Jordan my son and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Lake Eyre and surrounds. Gerry our driver was kind and obliging. Willing to make various stops in order for us to hone our bird identification skills

I enjoyed my 3 day Lake Eyre trip with Sprit Safari in September. Our three drivers were very knowledgable and managed to cram a lot into just a few days. We had people from many places and everyone mixed well. I was disappointed not to see more birds during our flight over Lake Eyre, but that’s the way it’s been this season.

Richard is probably one of, if not, the most experienced owner-driver 4WD tour leader in Australia. Backed by a very competent, well informed and congenial team of colleagues, guarantees the client access to extraordinary experiences in this amazing country. Spirit Safaris take you to the heart and it beats to the rhythm of an ancient land. Not to be missed.

Such a small group in each vehicle, awesome! That’s a perfect way to experience the solitude of the outback. Was on a lake eyre scenic flights and wilpena pound walk trip last month. I changed my plans for an optional flight to birdsville last minute, and they made it happen. It was a great choice durning the wet weather this year, so green I wouldn’t know it’s a desert. I feel like 1 in a million…..how’s that for solitude!

Had an amazing 4 day adventure to Lake Eyre with Richard, Lynn and Adrian, and 12 fellow travellers. Lake Eyre is spectacular but in the middle of nowhere, photos don’t do it justice. Richard and co were very accommodating and easy going, nothing was a trouble. Small group format in 3 vehicles suited me.

Wonderful four day trip to Wilpena Pound and Lake Eyre. Great sights and memories. Four guests with Richard as driver and tour guide in a standard land cruiser vehicle. Taken to some unusual places. Relaxed and friendly.

We had a wonderful experience with the team of Spirit Safaris.
They were knowledgeable, extremely helpful and friendly.
In particular, Lyn made a huge effort to share her wealth of information and satisfy any of our requests.

A long held wish to see Lake Eyre was finally realised last week and I could not have chosen a better guide than Lynne and Spirit Safaris. The concept of travelling in a small group was perfect so when rain closed one door Lynne opened another one. My holiday was everything I wanted it to be, seeing the Lake and experiencing the vastness that is inland Australia. Thank you Lynne and Spirit Safaris, I am already looking at where to next.

The tour was great, just a small group in a Hilux 4 wheel drive. Lynne was incredibly knowledgeable about the areas we visited and a really solid safe driver.
Such an amazing experience to see Kati Thanda in flood highly recommend this tour company.

I had a wonderful trip to Cape York. It was on my bucket list and I certainly was not disappointed. The scenery up the top and Thursday Island were amazing.
Lyn and Richard are very relaxed and extremely proficient in every aspect. I would certainly recommend Spirit Safaris if you want a comfortable and engaging trip in the outback.

Wonderful experience to see our beautiful Australian outback - the colours, the expanse, the serenity, the history and the charm all with expert guidance from Richard. Laughter all round with other guests on tour, joining in some car singing, brain games and jokes to make the travelling extra fun. Richard's driving experience ensured a safe passage no matter what surface we were travelling across. A special time for us to see Cooper's Creek in flood. Highly recommend this company for an authentic experience and with two trips under our belt with Spirit Safaris, we'll be back for a third in the near future.

Richard took me to the Kimberley a few years ago and we had the privilege to be invited by local elders to visit some of their rock art sacred sites. It was one of the most profound experience that I have had in 40+ years travelling around the world. Thanks Richard

Adrian our guide from Spirit Safaris was a very competent and knowledgeable for our 4 day Cameron Corner tour. We enjoyed his company and certainly the lunches, morning and afternoon teas in trees under shady trees and of the beaten track. Adrian used tracks some areas that had very little definition. A major highlight occurred on the 15 mile track between Moomba and Innamincka where we came across an Inland Taipan that is rarely seen in there outback.
To use the original track across Coppers Creek to get to the Dig Tree instead of taking the long way around was a great memory. There is no doubt that we thoroughly enjoyed our experience and cannot thank both Spirit Safaris and Adrian foe a great experience.

