Tour Dates & Route Map

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4 July - 16 July 2011

 

 

DAY 1-STAWELL to COMEROO STATION 

Hopefully we will have fine clear weather for our departure across northern Victoria where the crop sowing season will be in full swing. This paints a picture of beautiful bright greens and browns which can only be appreciated from the air.

Our first stop today is for fuel and a cuppa at Swan Hill airport. We then depart Swan Hill, crossing the Murray River and track north east over the station country of southern New South Wales, crossing the Murrumbidgee River and passing west of Cobar. On this leg we usually see lots of goats before we descend across the flood plain of the Darling River for a landing at Bourke. Another fuel stop for the aircraft and lunch stop for us where we will eat our packed lunch from the throw away bag.

We then fly north west across the Warrego River on a short leg of 64 nautical miles to our overnight stop at Comeroo Camel Station. Comeroo is a working cattle station which also breeds and runs camels. Pick up from the airport is sometimes via a camel powered carriage. Bruce and Chris Sharpe are wonderful hosts and have an amazing collection of traps of all shapes and sizes, including huge man traps, dingo and rabbit traps from all over the world. A trip for a swim in the thermal spa 15km away may be arranged weather permitting.

DAY 2-COMEROO STATION to WINTON

After breakfast at Comeroo we depart for our fuel and early lunch stop at the Western Star Hotel at Windorah, arriving mid morning. Our track to Windorah takes us across the dog fence on the Queensland border, the floodplain of the Paroo River, the station country around Thargomindah. After passing overhead the Grey Range we pass many satellite oil fields around Eromanga which is the furthest town from the sea in Australia. Many of the old diesel powered oil pumps can be seen still pumping oil. As we approach Windorah we cross the floodplain of the Cooper Creek which still should be green following summer floods.

After lunch we depart at low level if conditions permit north to the Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways. Here we are picked up from the airstrip by mini bus by the park rangers and taken to the huge Eco Centre which has been built to preserve these ancient dinosaur tracks thought to be 95 million years old. These tracks were discovered in the 1960s by station manager Glen Seymour. Palaeontologists from the Museum and the University of Queensland excavated Lark Quarry during 1976-77. The excavation has uncovered a large flat layer of mudstone containing the dinosaur tracks. The area is about 22 metres by 22 metres in size, and more or less triangular in shape. There are about 3300 separate footprints, and these seem to have been made by about 150 dinosaurs. This is a unique site being the world's only known record of a dinosaur stampede.

After this tour we will leave to fly the 70 nm to Winton for our overnight stop at the North Gregory Hotel. This is the hotel where Waltzing Matilda is said to have been first played to an audience.

DAY 3-WINTON to Adels Grove

Today we spend the morning in Winton. There will be time to visit the Waltzing Matilda Centre which uses modern technology and interactive displays to interpret the song, the history and what it is to be Australian. Self guided tours allow you to view this multi-award winning attraction at your own pace. You can learn about Winton's history in the Qantilda Pioneer Place Museum and visit the Outback Regional Gallery which offers new exhibitions every six to eight weeks, and have a coffee in the Coolibah Café.

After lunch we depart for Adels Grove. Our track will take us over the headwaters of the Diamantina River. When flood rains occur the waters from this system flow inland to Lake Eyre. As we pass over the Range past Kynuna you will notice a change in the systems. We cross the headwaters of the McKinlay, and many other Gulf Country Rivers which flow towards the sea. We will also pass the McKinlay Pub which featured in the film Crocodile Dundee some years ago. Passing just north east of the city of Cloncurry and cross the ranges north of Mt Isa before descending to land at Adels Grove. On descent on our right hand side we will pass the Century Zinc Mine the second largest zinc mine in the world. The product from this mine is pumped as slurry 270 km north east to the coast at Kurumba.

Dinner tonight will be at the Adels Grove Resort with accommodation in their cabins.

