Air Adventure Australia

Flyaway Faraway Kimberley Style - 14 days

Day One: Essendon, Melbourne - Muloorina - Alice Springs

Depart Melbourne at 0800 bound for the outback and beyond... Touch down outback-style at Muloorina Station in South Australia located close by Lake Eyre, all AAA guests are greeted as new friends for a barbeque lunch and an opportunity to meet and chat with the owners of Muloorina Station. Following lunch guests depart for Alice Springs. Time to rest; accommodation is at the Novotel Outback Alice Springs or similar.

Day Two: Alice Springs

After breakfast AAA guests set off on a tour of the Royal Flying Doctor Service base and Standley Chasm before lunch, then after a short scenic drive guests will discover just how alive the Red Centre really is with a visit to the Desert Park. Desert Park is home to an array of Australian reptiles and mammals which thrive in the arid environment of the Red Centre. Amongst many highlights of this visit is the free flying raptor display. Time to rest; accommodation is at Novotel Outback Alice Springs or similar.

Day Three: Alice Springs - Tindal - Point Stuart

Departing Alice Springs tracking north, AAA pilots fly you within Arnhem Land over-flying the majestic Twin Falls. Destination is Wildman River for overnight accommodation at Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge. Rod Dyer and his team of AAA Tour Leaders recently decided to access this region for its unbounded beauty and isolation offering all the wildlife and wetlands of the popular Kakadu National Park with far less holiday frenzy. With the right tide, an afternoon of barramundi fishing is arranged for all who wish to participate. It's mostly fun really as the challenge is set and the chef is on stand-by to prepare your own gourmet barramundi delight. Time to rest; accommodation tonight is at Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge.

Day Four: Point Stuart

Today, as a privileged few, AAA guests will experience some special parts of Point Stuart cruising the Mary River Wetlands abundant with large wader birdlife and man's least best friend in the Australian north, the saltwater crocodile. Explore one of the few natural vine thickets within the lush tropical rainforest areas in the Top End, spot slightly friendlier freshwater crocodiles in the spring amidst the ancient banyan trees. Time to rest, in dreamtime; accommodation is at Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge.

Day Five: Point Stuart - Bathurst Island - Darwin

Leaving Point Stuart after breakfast AAA pilots fly guests onto Bathurst Island where you are met by your Tiwi guide. Traditional owners welcome and escort guests throughout this fascinating island before departing for lunch in Darwin. Darwin city: take an afternoon tour of this thriving garden city that is now becoming an important port with the advent of the new rail link. Visit picturesque Cullen Bay, The Esplanade and the State Darwin Museum. Time to rest; accommodation is at the Novotel Atrium or similar.

Day Six: Darwin - Faraway Bay

Airborne after an early start, AAA pilots depart Darwin crossing the Territory's border into Western Australia. This particular scenic flight is incredibly dramatic and very exciting; all guests immediately receive a sense of the extreme isolation that lies in the red ochre escarpments and colourful shellscattered beaches below. One of the friendly Faraway Bay staff awaits your arrival at the airstrip before an inimitable 4WD transfer. The Bush Camp oasis has direct access to the beach, nearby freshwater pools and trails. After settling in, one of the options available includes a rewarding trek up to some of the famed Bradshaw rock art sites; these signs of indigenous day to day life. Using the technology of thermoluminescence, the paintings have been dated at over 16000 years old. The abundance of wild life in the area is glorious and your Faraway Bay guide will inform you of the area's ecology as well as traditional foods and bush tucker. Prior to dinner, your afternoon allows time to relax into the pool, a favourite novel or a read of the controversial book by researcher Graham Walsh written specifically about the Bradshaw art. Time to rest; accommodation is at the Bush Camp at Faraway Bay.

Day Seven: Faraway Bay

A peaceful morning by the bay, following breakfast you are welcomed aboard Faraway Bay's own Diamond Lass for a private cruise along the stunning Kimberley coastline to the King George River. From this vantage point marvel at how the river abruptly ends forming an 80m twin waterfall, shower under the gentle dry season flow and enjoy lunch shaded by the towering escarpment. The cruise home involves dangling a line, often resulting in the freshest Spanish mackerel or queen fish for dinner! Another afternoon at your private Kimberley retreat, a regular comment from past AAA guests 'I have never been so relaxed in all my life'. Enjoy Faraway Bay, its beauty and its friendly and attentive hospitality for one more night. Accommodation is at the Bush Camp at Faraway Bay.

Day Eight: Faraway Bay - Kununurra - Bungle Bungles - Home Valley Station

After breakfast your flight tracks easterly across the massive estuarine waters to the rich agricultural and tourism town of Kununurra. On arrival guests are met at the airport and taken on tour of the Ord Valley led by an expert local guide. Following lunch AAA guests continue their air safari of the Kimberley country with a low-level scenic flight over the Bungle Bungle Range. From the air you really can appreciate just how remarkable these striped domes really are. Touching down at Home Valley Station you are welcomed and checked in to their rooms to refresh before being driven down to the private Home Valley lookout by the Pentecost River. As the stars take their place in the sky dinner is served in the Dusty Bar. Time to rest by the tranquil Bindoola Creek; accommodation in Home Valley's Grass Castles or similar.

