Take Flight Over Australia
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The “Flying Safari” Redefines the Walkabout and Offers Eye-Popping Sights to All
Taking an Outback trek in Australia is definitely on a lot of people’s wish list for a wild vacation, but maybe the “trek” part is the tricky part for some. But if you’re not as spry as you used to be, or just don’t feel like backpacking across vast open spaces, how do you refine and elevate the walkabout?
In the air, of course.
The so-called flying safari may have been perfected in Africa, but the vast Australian Outback is an equally great place for hopping around in an aircraft while flying over some of the planet’s most incredible landscapes.
A two-or three-week aerial itinerary can include many of Down Under’s iconic natural, wildlife and cultural experiences as well as global treasures enshrined as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
It doesn’t have to be totally in the air. Each stop offers the option of renting a vehicle to drive through the country’s national parks and other nature preserves. And there’s plenty of adventure along the way – hiking, biking, swimming, boating, nature or wildlife photography and maybe even a little “shrimp on the barbie” for dinner.
Here’s one way to undertake a classic Aussie Outback flying safari:
Broome and the Bungle Bungles
The town of Broome in Northwest Australia started life as a 19th century pearl diving center and gained fame during WWII, as it was attacked four times by Japanese aircraft.
Nowadays, it’s a busy little tourist hub renowned for camel rides along Cable Beach, tiny treasures and exotic edibles at the waterfront Moon Night Markets and flicks at the historic Sun Pictures open-air movie theater.
Located along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Broome is also a great place to watch and photograph migrating birds. For mammal fans, whale-watching excursions leave port between June and October, when around 20,000 humpbacks cruise the warm tropical waters off Broome.
A flock of local operators offer scenic fixed-wing, seaplane or helicopter excursions over the thoroughly wild and largely roadless Kimberley region east of Broome. These flights offer bird’s-eye views of remote landmarks like the Horizontal Falls and four-level Mitchell Falls.
But the ultimate airborne excursion from Broome is either a day trip or overnight amid the Bungle Bungle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Purnululu National Park. This oddball mountain range features beehive-shaped peaks streaked with different colors. Many of the day trips from Broome offer time on the ground for a hike through Echidna Chasm or other amazing slot canyons.
Getting There: Qantas and Virgin Australia offer daily flights between Broome and Perth.
Where to Stay: Cable Beach Club (Broome); Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge glamping.
Darwin & The Top End
The “Top End” is what locals call the northernmost part of the Northern Territory, a sprawling region that includes the Indian Ocean coastline, several major national parks and what many Aussies from outside the region consider the country’s most unique city – Darwin.
Named for the famed naturalist, Darwin lies closer to Indonesia and New Guinea than any other Australian capital city. The climate is totally tropical, think hot and muggy even at the best of times. An 1870’s gold rush sparked creation of the town and an influx of migrants from around the world.
It’s still multicultural, as reflected by the variety of international foods and handicrafts sold at the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Market – Indonesian, Korean, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Thai, Greek, Spanish, Italian and even Mexican.
After feasting on those exotic edibles, you can climb into the acrylic “Cage of Death” at Crocosaurus Cove and get lowered into a pool inhabited by a huge saltwater crocodile – adult males can weigh in at 3,000-plus pounds. For those who want to swim in the ocean, Darwin boasts several “croc-free” beaches (you don’t want to swim just anywhere in the Northern Territory, for safety’s sake). The city also offers sunset cruises and various WWII historical sites and relics.
The Top End is also home to two of Australia’s most stunning nature reserves.
Located in a two-hour drive or puddle-jumper flight from Darwin, Kakadu National Park is renowned for towering waterfalls, masterpieces of ancient rock art and wildlife ranging from wallabies and bandicoots to dingoes, river sharks and saltwater crocs. Aboriginal guides lead boat, foot and vehicle tours with various themes through this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nitmiluk National Park is a three-hour drive from Darwin along the fabled Stuart Highway. Despite its spectacular red-rock location, the main theme is water: paddling adventures or scenic boat cruises through Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge or swimming at Leliyn (Edith Falls). Nitmiluk Tours offers one- and two-day canoe rentals for self-guided journeys through the gorge.
Getting There: Air North offers daily flights between Broome and Darwin; Qantas serves Darwin from other major cities in Australia.Where to Stay: Adina Darwin Waterfront; Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel; Cicada Lodge (Nitmiluk).
Alice Springs and The Red Centre
That town called Alice has been a magnet for mavericks of one sort or another since the middle of the 19th century. We’re talking cowboys and sheep ranchers, gold miners and outlaws, lone-wolf artists, writers and others who felt the urge to get as far away as possible from civilization.
Visitors find it still marches to the beat of a different drummer than other Aussie cities, only nowadays you’re likely to find more people flocking to iconic events like the Henley-on-Todd Regatta boat race in a dry riverbed (July) and the 10-day Parrtjima – A Festival of Light presented by the region’s Indigenous Arrernte people (April).
Outstanding galleries make Alice one of the best places Down Under to purchase authentic Aboriginal art, with many of the works rendered by local masters. Araluen Arts Centre presents a wide range of Indigenous visual and performing arts from around the Northern Territory. Two other “must see” attractions are the Megafauna Central museum, which showcases the huge animals that roamed the area eight million years ago, and the Kangaroo Rescue Centre, which looks after injured and orphaned Outback critters.
Because there’s no regular air service, this final leg of the Aussie flying safari is on the ground – a five-hour drive across the Red Centre desert from Darwin to Uluṟu and its giant orange rock. You can rent a vehicle and drive yourself or hop aboard one of the luxury coaches that make the journey each day.
Formerly known as Ayers Rock, Uluṟu is an instantly recognized symbol of Australia. Formed around half a billion years ago, the massive inselberg (island mountain) rises 1,141 feet above the surrounding desert — nearly as high as the Empire State Building.
Uluṟu and a nearby rock formation called Kata Tjuṯa (The Olgas) form a joint national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site owned by the local Aṉangu people and jointly managed with Parks Australia.
Hiking is the main activity, especially the six-mile trail around the base of Uluṟu. Visitors can browse exhibits, watch presentations on “bush tucker” (that is, native plants) and other Outback topics and sign up for ranger-guided activities at the park’s Cultural Centre.
The good news is that you don’t have to repeat the five-hour journey across the desert to depart. Several airlines offer flights from nearby Ayers Rock-Connellan Airport to major cities around Australia.
Getting There: Qantas and Air North offer daily service between Darwin and Alice Springs. Where to Stay: Squeakywindmill glamping (Alice Springs); Longitude 131° (Uluṟu).