Well Lyn and Richard.. you certainly hit the jackpot fior 100% care and comfort on our recent Safari from Willpena Pound to Coober Pedy and back to Adelaide. The wind blew and blew. South Aus produced its best cold weather....and we Queenslanders survived it all and actually didn't even notice because you made each day so interesting. Took us to out of the way areas and were so informative about it all. And you were tireless. And pleasant. And happy. And let us get to the tucker first at each stop. We are coming again for more of the same. A Big Thankyou. Moil Freeman and Alison Early.

Just returned from Lake Eyre 6 day trip. Fantastic. Highly recommend. It was refreshingly relaxed and interesting. Richard new the area well and also his vehicle. We were always confident if something unexpected happened he would sort it and he did. The meals and accomodation were great and well organised. We loved the picnic lunches although I could have done without the flies!! A fly face net is a must. The flight over Lake Eyre and the Ridge Top Safari were highlights. I will never forget the outstanding Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and having 2 nights here and as well as Marree provided a well paced trip. Thanks to both Richard and Lynne for a great trip and we look forward to joining you on another Spirit Safari(s).

We had a special four days with Lynne, our proficient driver/guide. The highlight was our flight over Lake Eyre (and water below)
Thank you. Maureen and David

The trip to the Kimberly region was fantastic. It was great to be on a real small tour, with only four passengers and Richard as our guide and driver. He knew all the best spots to take us and was very knowledgeable about the area. It was a fantastic trip and I would highly recommend it.

FANTASTIC trip!! Richard was relaxed, professional and knowledgeable. A girlfriend and I did the karijini and pilbara tour and it was just amazing. Great mix of stunning locations, quirky and fun accommodations and fascinating history. I would certainly go with Richard and Spirit Safaris again.

Just what I wanted, peace and quiet, interesting conversation if I wanted it, beautiful country to bask in, Thanks so much Richard.

A fabulous, rewarding and educational 8 day Corner Country tour Finally seeing so many iconic outback places we've only viewed in documentaries and books so far in our 70 odd years was a dream come true. It gives a real sense of place whenever any of these locations come up on screen etc now.
For our first 3 days we travelled with Richard's partner, Lyn, and her group before hiving off to Innamincka, Birdsville and Marree with many stops in between. Nothing was too much trouble for Richard and he kept us well informed of what we were doing each day. He even made a detour to Betoota at our request! Every day was full and there was no room for the slightest boredom even on long drive days as Richard and our other passenger, Janelle, were the excellent conversationalists with great senses of humour too boot.
If you're looking for a 4 - 5 star luxury holiday then this is not for you but if good, clean, comfortable accommodation and regular meals suffice then this holiday is well worth undertaking. Once you've driven on the Stuart Desert, the Strzlecki and the Oodnadatta Tracks you can really appreciate the logistics and costs associated with getting goods and services to these and surrounding areas. Having said that, we had some lovely stays and meals and a holiday we haven't stopped talking about but which will remain a favourite for sure. Our thanks to Richard and Lyn.

An amazing experience booked with Spirit Safaris but conducted by Howard from Desert Sky Tours. Flight over Lake Eyre explained by Peter from Wright's Airline's and then the opportunity/privelege to walk through the Painted Hills with Peter a bonus. WOW. Don't miss this opportunity. Wilpena Pound wonderful. Had a great tour guide. Enjoyed and recommend.

Call of the Simpson Desert A 13-DAY CROSSING I loved the tour stopping at points of interest along the old Ghan railway line., where group members learnt of the history and hardship of these early settlements.

Dalhousie Springs was also a great attaction, showing the diversity of such a remote area of Australia

Best Outback Tours with Spirit Safaris We love outback tours with Spirit Safaris because it is quite personalised and somewhat flexible, with just 2 to 4 people, We enjoy Richard O’Neil’s relaxed company, especially his knowledge, insights and open conversation about many topics. He puts the “Spirit” into Spirit Safaris. The 8-day Corner Country tour was our 5th outback trip with Spirit Safaris. This country is historical, geologically interesting, beautiful in Spring after the rains, varied accommodation frequently with colourful outback characters. Very highly recommended for a real outback experience.

