The Kimberley & The Pilbara

The Kimberley and The Pilbara. Names that evoke images of red rocks, blue skies and pioneering spirits. Travelling in style in our Beechcraft Super King Air, with comfortable leather seats, a pressurised cabin, and a window for each passenger, yet still with the ability to land on small airstrips, you'll visit some incredible spots off the beaten track.

Visit some breathtaking, hard-to-reach places around these spectacular regions. Kings Canyon, outback Northern Territory, Purnululu, Kununurra, Ningaloo Reef, Karijini National Park and Coober Pedy. You may be a long way from the city, but the bush luxury offered in some of these remote resorts has its own particular charm and comfort to make this a trip to remember.

Australian Air Safaris tours offer unique itineraries flying around Australia. We explore our vast nation in our private planes, meaning we are always small groups, and everyone has a window seat. We have over 45 years of air touring experience, creating unforgettable experiences that will last a lifetime. Our all-inclusive* tours are hosted by our knowledgeable pilots and assisted by local guides who share our passion for this country, ensuring you're never short of stories to tell when you get home.

We take care of all of the planning and logistics. All you have to do is meet us at the airport, ready for an adventure of a lifetime. We will whisk you away to places near and far, exploring the hard to get to and the unique.

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Tour Highlights
Itinerary

Bungle Bungle - Tourism WA

Whale Shark, Tourism WA

Karijini Eco Retreat

Tour Highlights

Dramatic Kings Canyon
Stunning luxury at Finniss River
Beehives of Purnululu National Park
Impressively large Lake Argyle
World Heritage Ningaloo Coast
Unforgettable swim with the whale sharks
Captivating Karijini National Park
Mesmerising Pilbara

Prices and bookings

memorable

"It was one of the more memorable mini holidays that we have ever taken. Keith is a delightful man, generous and hospitable host and great pilot. Good food, good accommodation and pleasant company. Two big hits were Ernie Mitchell at Lake Mungo and the hospitality of Cindy at Muloorina Station. "

What is included?

All-inclusive tour (unless stated on itinerary)
Well-appointed private aircraft by Kirkhope Aviation
Every seat a window seat
Premium small group touring, maximum 10 passengers, fully escorted
Private departure lounge, fast access, no crowds.
Free parking on site
All meals and beverages with evening meals In-flight snacks and refreshments
All stopover ground transfers, tours, activities and entry fees
Ensuited accommodation

Touring route

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Tour Itinerary: The Kimberley & The Pilbara

B,L,D: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 1: Depart for Kings Creek (L,D)

Your air safari begins with a morning flight to Kings Creek Station in the Red Centre. Settle into your Drovers Dream glamping tent - each tent features beautifully appointed furnishings, a luxurious ensuite, reverse cycle air-conditioning, a deck with BBQ and your own fire pit.

The spellbinding Kings Canyon Rim Walk may only suit some, but it is well worth the effort. The sandstone turns into a stunning array of oranges and reds in the late afternoon.

A BBQ under the stars completes your first day in the outback.

Overnight: Kings Creek Station, Drovers Dream glamping tents

Day 2: Kings Creek Station to Finniss River (B,L,D)

Fly north towards the coast to Finniss River Lodge, a luxury lodge nestled on a 50,000-acre working cattle station. We have the place to ourselves with only 6 stunning rooms commanding expansive views of floodplains, nature and fiery sunsets. A selection of activities will fill your days. Enjoy chef-prepared, local produce. The serenity will fill your soul.

A genuinely unique station experience, Cows and Canapes is a perfect way to end the day. Sip sundowners in an open-sided buggy or jump out and take a selfie with the curious Brahman cattle surrounding you.

2 nights: Finniss River Lodge

Day 3: Finniss River (B,L,D)

Day 4: Finniss River to Purnululu to Kununurra (B,L,D)

Travel west into WA to the Bungle Bungle, landing at Bellburn airstrip on the southwest corner of World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park in East Kimberley. A local guide will lead you on an easy-to-moderate walk through the famous eroded towers and black and orange-banded beehive structures of the Domes Walk, the awe-inspiring natural acoustics of Cathedral Gorge and Piccaninny Creek, which only flows during the monsoon. Learn about the Kimberley climate, the six seasons and the unique flora and fauna so crucial to the land's traditional custodians.

