Air, Helicopter and Balloon Tours

Peter McDonald is a commercial pilot with a passion for the southern Murray Darling Basin and its landscape. Born and bred in the river country, the fith generation farmer has established Murray Darling Scenic Flights to enable him to share his passion, working knowledge of the lakes and river systems and stories of this stunning ancient landscape with interested travellers.

Peter and his wife Wendy strongly believe that sharing knowledge of the history and geography of our country leads to informed ways of managing our landscape. They care deeply for the River Country and want to share it with you.

The scale and diversity of significant landscapes in the Central Murray basin have to be seen to be believed. Redgum forests, wetlands, agricultural landscapes and ancient desert lakes create an intriguing mosaic from Barmah in the east to Mildura in the west. Murray Darling Scenic Flights offer routes over the stunning salt lake system of Lake Tyrrell in Northern Victoria, operating out of the Sea Lake and Swan Hill airports.

Flights to the ancient site of Lake Mungo, Yanga National Park, Gayini Wetlands and over the Murray River are offered out of Swan Hill Airport. Personalised itineraries and charter flights are available, including departures from Deniliquin Airport.

Services

Lake Mungo - Half day with Morning Tea

Natural erosion of sand and clay over millennia has revealed the secrets of this landscape and created the famously spectacular pastel-hued dune fields and lunettes, stunning when viewed from the air. Three traditional owner groups care for country at Mungo, the Paakanti, Ngyiampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people.

Murray Darling Scenic Flights offers half-day or full-day (with ground tour), guided commentary flights over Lake Mungo. Morning tea stop at Mungo Lodge included. Flights depart Swan Hill Airport.

Duration: 4 Hours (approx.)

Disabled Access

Yanga National Park / Gayini Wetlands

Yanga National Park and the adjacent Gayini wetlands are located between Balranald and Maude in SW NSW. These stunningly diverse sites feature significant Ramsar wetlands and redgum forests. Together they comprise some 200,000 hectares and are the floodplains of the lower reaches of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers.

From the air, they present as a myriad of forests, lakes, creeks, river courses and mudflats. Fly over the old Yanga Station homestead on the banks of the heart-shaped Yanga Lake, then follow the river courses upstream. Here, where the water spills over the semi-arid landscape the vegetation comes alive with a variety of hues of green, violet, orange and pink changing to warm oranges and browns depending on the season.

This is a truly incredible opportunity to fly over these ever-changing, newly created conservation areas. Yanga National Park is home to the Muthi Muthi people and Gayini the Nari Nari traditional owners.

Murray Darling Scenic Flights offers one hour 45 minutes, guided commentary flights departing from Swan Hill airport.

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Murray River from Swan Hill

Winding glimmering and snake-like through the landscape of the region, the central Murray River etched its current course after a geological shift upstream near Barmah created the “narrows” or “choke” 30,000 years ago.

Only when seen from the air can one appreciate the significance of the Murray River and the way that its waters create and sustain wetlands, expansive Redgum Forests, agriculture and communities. The Murray River country at Swan Hill is home to the Wamba Wamba traditional owners and upstream at Barham the Barapa Barapa people.

Murray Darling Scenic Flights offers half-hour, guided commentary flights over the river and surrounds. Flights operate out of Swan Hill airport.

Disabled Access