Day Nine: Home Valley Station - Pentecost River - Cockburn Range

Everything about your Grass Castle accommodation makes for a pleasant awakening. Today a million acres of Kimberley wilderness is yours to explore, with the assistance, care and expertise of your local Aboriginal guides. Activities on Home Valley are many and varied; walking trails, swimming at the croc-free Bindoola Falls, canoeing in the homestead billabong, fishing for Barramundi or visiting the Kimberley version of Bondi Beach where Osprey are on patrol. As well as a great place to visit, Home Valley is also an operational cattle station. Depending on the station schedule station managers Nick and Sarah Bradley often invite AAA guests to come along for the ride and see how they earn their living. Sunsets are a real event in this part of the World, with a cool drink in hand bear witness to the dramatic colour changes of the landscape as the sun rapidly sinks below the horizon. Time to rest; accommodation is at Home Valley's Grass Castles or similar.

Day Ten: Home Valley Station - Prince Regent River - Broome

Departing Home Valley Station your AAA pilot tracks west above the arduous Gibb River Road and over Rod Dyer's former property Ellenbrae Station. AAA guests are informed of the colourful history behind Rod Dyer's pursuits in the unrelenting Kimberley outback.

Yet another breathtaking scenic moment awaits as guests soar over the awesome Prince Regent River, Walcott Inlett, Kings Cascades and and Kimberley coastal fjords prior to arriving into Broome. AAA guests will be transported to the stylish Cable Beach Club Resort. Afternoon activities are varied between the pristine Cable Beach right on your doorstep and beautiful private grounds and gallery of Cable Beach Club Resort, displaying their collection of Sidney Nolan works. Accommodation is at Cable Beach Club Resort or similar.

Day Eleven: Broome

Broome is not your typical Australian outback town being very cosmopolitan in character. Today guests tour the town's many points of interest on board private transport. The long Broome jetty is a great spot to land a big fish and Chinatown comprises some very quaint buildings, as attractive today as they were when built. Broome truly offers all guests a very pretty town experience, with lots to do. Diamonds, pearls and crafted pieces can be purchased from places like Linneys. This evening we will take you to join in an AAA tradition. Watch the sun sink into the sea whilst sipping on champagne and, if the moon is full, watch the staircase gently appear before you, simply perfect. Another night at Cable Beach Club Resort or similar.

Day Twelve: Broome - Yulara (Ayers Rock)

After breakfast AAA guests depart skyward from Broome's colourful waters tracking south east to Australia's Red Centre. From Broome the first sector is a short flight to the Kimberley town of Halls Creek, enjoy a lunch onboard as you view Wolfe Creek meteor crater, arriving at Yulara in time to view sunset over the Rock. Dinner and wine served in style, relax within the resort's marvellous facilities before retiring to your luxurious suite. Time to rest, accommodation is at Voyages Desert Gardens or similar.

Day Thirteen: Yulara - Uluru - Kata Tjuta - Coober Pedy

After a gentle start to the day guests make a circumnavigation of Ayers Rock by private vehicle. This tour includes the mysterious Olgas range. Return for lunch and an opportunity to visit the well-appointed interpretive centre 'Ininti'. Depart the Red Centre for big opal country, soaring over the Musgrave Ranges to Coober Pedy. AAA pilots approach Coober Pedy at an altitude creating the sensation of flying over the face of the moon. This effect is in fact due to the countless mine shafts below. AAA guests dine together celebrating their adventure and farewell new friends at a reserved dinner at the underground Desert Cave Motel.

Day Fourteen: Coober Pedy - Essendon, Melbourne

Today's time in this incredible mining town allows AAA guests to be taken on a guided tour of the opal fields - learn how to use a diving rod, visit an underground house and an underground church, inspect a working mine and see how opals are cut and polished. Opportunities to spoil someone are pleasingly at 'mineshaft' prices. AAA guests' flight-leg homeward tracks over the spectacular Flinders Ranges before refuelling in Mildura then continuing on to Melbourne, touching down at 1730.

AAA Welcome Home Gift

On behalf of all at Rod Dyer's Air Adventure Australia we would like to say welcome home and thank you. Please accept a complimentary collection of images of your adventure. Also, for those guests receiving AAA Club membership an exclusively designed and AAA branded authentic Akubra hat. We look forward to seeing you again on yet another Australian Adventure or Global Expedition itinerary, or start planning the design of your own Tailored Experience.

Wishing all of our AAA guests very happy travels and regards from all at AAA. See you again soon!

...Check departure dates and prices for this tour.

top