Back in the air, your pilot will provide a fantastic view of the domes from above before continuing north into Kununurra.

2 nights: Freshwater Apartments

Day 5: Lake Argyle (B,L,D)

Day 6: Kununurra to Ningaloo Reef (B,L,D)

Head to the west coast and Exmouth, where you'll be met by representatives of Sal Salis for a 90-minute road transfer to Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, an exclusive beach safari camp nestled in the Cape Range National Park dunes. Delicious, locally sourced, five-star dining, a self-serve bar, impeccable service, wildlife on land and sea, and the Milky Way lurking above you in all its glory under a truly Dark Sky. Stay in an eco-luxe wilderness tent offering views of the bush and the Indian Ocean.

2 nights: Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

Day 7: Ningaloo Reef (B,L,D)

The reef on your doorstep is home to myriad colourful fish and coral formations, rays, turtles, dugongs, clownfish, harmless reef sharks, and sea birds. The Cape Range National Park offers exceptional wildlife and bird viewing.

Cruise into the Indian Ocean and encounter whale sharks (March-July) or humpback whales (August-October). A spotter plane above keeps a keen eye out while the crew help you get kitted out with wetsuits and snorkels. Experienced guides will explain how to interact with the whale sharks or humpback whales, who will decide how long they want to interact with you – sometimes up to an hour!

Whale sharks and humpback whales are wild animals, and their welfare is paramount, so interactions cannot be guaranteed, but the strike rate is close to 100%.

Day 8: Ningaloo Reef to Karijini National Park (B,L,D)

This morning is your choice - walk in the national park, swim from the beach to snorkel on the reef, lie in your hammock or sit on the beach and watch the ocean.

After lunch, it's time to move on again. Drive back to your aircraft in Exmouth, then on to the next magnificent destination, Karijini National Park in the Pilbara, the state's second oldest and largest national park. Carved out of rock that is over 2.5 billion years old, it is the oldest known landscape on Earth. Known for red dirt, indigenous history and mining, the Pilbara is twice the size of the UK, with breathtaking natural landscapes, deep rocky gorges, crystal clear pools and stunning waterfalls.

Karijini Eco Retreat, 100% aboriginal-owned, is nestled in the pristine bushland at Joffre Gorge in the heart of the Karijini National Park. The semi-permanent eco-tents offer luxury with minimal impact on the environment. Dining includes traditional bush tucker in the alfresco outback-style restaurant.

2 nights: Karijini Eco Retreat, deluxe
eco tent

Day 9: Karijini National Park (B,L,D)

Karijini has spectacular 100-metre sheer-sided ochre-coloured chasms, crystal clear rock pools, cascading waterfalls and tropical fern ecosystems with easy walking tracks.

Spend the day exploring the natural wonders of the Karijini National Park with local tour guides. Located at the junction of the mighty Weano, Joffre, Hancock and Red Gorges, Oxer Lookout offers one of the most stunning panoramas in Western Australia. Fortescue Falls, the park's only permanent waterfall, cascades down the gently sloped rocks into a pool. Swim in the calm, clear waters of Fern Pool. The Karijini Visitors Centre offers stories of aboriginal culture, pastoral and mining histories, geology, fauna and flora.

Day 10: Karijini to Coober Pedy (B,L,D)

Leave Karijini early morning, bound for Coober Pedy in outback SA. Fly over this enormous country, stopping to refuel and stretch your legs, arriving mid-afternoon.

On the ground, travel out to the stunning Breakaways, a striking rocky landscape of flat-topped mesas. Toast the sunset and watch the incredible change of colours on the sandstone. Dinner is at the Big Winch 360°.

Stay at the Coober Pedy Experience Motel, an opal mine from 1918 until the 1960s. Enjoy a restful sleep in one of the most unusual rooms you're likely to encounter – surrounded by rock, individually decorated and very quiet.

Overnight: Coober Pedy Experience, underground room

Day 11: Coober Pedy to home city (B,L)