Posts Tagged ‘Innamincka’

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Perfect weekend for Lake Eyre & Outback Loop Flying Safari

July 7th, 2011 by Lunch

What a great weekend for flying up to Lake Eyre and the Outback Loop it was on June 25 and 26th. We do watch the skies very carefully in the lead up to these trips as being in winter, the weather  gods can sometimes misbehave a little, but this weekend was a purler!

Highlights were more great meals at the Innamincka, Birdsville ( plus fantastic rooms) and William Creek Hotels, the low flying skills of our pilots Chris Pfitzner and Tony Schwerdt and the scenery, beauty and the current form of the outback region. Plus Fish’s humour!

These Lake Eyre flying and scenic safaris are proving very popular, proving that it is a great way to see so much country over a few days whilst still getting plenty of time on the ground to explore.

We had another great group from around the country as we departed Adelaide early morning in the Fairchild Metro II. Here are the comments from our passengers;

” Its been a super experience.Everyone:-  Fish, pilots Chris & Tony, staff at the hotels have been so friendly and good humoured which has made the trip a lot of fun as well. The scenery is stark but stunning & we were lucky enough to have perfect weather conditions. The food & accommodation was excellent. I particularly loved the low flying and the pilots efforts to give us some magnificent photo opportunities. Thanks so much & keep up the great work …..” Sue, NSW

” Gained a greater appreciation of the country and the water channels that flow into Lake Eyre. Can now see why Sydney Kidman chose the country that he did….” Harvey, WA

Enjoyed seeing the great expanse of inland country from the air. Great pilots, guide and accommodation.Thanks….” Pat, WA

” A fabulous trip! We need the beautiful Cooper Creek to slow down a little so we can paddle upstream and not get washed downstream. Thanks to all; Chris, Tony and Fish……” Marian, SA

“Flying at low altitude over Wilpena Pound, Coongie Lakes & Goyders Lagoon were the unexpected highlights for me! The food was also fabulous; organic steak, barramundi and kangaroo really completed the outback adventure…..” Wendy, NSW

” Thanks to Fish, Tony, Chris and Goin’ Off Safaris! Its been a marvellous trip, beyond all my expectations. Loved flying low over Wilpena Pound, Coongie Lakes and Lake Eyre. A great experience…..” Belinda, NSW

” Back seat leg room much appreciated……!” John, SA

“Absolutely stunning country and a great crew, who explained this magnificent part of the world to us. The food was amazing as well. Loved flying low & over Lake Eyre was superb……” Peter & Jocelyn, SA

” Very friendly pilots ( Chris & Tony) and guide ( Fish), plenty of good Aussie food with once in lifetime views……what a recipe for a great trip! I thoroughly enjoyed it all and I will be spreading the word. Unfortunately, conditions wern’t quite right for canoeing, which was the only disappointment. Great job…..” Brian, NSW

Check out the images below, with thanks to Wendy for her great camera work.

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“The beauty of Lake Eyre is just a bonus…..”

June 10th, 2011 by Lunch

We got some more terrific feedback from our passengers after last weeks first 2 Day Lake Eyre Ultimate Outback Weekender for the season. ” The ability to cover so much country over 2 days and still have ample time to explore some of Australia’s famous outback towns is incredible. The beauty of Lake Eyre on this flying safari,  is just a massive bonus……” was one comment made as we tucked into lunch at William Creek!

Some other comments were;

