Outback Horizons

Day 2: Broken Hill to Innamincka to Birdsville (B,L,D)

See the highlights of Broken Hill. Visit the Pro Hart gallery to see some unique artworks and wildly-painted Rolls Royces, Ando’s Big Picture and the Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial, a striking building to remember more than 800 miners who have lost their lives on the job.

On to Innamincka, a tiny outback town in South Australia’s remote north east. Fly low over the Dig Tree, where the explorers Burke and Wills famously set up camp. On the ground, learn more about this pioneering pair and their ill-fated expedition, and cruise along the Cooper Creek to see stunning birdlife and a variety of flora along this serene waterway. Lunch at the Innamincka Hotel, a true outback pub.

Then it’s on to Birdsville flying over the spectacular Coongie Lakes area. Join a 4WD tour to Big Red, the stunning 40 metre sand dune on the edge of the Simpson Desert. Drink in the views as the sun sets with a glass in hand, before dinner and an overnight stay in one of Australia’s most iconic pubs, the Birdsville Hotel.

Overnight: Birdsville Hotel

Day 3: Birdsville to Arkaroola (B,L,D)

Take a low-level flight down the Diamantina River, Goyder Lagoon and the Warburton River, before experiencing a spectacular journey over Lake Eyre North.

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is an incredible destination, magnificent whether in its usual dry, flat, salt-plain state, or during those rare periods when rains in the gulf have filtered down to create an oasis in the desert. Land near the lake and take a road trip and feel the salt of the earth.

Back in the sky, it’s a short flight over the Flinders Ranges, where the late afternoon sun exposes the vibrant palette of colours on the mountains. Then, a 30-minute drive to Arkaroola Wilderness Resort. After dinner, enjoy awesome views of the stars and constellations in the clear night sky at the resort’s observatory.

Overnight: Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Mawson Room

Day 4: Arkaroola to Melbourne (B,L)

Begin the last day with the famous Ridgetop Tour in an open-air 4WD vehicle to Siller’s Lookout to experience the ruggedness and beauty of the Northern Flinders Ranges. The area is home to over 160 species of birds and the shy and endangered yellow-footed rock-wallaby, along with craggy mountains, towering granite peaks, magnificent gorges and mysterious waterholes.

In the afternoon it’s time to head home. Fly over Lake Frome en-route to Melbourne, arriving at Moorabbin Airport at around 6.00pm.