Travelling down the Darling Our companions were great, the closeness to the earth, the Warrumbungles and search for traces of my family history, the Macquarie Marches, the aboriginal art and wonderful guide, the silo art, the beauty of Menindee Lakes and it’s Burke and Wills history, the evening watching the stars, the joy of seeing the Darling rise at Bourke, yet the water still to come at Pooncarie, and the starkness of Broken Hill. Other adventures that made the trip memorable was passing through a water covered road (safely) and watching with amusement, Lyn and company dealing with a snake around the car. As the river was on the rise, we unfortunately missed out on seeing the Aboriginal fish trap as Brewarrina, and the boat ride I was looking forward to. Our accommodation was quite acceptable, although not so for two of our companions in Broken Hill. Some car trouble at Inverell was overcome and we all got to Mungo Resort to enjoy the stark landscape there. We saw many other places, and it was a really enjoyable adventure, providing us city folks with some idea of the beauty of outback Australia, and Richard and Lyn looked after us very well. We travelled in April 2021.

Northern Australia at its best Stunning scenery along the Gibb River Rd. The staff did a terrific job under difficult circumstances and produced great meals despite problems of food supply with weather difficulties.
Comfortable travel in the four-wheel drive vehicles and in camp with good sized tents and a stretcher being provided to give a good night's sleep.

Northern Australia at its best Stunning scenery along the Gibb River Rd. The staff did a terrific job under difficult circumstances and produced great meals despite problems of food supply with weather difficulties.
Comfortable travel in the four-wheel drive vehicles and in camp with good sized tents and a stretcher being provided to give a good night's sleep.

Fantastic support and great options . Richard easy to contact and very helpful and flexible... particularly during difficult Covid times.

Fantastic support and great options . Richard easy to contact and very helpful and flexible... particularly during difficult Covid times.

fabulous private family tour Richard and Lyn drove us on a nine day private tour taking in Innamincka, Birdsville, Lake Eyre, Coober Pedy, Woomera, to name a few. There were 10 family members covering 3 generations, including young children. All our requests and needs were well catered for: countless spectacular sights, interesting commentary, excellent food, accommodation as good as possible in the locations, comfortable vehicles and excellent driving – all provided with good cheer to ensure our trip was as enjoyable and memorable as possible. Weather and road conditions required extra driving for Richard and Lyn and this was all accommodated without a hitch for us (despite adding to the workload for Richard and Lyn!).

As good as it gets. Did the 4 day Cameron's Corner Country Tour that included Tibooburra, Innakinka the Dig Tree and Coopers Creek.
Comfortable travel, good food, excellent accommodation for the locations (don't expect 5 star at Cameron's Corner) and all with a knowledgeable and careful driver.
We ticked off all of the items we wished to see in the area.
Highly Recommended

Kimberly tour I did the Kimberly tour and was told it was clamping but unfortunately it was camping . The agent for Richard could not contact him and l was on another tour so by the time l found out it was camping, it was too late to cancel, so l decided to go anyway. Big mistake as l had repeatedly told them l have artificial hips and knees. Richard repeatedly said that he hadn’t received my medical information, but it was sent with my food preferences and that was received by the driver , as he asked who didn’t like humus, which was in the one message. The tour was not an enjoyable holiday, we had early breakfast and dismantle camp site, we would make our own wraps on the tail gate of the 4 wheel drive, no offer of hot drink ever though there were Thermos flask’s and no toilet stops anyway until whenever we stayed. I could go on and on but all l will say is, thankfully Paul, Jan, and Judy my fellow traveler’s were wonderful and helped me Immensely I know Richard will not like this review but I feel l have to tell people so no one else has to go through what we 4 went through. This tour was expensive and so disappointing. Nothing like the Itinerary , which hasn’t changed since before Covid.

Disappointing We requested and were promised a 14 day camping tour focused on Rock Art. One site was cancelled the day we arrived in Broome. What we saw was minimal and mediocre particularly knowing what the Kimberley’s has to offer. We wasted our money.