  • “Fantastic tour.Very enjoyable & catered for with great information” – Sue, Perth
  • “Great trip, excellent service from the crew & very well looked after, taking home some wonderful memories. Thank you!” – Garry & Lurnene, Goondiwindi
  • “Interesting, educational & entertaining!” - Rhett, Perth
  • ” we need a person of great vision to devise a use for all the water before it goes into Lake Eyre and turns to salt. A great trip” – Rob, Perth
  • ” Well organised tour which provided the maximum opportunity to see a miraculous transformation of the channel country and Lake Eyre. Loved the Outback Loop! – Laura, Perth
  • “Approaching Lake Eyre was the highlight! The Birdsville museum tour operator and guide was the greatest character ( John Menzies)! – Therese, Tasmania
  • ” Great tour, well organised, thoughtful providers, hotels & staff welcoming. Plenty of characters to meet like Bruce the barman at William Creek! Visual experience of our magnificent inland & lakes will remain for ever! Highly recommend Goin’ Off Safaris” – Judith, Gold Coast
  • “Great staff made the trip most enjoyable; exceptional in their care and courtesy to the guests.Accommodation & meals at Birdsville Hotel was excellent. Flight over Lake Eyre most memorable. Birdsville museum unique “- Vena, Canberra
  • ” Even a fish would not get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut! This one couldn’t, but he kept us awake and highly amused. All staff including pilots excellent. 16 species of birds counted on Coopers Creek. Great trip!” – Dave, WA
  • “The trip to Lake Eyre basin is a package of adventure, experience and friendship where the clients from across Australia had a good time enhanced by the ideal weather of warm sunny days and cool nights. The excellent pilots, Chris Pfitzner and Tony Schwertz landed at Marree, Innamincka, Birdsville and William Creek, where we were able to enjoy the sights of each town, the hospitality of hotels and gain an understanding of these small communities and their reliance on the pastoral industry, mining, tourists and importantly, the river systems for their survival. From the air you can see how the river systems feed into Lake Eyre, all 10 of them whilst on the ground the history of early explorers such as Sturt, Gregory, Stuart ,Burke and Wills and pioneer stockman (Kidman and Redford) , creates an interest that I believe made the trip an unforgettable experience” - - Fish Cordon, Private Guide, Pt.Lincoln

Next availabilities are on June 25-26th and July 22-24th!

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First Lake Eyre Ultimate Outback Weekender

June 4th, 2011 by Lunch

A beautiful Adelaide morning has greeted us as our first plane full of keen punters from all over the country, left for our Lake Eyre & outback ultimate Weekender.
In the Metro II, we will fly up Innamincka for lunch, paddle on the Cooper Creek to witness first hand all the birdlife present and then reboarding to complete the Outback Loop by nestling in to the Birdsville Pub for he evening.
Local legend John Menzies will guide us through his amazing working museum before we hit the skies to see all the water across the Warburton Groove and into Lake Eyre north. We will see where the Cooper Creek flows into the eastern mouth of the lake and flying low as possible, check out the fascination of this spectacle.
My tip is that there will be plenty of excited chatter and banter amongst our group as they will tuck into the best steak burgers, at William Creek for lunch and maybe sneak in a cold bevvy to wash this down!
All on board very excited and we are going to have a bit if fun!

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June 10-12 Lake Eyre Supreme Scenic Safari

May 30th, 2011 by Lunch

They are on again folks….. 3 days of exploring the Outback in a bit of style and class!

We took to the skies 2 weekends ago for our first 3 Day  Lake Eyre and surrounds, Supreme Scenic Safari trip of the season. With passengers coming as far as New Zealand to see Australia’s biggest  lake filling, it was again a spectacle and great being up in the outback to see old and meet new acquaintances. Here’s what our passengers had to say;

“I loved the wide open spaces & associated landscapes, with the number of days away being just right” – Casey (Qld)

” The small group allowed us more interaction with the town and underground mine tour at Coober Pedy as well as the Outback working Mine in Birdsville with John Menzies. Is’nt he a legend….” – Jacqui (NZ)

“Seeing the vastness of the countryside by air was a real advantage and we still had plenty of time to spend and explore at our stopover towns like Innamincka, Birdsville, William Creek and Coober Pedy” – Diane (NZ)

“We came to see all the water in Lake Eyre & upper regions, but all the other things on tour made the trip complete” – Kevin (NZ)

“All I expected and more!!” – Jo(Victoria)

“I Loved the sunrise over the Cooper Creek at Innamincka. It was incredibly beautiful. The accommodation and meals was above expectations and great” – Kate (Victoria)

“The Lake Eyre experience is definitely enhanced and put into perspective by the Goin’ Off Safaris package by visits to great Australian outback towns like Innamincka, Birdsville & Coober Pedy” – Brett ( Qld)

” This package gave me a better understanding of the river and road systems which make this area of Australia unique. The knowledge of Goin’ Off Safaris guide along with the pilots professionalism, made this a fantastic trip of a lifetime. Highly recommend this to anyone” – Kevin (NZ)

Our next 3 day  trip with availabilities is on the June 10-12th,long weekend. Click here for more details on itineraries and other dates!

