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.The Lost City

Indulge yourself in these natural wonders. Being only accessible by helicopter, this tour is a spectacular and exciting experience. Flying the 11 kilometres from the base, you will be overwhelmed by these ancient columns of sandstone rising up to meet you, as you land amongst them.

Your flight takes you over the Abner Escarpment onto a plateau of the Abner Ranges situated on McArthur River Station. From the air you will see exactly how these natural sky scrapers were formed. The area was once an inland sea, the water seeped into the rock and eroded it, breaking it into columns up to 25m tall.

At 1.4 billion years in the making, these rocks are some of the oldest in the world. They consist of 95% silica and are held together by an outer crust made mainly of iron, giving them their red colour.

The 2 hour ground tour is a 1.5 km walk around the base of a small section, low level fitness is required. Accompanied by a guide you will be shown a variety of plant species, learn the geology, cultural history and explore a cave that has been formed from water tunneling through the rocks.

The vegetation is always spectacular with many birds inhabiting the area. The Carpentaria Grasswren is extremely rare and often seen on the walk.

Two Aboriginal art sites can be viewed at the Lost City and there you will see pictures of Goannas and other food sources. Unfourtunately, these artworks are beginning to erode and may not be there for much longer.

The local Aboriginal people regarded the Lost City as sacred place and in the past, held circmucision ceremonies there. The healing properties of two nearby trees are evidence of this. The green plum is an anaesthetic tree, used for everything from toothache to stomach ulcers, and the snotty gobble, also an anaesthetic tree, grows near the green plum and they formed a most useful combination for curing ailments.

Asking locals in the area for directions to the Lost City will be dismissed with a wave of the hand:

“The Lost City, ha! It doesn’t exist, it’s a myth!”

Talk to anyone over a beer at the local pub and they’ll repeat the legends:

“A mate of mine tried to find the Lost City, we never saw him again.”

“I’ve lived here for 30 years, and I’ve never seen this so-called ‘Lost City’”

“If there was a City out here, believe me, we would have found it.”

They’ll most likely try to spin you the latest yarn, dreamed up over a few beers to while away the time.

Well, we have not only been there, but we have the pictures to prove it!

Lets us defy the locals and take you on the flight of your life to the mythical 'Lost City'.

Accessible only by helicopter, you will land in the centre of a spectacular natural amphitheatre. From there you can walk around the more eroded part of the city. A cave nearby goes right through the rock and gives the visitor access to higher ground with excellent views.

You will learn about the local flora and geology and some of the Aboriginal and mining history of the area. During the tour you will have many spectacular photo opportunities.

The vegetation in this region is in great abundance due to the large recent wet season, with many of the species flowering during the tourist period.

This eco-tour is nature at it’s very best.

Ground tours operate daily into the Lost City from April to October depending on the wet season. Tours last around two hours, and starting at 4.30pm is the time of day the light is at its most spectacular.

The tour operates opposite Heartbreak Hotel or from the main booking office on Roper Bar Road, Cape Crawford.

The cost of the Ground Tour is $350 per person (minimum of two people).

SCENIC FLIGHTS

If you prefer not to land at the Lost City, you can still take the scenic flight part of the tour. Your experienced pilot will take you over the fault line and along the escarpment giving you plenty of aerial photo opportunities. The helicopter has no doors for better visibility, any squeamish flyers are advised to take the middle seat.

Accessible only by Helicopter

The flight covers the areas of Abner escarpment, Lost City, Ivan’s Way.

The cost of the Scenic Flight is $300 per person.

The Lost City Tour Operates Opposite Heartbreak Hotel.

Main booking office is on Roper Bar Road.

Contact Sandra on: (08) 89759611

or e-mail: Sandra @ CapeCrawfordTourism.com.au