For your Private Helicopter Flight and Australian Bush Experience, you will be picked up from your Melbourne hotel in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle and driven to Essendon Airport, a journey of about 20 minutes. An alternative pick-up location is available at Russel Street Extension, near Federation Square, Melbourne.
In the Private Lounge at the airport your pilot will give you a pre-flight 15- 20 minute briefing (in English) before you board the helicopter and take your window seat.
Departing from Melbourne, you will fly over rural Victoria for about 40 minutes and then land directly at the Coliban Park Homestead and Sheep Station.
You will enjoy a country-style morning tea with your hosts Jess and Duncan Barber before visiting the old sheep-shearing shed for a private demonstration of merino-wool sheep shearing. You can also watch the expert cattle dogs rounding up the sheep.
Later, in the family dining room, over a delicious three-course lunch (Aussie barbecue with wine and soft drinks plus scrumptious pavlova dessert), you will learn more about the rich history of this long-established 10,000 acre sheep station.
After lunch, you'll head out for a truly Australian experience – a 4WD and helicopter kangaroo round-up. You can either go by helicopter and get a aerial view of the 'roos', or travel by 4WD vehicle to a hide, which the kangaroos will pass when flushed out by motorbike or chopper.
Your visit to Coliban Park Homestead lasts about 2 hours and 40 minutes. After saying goodbye to your friendly hosts, you will board a helicopter for a pleasant 40 minute flight back to Melbourne.
Your pilot will give you a scenic city tour before touching down at Essendon Airport. At the airport, you will be met by the vehicle which will take you back to your hotel (or to Russel Street Extension if you prefer).