DAY 4-Adels grove

Today you will be driven with a packed lunch to the Lawn Hill National Park where you have the day to explore this beautiful area, canoeing, walking, swimming and relaxing in this idyllic setting. You will return to Adels Grove mid afternoon where you will have time to explore the surrounds and take a strole along the shady Lawn Hill Creek, or relax at the bar for drinks before dinner.

DAY 5-ADELS GROVE TO GROOTE EYLANDT

Departing Adels Grove we will track north west across the Gulf Country to the coast to Tully Inlet, then tracking coastal passing Murrenginya Island to the Vanderlin Islands, along this very picturesque coastline and on to Groote Eylandt.

Groote Eylandt is the home of the Anindilyakwa people who now welcome visitors to come and stay and enjoy their culture and are keen to show off their way of life, art and history. We will be transferred by bus the 15km across the island to stay at the new Dugong Beach Resort which has been developed by Groote Eylandt Bikerton Island Enterprises in cooperation with the Anindilyakwa Land Council. Dinner and overnight at the resort.

DAY 6-GROOTE EYLANDT to Daly Waters

Today is a fairly easy flying day. After a relaxed breakfast we will depart late morning to the historic Daly Waters Hotel. Our track will take us passed the community of Numbulwa, crossing the coast near the mouth of the Roper River, across the rugged Arnhemland country south of Ngukurr and Hodgson Downs. We land at the Daly Waters airfield which was the first International Airport in Australia. Early flights to London stopped here for fuel and food and the airfield was also extensively used during the Second World War.

We are transferred to the Daly Waters Pub for a late lunch and plenty of time to view the extensive memorabilia or taste some of the six variety of beers they have on tap. This historic hotel has been the winner of many tourism and hospitality awards over recent years. Dinner tonight is in the Beef and Barra Restaurant.

DAY 7-Daly Waters TO HOME VALLEY STATION

This morning we will depart to the west across the black soil of the Sturt Plains and across the Victoria River Valley north of Victoria River Downs Station. Our track takes us across many of the southern Kimberley Ranges passed Timber Creek, across the Victoria Highway and over the fertile Ord River irrigation area near Kununurra where we land for a fuel stop.

We then depart for the 30 minute flight to Home Valley Station for lunch. In the early 1980’s when cattle production became uneconomical the station moved in to tourism using the old stone station buildings as accommodation. Now new luxury accommodation units have been built, and together with a top class restaurant the facility is one of the best in the Kimberley. The tourist facility is now used as a hospitality training school and employs carefully selected young indigenous people who are trained in all aspects of the industry including waiters and tour guides.

The afternoon today can be spent relaxing by one of the lush tropical swimming pools or partaking in the wide variety of activities and tours available on the station.

DAY 8-HOME VALLEY STATION TO Well 33, Canning Stock Route

This morning we depart south crossing the ruggedly spectacular King Leopold Ranges and the cattle country of the eastern Kimberley to the historic gold mining town of Halls Creek where we take a short stroll to the Kimberley Hotel for a counter lunch in the Sportsmans Bar.

After refueling the aeroplanes we will commence our flight down the Canning Stock Route. The Canning Stock Route stretches 1800km across the sandhills of the Great Sandy, Gibson and Little Sandy Deserts. This stockroute was opened up by Alfred Canning in 1906-07 to provide a route where cattle could be driven from the Kimberley to markets in the south. Canning’s party sank 51 wells to supply water along the route for the cattle. The first of 35 cattle drives took place in 1911 and the last in 1958. Today the Canning is an 1800km unmaintained track across 2000 sandhills popular with 4WD groups. Our track will take us south via the Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater to the beginning of the stock route at Billiluna (now called Mindibungu). We will then follow the stock route for almost 500km passing approximately 20 of these wells to our overnight stop at Well 33. This accommodation is in recently constructed units at the Kunawariji Roadhouse who will supply ingredients for our BBQ dinner. The airstrip is 12km from this accommodation and the owners will provide transportation.

