argyle, the magnificent Silver Cobbler, will be on the menu. The return journey to Kununurra is a trip of 70 km in our hired bus and offers wonderful views of the spectacular scenery in this area.

Lake Arygyle was constructed not only to provide water to irrigate the fertile Ord River flood plain, but to control the massive wet season floods which had previously prevented any farming operations in this area. The lake has a normal supply capacity of nine times that of Sydney Harbour, however in order to hold back the massive wet season floods the dam has the capacity to contain up to seven times more than the full supply level. The big wet season floods are then discharged through a narrow spillway which regulates the flow and can take many months for the dam to fall to its normal full level. This prevents flooding of the fertile irrigation areas and has allowed the extensive irrigation farming you see around Kununurra today.

DAY 7-KUNUNURRA

This morning we depart early for a flight via the Ord River to the Spillway, the Dam Wall and then over Lake Argyle to complete a scenic flight around the famous Bungle Bungles in the Purnululu National Park. These striped bee hive shaped sandstone domes, first seen by white men in the 1980s rise 300m from the surrounding landscape. On the return flight we overfly the Argyle Diamond Mine and track via the western shoreline of Lake Argyle and overhead the Carr Boyd Ranges back to Kununurra.

After morning tea at the Zebra Rock Art Gallery we commence a tour of the irrigation farming areas, visiting the Melon Farm, Banana Farm, see the amazing variety of crops that are produced in the area, including extensive areas of sandalwood, chickpeas, mangos and melons of all descriptions. We visit the hoochery which is the only licensed distillery in Western Australia producing a variety of cane spirits and rum from local cane. (their rum cake is also excellent!) Dinner tonight will be a bbq at our apartments.

DAY 8-KUNUNURRA TO BROOME

We depart Kununurra this morning tracking west across the vast Kimberley, crossing the Pentecost River passing El Questro Homestead, following the route of the Gibb River Cattle Road, to Drysdale River Station for a morning tea stop.

We then fly on until we reach the rugged terrain of the Princess Mary Ranges. As there are no roads to this area the only way it can be seen is from the air. We then fly the 100 km down the Prince Regent Gorge. The Gorge at its beginning is a narrow steep sided ravine 150 m deep. As we proceed down the Gorge we fly past the Kings Cascades waterfalls and as the Gorge widens we are able to in good weather descend down to 500' and fly on to St George Basin. If we are lucky with the tides crocodiles are clearly visible once we reach the tidal waters.

We then turn south west following the northern Kimberley coastline, then via Walcott inlet. On this leg we pass the salt flats where Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith made his ill fated emergency landing in 1929. This was known as the Coffee Royal Affair. From Walcott Inlet we track for the Horizontal Waterfalls, and on to Broome. Here we pick up our hire cars and drive to our accommodation for the next two nights, the secluded Habitat Resort. Dinner tonight is a Chinese banquet at home at the resort.

DAY 9-BROOME

Today is a free day for you to explore Broome as you wish, maybe visit Cable Beach, the local Port Facilities, join a fishing charter, play a round of golf at the club adjacent to the Resort, visit the Willie Creek Pearl Farm, Chinatown, local crafts, Pearl Diving Museum, or shop for pearls! You may like to take in the sunset view from Cable Beach before meeting up again for dinner at the Resort, tonight a selection of local seafood.

DAY 10-BROOME TO HALLS CREEK

Spend this morning in Broome, departing shortly after lunch, tracking across the lower end of the Kimberley via Fitzroy Crossing and Geikie Gorge, passing Brooking Springs and Fossil Downs cattle stations, one of the largest in Australia, over 1,000,000 acres. We then cross the rugged King Leopold Ranges overflying the headwaters of the massive Fitzroy River which has a catchment area of 117,000 sq kilometers and in a big wet season can flow at the rate of 29,000 cu metres per second. We then descend for a landing at the old gold mining town of Halls Creek. We overnight tonight at the Kimberley Motel near the airport.

DAY 11-HALLS CREEK TO ALICE SPRINGS

After an early breakfast this morning we depart for our crossing of the Tanami Desert. This flight will take us past the 300,000 year old wonder, the Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater.

We then track directly to the Tillmouth Well Roadhouse on the Tanami Track where we land for lunch and a comfort stop and if we have had any headwinds the aeroplanes will also need a drink! On this leg we will cross a variety of desert country varying from grey green bush country to vast expanses of red sandhills, where fires resulting from lightning strikes have burned out many many thousands of hectares which take years to recover. Very little habitation will be seen on this leg. We pass a little to the west of the Rabbit Flat Roadhouse and overfly Tanami Station. In the last few years a number of gold mines have opened up across this desert and there are many signs of exploration in this area.

After lunch we depart for the 45 minute flight into Alice Springs where we collect our bus at the airport, and travel to our accommodation. This evening we will meet for “Happy Hour” at Bojangles Saloon before dinner and overnight at the Elkira Motel.

DAY 12-ALICE SPRINGS

Today is a free day in Alice Springs. Time to visit the old telegraph station or the Australian Road Transport Museum. This is a wonderful collection of road transport through the ages from the very early solid tyre trucks, to the latest in road transport, including the first road train developed by Kurt Johannsen and a huge display of transport memorabilia.

The Aviation Museum at the now disused Connellan Airport is also well worth a visit. You may also choose to wander around the shops in the Todd Mall. We overnight again at the Elkira Motel in central Alice Springs.

DAY 13-Alice Springs to Broken Hill

This morning we depart Alice Springs and track south east down the west side of the Simpson Desert over the ancient flood plain of the Finke River, over flying the Dalhousie Springs area and part of the Painted Desert, crossing the Macumba River and on to William Creek for a lunch stop at the hotel. William Creek was a station on the old Ghan Railway line and is situated on Anna Creek Cattle Station, the largest cattle station in the world.

After lunch we track east over Lake Eyre passing Dulhunty and Silcrete Islands where pelicans sometimes breed, across Eric Island to the Cooper Creek. We then follow the Cooper to the Birdsville Track where the punt operates when the Cooper is in flood and cuts the Birdsville Track.

Our track then takes us to Broken Hill, passing Lake Gregory, Blanche, Callabonna, and Frome. We cross the Strezlecki Track and the northern South Australian sheep station country, over the Dog Fence and across the Barrier Ranges for our overnight stop in Broken Hill.

DAY 14-Broken Hill to Stawell

This morning is a free morning in Broken Hill with time to wander around the historic town before our departure to Stawell. You may wish to visit the Silver City Mint and view the “Big Picture” which is a very large 360 degree painting of various sights around the Broken Hill Region.

After lunch we track south near the Silver City Highway passing the many lakes of the Anabranch system, crossing the Darling River and on across the Sunset Country, the Mallee and eastern end of the Big Desert before travelling over the Wimmera wheat growing areas on our return to Stawell.