Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshift
Good feedback Gary but the numbers suggest you're not quite right. Yes I am sure many of the Grey Nomads are on tight budgets, I personally travelled around Aus in 1997 and was on a shoestring, couldnt imagine doing a flight like this then. However, we cant keep up with demand as it is now, air tourism is booming in the area, we have 7 bases in the kimberely alone, each of them booked to capacity, someone is cashed up, the sheer number of flights from Turkey creek to the Bungles tells us that indeed many many people either dont have a four wheel drive or are reluctant to use it to get to the bungles and other remote areas, I really really wanted to go to Wolfe creek back in 1997 but my car was on LPG and I couldnt get the gas to do the trip. Have a look here www.slingair.com.au for a list of some of our current flights. I am not asking this question to beat up business, I couldnt care less, I do the ICT for the company I am not invovled in the tourism side. My interest is in taking like minded people to the Crater, no one is doing tours to it and I think it would be a unique experience.
cheers, dennis.
P.S. Hi Ron, yes I am very overdue for a visit. Soon I hope. |
Hi Dennis,
Great to hear that things are booming up there in the Kimberley.
The more people who get to see and experience it, the better chance it
might have being protected in the future.
If I were King for a day, I would turn it all into World Heritage Area.
It is certainly among the most spectacular and beautiful places on the planet
and should be protected for generations to come to enjoy and to be in awe of.
The first trip we did to the Bungle Bungles many years ago, there were no
helicopter operators out of Turkey Creek. The only one's we saw providing
flights were a couple of enterprising very young lads who were camped out at the
Bungle Bungles themselves where they had an old Bell helicopter, like a Bell 47, with
one of those classic all-bubble fronts.
They had their tent and their billy on the fire and there was zero waiting time.
They were great lads and the flight was a wonderful seat-of-the-pants experience.
As we pulled a couple of G turns through the narrow valleys, the pilot
pulling back and forth with the controls and the blades
going whack, whack as they fought at the air, the in-flight commentary
went something like this, "There are over 650 plant species in the park ....
(blades going whack, whack as we bank away from another canyon wall), ...
"I can name about two".
It certainly was all about the flying then.
Then a few years later, we returned to Turkey Creek and couldn't believe
the difference! There were lots of people, helicopters going in and out of there
and it had become very competitive.
Even then though, there were no operators at places such as Mitchell Falls.
So with the booming market, all you can do is give it a try and put up on
the boards at Turkey Creek a travel alternative which is to go to Wolfe Creek.
Perhaps you may even get some people who have visited the area before, "done"
the Bungle Bungles flight, enjoyed it and are now after something different.
So the target audience may not be limited to amateur astronomers, but
may encompass that class of tourist who are "cashed-up".
One other quick anecdote. When we went to Wolfe Creek many New Moons ago,
as we scrambled down into the crater, my traveling companion managed to
take a tumble, landed in a spinifex bush and came up looking like a porcupine.
Poor thing, the needles are very sharp and were sticking out of her legs
everywhere and she always relates the name Wolfe Creek to falling into that bush.
Good luck with it and please post a follow-up should Slingair take up your idea
and offer flights to Wolfe Creek!
cant be as bad as NZ at the moment , I was there a week ago and it was between $2.20 and $2.50 a litre , 
, horrendous price !!! 