DAY 9-Well 33, Canning Stock Route TO Warburton

Today we will traverse some of the most remote and beautiful areas of Australia. Our track will follow the stock route which is only two wheel tracks in the spinifex passing hundreds of sandhills, numerous wells and many inland lakes such as Lake Auld, the massive Lake Disappointment, a large ephemeral salt lake situated on the Tropic of Capricorn due east of the mining town of Newman, on the north side of the Little Sandy Desert. Discovered by Frank Hann in 1897 when exploring the east Pilbara he noticed creeks in the area flowed inland, and followed them expecting to find a large fresh water lake. To his disappointment the lake turned out to be salt, and that’s how it got its name.

From Lake Disappointment we track to the Harbut and Mackay Ranges and Durba Hills. The Durba Springs is a very popular area with 4WD travellers along the Canning, with its large white gums providing shade, the narrow gorges and welcoming rock pools. The area also has ancient Aboriginal art sites, and engravings of early explorers and drovers.

We follow the Canning Stock Route down as far as well 10 where we turn east and track to Carnegie Station situated at the western end of the Gunbarrel Highway for lunch and a fuel stop. This is an area of very remote cattle stations. After lunch we track to the east and follow the famous Gunbarrel Highway which was constructed by Len Beadell in the late 1950s for 200 km to Eagle Junction where the Gunbarrel crosses the Eagle Highway, then direct to the aboriginal community of Warburton. Len Beadell surveyed and opened up thousands of kilometers of outback tracks to access the firing range of the Woomera Rocket Range. He spent many years often alone surveying these tracks which were constructed by his Gunbarrel Construction Company which consisted of a grader and a bulldozer. (This grader is on display at the Giles Weather Station which we see on our Pilbara Tour) Overnight tonight is at the Warburton Roadhouse.

DAY 10-Warburton to Kings Creek Station

This morning we depart to the east again along the line of the Black Stone Ranges over some very scenic country to Surveyor General’s Corner, the junction of the Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory borders. We then turn north east to overfly Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) before joining the scenic flight pattern around Uluru (Ayers Rock) and for a landing at Ayers Rock Airport for fuel and a quick lunch stop. We then depart for the 60nm flight via a scenic flight over Kings Canyon to land at Kings Creek Station, our home for the next two nights. Accommodation is at their tented motel.

DAY 11-Kings Creek station

Today is a free day to explore Kings Canyon with an optional transfer by bus to the Canyon and return or if you prefer you may make this a rest day and spend a quiet day at Kings Creek Station.

DAY 12-Kings Creek Station to Parachilna

This morning we depart for William Creek. Our track will take us south west of Mt Connor, across the Musgrave Ranges east of Ernabella. After crossing the Stuart Highway and the Great North Railway we will pass over the old dismantled Ghan Railway Line. The bridges and cuttings from this line can still be clearly seen. Our descent will take us past Anna Creek Station homestead. This station is the largest cattle station in the world, not in numbers of cattle but in area.  It is over 5 million acres and also exists in one of the driest areas in the world with summer temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. However we will soon be landing adjacent to the William Creek Pub for our lunch stop. After lunch we will depart, for Parachillna. Initially we follow the old Ghan Train Line and the Oodnadatta Track, and then pass slightly to the east of Lake Torrens, a 150km long salt lake to the Prairie Hotel at Parachillna. The Prairie Hotel boasts excellent accommodation and a very impressive menu of unusual foods.

DAY 13-Parachilna To Stawell

We depart for an early lunch stop at Broken Hill airport. Our track takes us south of Lake Frome, a large dry salt lake, across the northern grazing areas of South Australia to the Barrier Ranges and Broken Hill. On descent we will pass the historic town of Silverton. This is where many films have been made including the Mad Max series and the Mundi Mundi Plains to the west. After lunch and refueling we depart on our last leg which takes us home to Stawell over the dry lakes of the Anabranch system, the Darling River and Murray River at Mildura and on across the Sunset Country, Mallee and Wimmera.