 

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Outback Loop update

March 27th, 2011 by Lunch

Quick update on a couple of our favourite places and a big part of our Lake Eyre and Outback Loop flying safaris, Innamincka & Birdsville.

Both townships have recieved a heap of rainfall all ready this year, both exceeding 250mm mark with 125mm the normal yearly average. This is fantastic as everything is very beautiful, green and to make it better, no sticky little bloody flies!

The Cooper Creek is roaring and is currently 6m above the causeway at Innamincka, so traffic is obviously restricted. Looks like we will be taking the famous Beech 18 plane up there for a while, so that we can land on the towns airstrip and not the RFD strip, which is on the northern side of the creek. Our first 3Day Supreme Scenic Safari will be taking place on the 13th May, with only 4 seats left!

Below is a current image of the beautiful Cooper Creek. This is a magic place, full of birdlife and the very best way to appreciate this is in a canoe!

The tucker up here is spot on as well! Check out below what you can look forward to from our wonderful hosts  at the Innamincka Hotel on Day 1. We have the “surf n turf” on our menus here on the coast but these guys have shown great imagination by producing the ” beef n creek”. Its even better than  it looks, with big fresh yabbies straight from the creek. Via the canoe!!!

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Lake Eyre and Outback flights 2011

March 22nd, 2011 by Lunch

Well, what an unbelievable summer it has been in South Australia’s Outback! Normally this parched and sun-burnt part of the country is dry as a chip, with very little signs of any type of life but consistent rainfall has seen the whole region bursting with water and another new chapter in this incredible part of the country.

Lake Eyre is all the rage again as water from major entries into the Lake, the Warburton and Macumba Rivers, plus the  Cooper Creek are all flowing significantly and  filling the Australia’s largest lake(see map below). On top of this heavy local rainfall around Marree and William Creek has seen Lake Eyre South, actually fill all ready and we are not even close to winter as yet!

With every tributary, river, creek flowing into Lake Eyre North, we are more than confident that we will see Lake Eyre fill for the first time since 1974, and this will be something to see, especially from the air in the beautiful Beech 18 or the sleek Metro II!

Our new scenic flights are now all sorted out for the “barrage” of traffic, ready to experience the inland sea in its glory and the Outback at its very rare, but absolute very best.

We at Goin’ Off Safaris invite you to check out our new 2 Day Ultimate Lake Eyre & Outback Weekender flight as well as our very popular 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari, with all dates, itineraries and inclusions on our website.

There is something for everyone as we not only fly over the flooded areas of Lake Eyre, Warburton Groove, Coongie Lakes and all the surrounding regions, but drop on down into the iconic, outback Australian towns of Innamincka, Birdsville, William Creek and Coober Pedy and the infamous, but historical Dig Tree of Burke & Wills fame. There is plenty of time to explore these townships and what they have provided to our history( if your into that side of things) or if your a bit more adventurous, get yourself into a canoe to paddle the amazing Cooper Creek and then grab some massive yabbies, from the causeway at Innamincka! I’m into Australian culture and this is found throughout the journey in our famous outback pubs at Innamincka, Birdsville, William Creek and underground at Coober Pedy where you can enjoy a refreshing cleanser, a big hearty meal and the company of local characters

Our Outback Loop, 2-3 day flights take off  from May until November and all you have to do is get to Adelaide, South Australia and we take care of things from there. Contact us here!

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Flying Lake Eyre in nostalgic style!

