Departing from Parafield Airport out of Adelaide, the flight plan includes Port Augusta- Wilpena Pound- Arkaroola- Innamincka- The Dig Tree- Birdsville- Goyders Lagoon-Warburton Creek- Lake Eyre North- William Creek- Oonnaddata -Dalhousie Springs- Painted Hills- Coober Pedy- Olympic Dam- Woomera- Pt.Augusta- Parafield.

We are looking to fill another 4 seats and we are offering  these at a specially discounted price of $2950.00. This includes Parafield Airport transfers from the Adelaide CBD, 3 days flying, 2 nights accommodation, 2 breakfasts, a 3 course dinner and entrance to the Birdsville Historical Museum.

Departure is early September 2010. Please contact us for further details and itinerary.

Presumably science still hasn’t come up with the answer as to how these pelicans know when the Coongie Lakes fill with water.

Since it happens only once every decade or longer it’s hard to know how ‘they’ know.

Even birds in Russia get on the wing and head down for a paddle and a bit of mating.

All that aside, it’s even harder to figure out how they can come back to the same island in the lakes to breed.

I mean, when they left, they weren’t much more than chicks and have cruised around our coasts for ten years or so.

This is the same place that The Sentimental Bloke, Peter MacDonald photographed in 1999. Click here to look at the island back then (it’s the third photo down). It doesn’t look much like the same place. Yet they know.

Soon, if not already, the larger of the two islands will be crammed with pelicans and not long after that there will be almost as many chicks ready to start the cycle all over again. Its an amazing,unknown piece of nature that can only be described as “Pelican Business”!

It’s almost impossible to convey just how much water is in the Coongie Lakes at the moment.

It just goes on an on, almost as far as they eye can see in every direction. Hundreds of islands amid a thousand lakes.

Hard to imagine this is a formidable desert most of the time and at the time of this post, we have had confirmation that Lake Eyre is covered with water! Go to Lake Eyre tours for more info. Thanks again to The Sentimental Bloke for the stunning images.

The Warburton River just before it enters Lake Eyre which Pete MacDonald is using to illustrate a recent question that came via email about what sort of fish are in Lake Eyre?

The Warburton is fresh water flowing into Lake Eyre which is very salty. So Salty that freshwater fish can’t live in it for very long.

The fish in the Warburton, if they continue downstream will be short-lived.

However the Coongie Lakes is teeming with Callope also known as Yellowbelly or Golden Perch which is what attracts the masses of birdlife to the Lakes. To see the this & lots more go to our Lake Eyre Tour packages which are currently available.

And this is just one of them. The Coongie Lakes – such a contrast from Lake Eyre. Chalk and cheese – Salt Water and Fresh Water.

Unfortunately the Innamincka-Coongie Lakes National Park has been closed until November which is going to hamper many people from seeing this wonderful place at its spectacular best.

However there are some things in the region that are accessible.

It’s best to go to the National Parks site Click Here for the most up-to-date information.

Still the best way to see this area is to stick here with the Sentimental Bloke who will be posting lots more photographs of the Coongie in the weeks to come. Go to www.thesentimentalbloke.com for more details & sales.

This is the aircraft that you will be flying around Lake Eyre & its surrounds, taking in all all the spectacular and rare sights of the lake filling whilst on a 4 day  ground & air Lake Eyre Tour.

It’s an Australian made GA8 Airvan utility transport aircraft operated by Wrights Air & it’s just the perfect  for photographing any landscapes of the region or the abundance of bird / wild life around Lake Eyre & Coongie Lakes, because the wing does’nt get in the way!

Thanks again to Peter Macdonald for the images. For more of Peter’s work, his biography & sales of these beautiful images go to - the sentimental bloke

Last weekend saw us fill a classic Beech 18 aircraft for a customized tour of Lake Eyre & beyond over 4 incredible days! Departing from Adelaide, our group took in Wilpena Pound  & Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges,Innamincka, Coongie Lakes,Birdsville, Dalhousie Springs, the Painted Desert & Evelyn Downs cattle station. On the ground, our guests met local characters at the legendary Birdsville Pub, Coopers Creek Homestay, the famous William Creek Hotel & then had the best nights sleep in the underground rooms of Coober Pedy’s Desert Cave Motel. Every day is another amazing encounter with the guys flat out taking in all sights, scenery & there is no better way to catch the best vantage points to appreciate the whole outback experience & that’s by air. 

 Spring is going to be something else as the wildflowers & wildlife will be lighting up the country side so if your thinking of capturing some of the countries absolutely finest scenery, at its spectacular best, get in contact with us asap to book your customised trip. Opal Air charters are our local & well known proven operators with gun pilots,Lindsay Matthews & Chris Phitzner at the helm.  Flights carrying 6-8 passengers are available from Adelaide, Wudinna, Coober Pedy or after a Great White Shark Dive in Pt.Lincoln, we’ll go from there as well!!