Big Blue Air Touring

Discover the Outback in style!

Using small twin engine aircraft to fly directly to places of interest – often where larger aircraft simply can’t land – Big Blue Air Touring provides a unique opportunity to get ‘off the beaten track’ and experience Australia’s great diversity in a short space of time. With a selection of unique itineraries catering to a maximum of just six passengers, comfort and personal attention is assured.

Flavours of the Outback Private Air Tour

DAY 1 - MELBOURNE TO KARS STATION

Depart Melbourne’s Moorabbin Airport for the 70 minute flight to Mildura, the ‘gateway to the Outback’!  A leisurely lunch at Stefano’s award-winning café ’27 Deakin’ is a great way to begin this gourmet exploration of Outback Australia.

After lunch, return to your aircraft for the 45 minute flight to Kars Station in Outback New South Wales, where you will be met at the private airstrip by owner Fred Hughes (face of Australia’s ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ television campaign). Tour the ‘old school-house’ museum on this 150,000 acre sheep station before enjoying sunset drinks in the idyllic setting of the homestead courtyard. Dine on saltbush mutton and fresh yabbies from the pastures and dams of Kars tonight, followed by local port and cheese under a star-filled Outback sky.

DAY 2 - KARS STATION TO THE PRAIRIE HOTEL

After a delicious breakfast (including Fred’s own sausages), bid farewell to Kars. Your destination today is the sleepy town of Parachilna (population seven) – where Jane and Ross Fargher, owners of the Prairie Hotel, have created a quiet revolution in country cuisine.

The Prairie exudes character and is renowned for its Australian native cuisine or ‘Flinders Feral Food’ as the locals call it. After sunset drinks and hors d’œuvres on the sand dunes of nearby Nilpena Station, savour the Prairie’s famous ‘feral mixed grill’ including kangaroo, emu, beef and goat accompanied with wonderful bush-berry sauces and, of course, fine South Australian wines. After dinner, relax with a private concert by award-winning singer/songwriter John O’Dea.

DAY 3 - THE PRAIRIE HOTEL TO PORTEE STATION

Orbit the spectacular Wilpena Pound and fly over the beautiful Flinders Ranges today as you head south to Portee Station on the banks of the Murray River. A quintessential Aussie ‘pie and beer’ lunch awaits before a private wine tour of the nearby Barossa Valley including cellar door tastings at Penfolds and Wolf Blass.

Enjoy a pre-dinner kangaroo and wombat spotting tour and glass of Champagne as the sun goes down at Portee before taking your place in the homestead dining room to indulge in the area’s fine local produce.

DAY 4 - PORTEE STATION TO MELBOURNE VIA THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

After your last Outback breakfast, tour the oldest working shearing shed in South Australia before leaving Portee – bound for ‘Pippies’ seafood restaurant located on the bay at Warrnambool, Victoria.

A spectacular low level flight over the Twelve Apostles and down the Great Ocean Road ends your culinary Outback experience as you make your way back to Melbourne.

Big Blue have a wide range of other private air tours, as well as a small selection of ‘scheduled’ itineraries for those happy to travel with others – please contact us for details of Big Blue’s other itineraries.