September 28th, 2010 by Lunch

Want to see Lake Eyre at its best for 30 years? How about the flooded Coongie Lakes and the Cooper Creek with crayfish sized yabbies?  Have you flown  into famous outback towns like Birdsville,  Innamincka,  William Creek (with the biggest steak burgers in the country!) and mixed with the local characters in residence?  What about the  unique underground mining town and opal capital of the world, Coober Pedy, complete with above and underground land tours?  Ever flown over the spectacular Flinders Ranges or stepped back in Australian exploration history to visit the Dig Tree of Burke & Wills fame? If you have, well done on seeing some of Australia’s best landscapes and hospitable regions!

But I bet you havent flown in Australia’s only operating 1952 Beech 18….! This is a 3 day scenic tour with a bit of nostalgic class, style and is  very comfortable with spectacular sights on and above ground.

We still have a few vacancies for our upcoming trip departing Adelaide on the 8th-10th of October, so please contact us asap if interested! Priced at $2990 per person, all inclusive.

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Lake Eyre Adventure!

September 26th, 2010 by Lunch

What a great trip last weekend! 8 very keen enthusiasts plus legendary pilot Chris Phitzner and myself , headed for the skies and the Lake Eyre  aboard the classic 1952 Beechcraft 18.

The only Beech 18 flying in Australia, this beauty is very comfortable, very quiet, has great vision at every seat and seriously turns heads whenever we had to land! First port of call was Coober Pedy. We had a ground tour organised as we landed & this took in all the weird, wonderful and amazing sights and stories of everything in & around Coober Pedy. Famous local “Jimmy the Runner” was our superb guide and apart from the ancient inland seas of the Breakaways, the underground home of legendary Crocodile Harry was a highlight. Our digs at the Coober Pedy Comfort Inn Experience were fantastic, complete with an exposed opal seam, highlighting the towns best known commodity. The Old Timers Mine next door, has been transformed from one of the first working mines to house and now very impressive tourist attraction.

The next day, Birdsville was out due to heavy rain, so we headed to Innamincka, via William Creek. If you haven’t all ready heard, the steak sandwiches at the William Creek pub are massive and was the most popular item on the menu, albeit closely followed by the emu yiros! From here, it was all photography as we flew over the majority of Lake Eyre’s 9690 sq. kilometers. An imposing sight, it really is a marvel and gets even better as we flew over the Warburton Groove and the super impressive wetlands of the Coongie Lakes, where flying as low as 500 ft, you see some of the best outback sights you can imagine.

We were then greeted by the friendly hosts of Coopers Creek Homestay in Geoff  & Julie Matthews alongside the Coopers Creek in Innamincka. A few beers around the fire, a 3 course  dinner, a visit to the pub to watch the footy followed by a couple of further nightcaps back at the fire and it was no wonder we slept like babies!

For the keen punters on the trip, we were to meet back at the fire by 6.15am. The sun was just rising and we were keen to catch some fish and or yabbies and check out the bird life on the Cooper. No fish were caught but the crayfish sized yabbies made up well and truly  for any yellow belly! And didn’t they taste any good for breakfast! The bird-life of pelicans, black cormorants, white cockatoos and others dominated the causeway and it was a great start to the day.

Due to unforecasted rain and hence sticky air strip, we got going a little late. Our timing was perfect though as we hit the Flinders Ranges in late afternoon sunlight, which only further enhanced the beauty of this region and after a series of tough seasons, the Flinders is in top shape.  A great trip with plenty of adventure and camaraderie was had and very much looking forward to our next trips.

If your up to it, we still have  vacancies for the 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari on the 8th-10th of October and also the 19th-21st of October. Contact us now!

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3 Day/2 Night Supreme Lake Eyre Scenic Safari

July 26th, 2010 by Lunch

**SPECIAL DEAL**. We have 6 seats available for a fully guided,  amazing 3 day/ 2night Supreme Scenic Safari to the spectacular floodwaters of South Australia’s far north.

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 $2990.00. 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 the 17th  September 2010. Please contact us for further details and itinerary.

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