Gliding

Soar high into the big blue sky on the rising thermals of the Northern Territory. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the silent flight of a glider thousands of metres above the earth, and conditions here are near perfect for it.

Be launched into the air from Alice Springs and explore the beauty of the nearby MacDonnell Ranges. The day starts heating up around mid morning and this is when you’ll find the thermal updrafts that will push your craft high into the air. Dust devils spin their way around this part of the country, forcing the air to rise at forty kilometres an hour. While the visible evidence of these mini-whirlwinds usually only reaches a hundred metres into the air, pilots have felt their invisible updrafts more than five kilometres in the air!

The Bachelor air strip 100 kilometres south of Darwin is right next to beautiful Litchfield National Park. Look down on this vast area of wilderness with steep cliffs, plunging waterfalls and wide sandstone plateaus. If you’re an experienced pilot you can hire a glider and soar over this magnificent part of the country yourself, or for those with no flight experience there are scenic flights available. This is the perfect weekend getaway.