Bucket list Icould,nt pick a favourite part of our 4day Lake Eyre and Wilpena Pound Tour, it was all amazing, Linda was our guide and she was a wealth of knowledge. The scenery and the food and the history was great. she really looked after us. Liz was the tour guide in the other vehicle, these women were great drivers , we had a very comfortable trip, Would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to learn about our history and see the outback. 10 out of 10. Cheryl and Graeme Felsch. Thank You Spirit Safaris.

AMAZING ADVENTURES. BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS. I did the 12 day Broome to Broome tour. Most amazing thing I have ever done. Tour guide Adrian was incredible, knowledgeable, great cook, helpful. Saw so many things on my bucket list, plus so much more!!!! Had never camped in my life but whole group helped me with tents and to walk the gorges. Good tents, camp sites, yummy food. Very highly recommend Spirit Safaris.

Great tour - great operator had a really enjoyable and interesting time with this company - highly recommended for couple or families - private tour and charter options too

Fantastic Weekend to Lake Eyre We (2) were picked up at 7:30am by Grant (our driver) and headed to Claire for morning tea to catch up with the other group on the tour and then headed to Maree and this was going to be the base of our travels with a stop at Quorn for lunch.
The accommodation is ok and suited our needs.
That night we ate at the Oasis cafe (which is the service station, post office and local store). The food was great - lots of it and delicious. The owner is a great guy (cant remember his name) and easy going. Wine and beer etc available but limited selections - but not an issue from my perspective as we all had enough options to drink that night.
The following morning Oasis cafe was helpful in providing a good breakfast and coffee and we were off on a 3hr drive to Williams Creek to catch our flight over Lake Eyre.
Excellent flight over Lake Eyre for 2 hours - great colours, black ducks etc
Lunch at William Creek and then our return drive stopping in at the Bubbler plus some other spots.
Sunset in Maree with amazing colours across the land. Strong orange moon rise.

Dinner at the Pub in Maree and good selection of food, a few drinks and a few more at our accommodation with the other members of the tour group.

Breakfast the following morning at Oasis cafe and we were off back to Adelaide.
Passing through Leigh Creek and the dam that supports Leigh Creek - stunning.

Stopping in at Farina and Kanyaka homestead. Back to Quorn for lunch, to the final drive back to Adelaide.

Great weekend!

Lyn and Grant the tour drivers were fantastic easy going and accommodating.

Just some notes to perspective visitors -
1. There is a lot of ground to cover to get to Maree so depart times are important.
2. Do some research on temperatures and drive duration
3. If there are specific areas you would like to visit advise the tour operators prior to the trip/ booking
4. Of course the tour operators can provide specific information

Thanks to Spirit Safaris for a great weekend.

Great trip did the 12day Darwin to broome trip as a tag a long. Cant rate Adrian our guide highly enough, he was fantastic. This trip needs a good level of fitness but is highly worth it, seen some of the most beautiful parts of Australia which we would not have seen on our own. Adrian has a lot of knowledge and was great with everyone, morning tea and lunch stops were timed just right and in some unusual but great spots, bathroom stops were not a problem either, he made this tour great. Had a few hiccups in the early stages pre tour with communication but were sorted quickly once meeting up with Adrian.We went with another cple from NZ and they were great company too, just a small group was perfect. Trip itself was 5 star all round totally recommend

We had a day in the blue mountains with Richard and I’d 100% recommend. Very nice guy who is easy to communicate with during the booking process.

My only criticism is that the price is the very upper end of what I think a lot of people would pay.

Wonderful way to see the outback - We enjoyed every second of it !! thanks spirit safaris - 5 star service

Wonderful way to see the outback - We enjoyed every second of it !! thanks spirit safaris - 5 star service

I have been on a number of journeys with this man, and while we share our name, we are not related. Richard is passionate about Australia, her beauty and her toughness. I have met with a number of indigenous elders with him, enjoyed their stories and connection to the land. Spirit Safaris, an overnight success built on vision, tenacity and a dogged belief people need to experience Australia's heart!