Reviews from our past adventurers
“Google’s Obsolete
I’ve just spent 4 days traversing the corrugations of tracks and places I’d previously only dreamed of and struggled to spell! (Oodnadatta). Never fear, when Tom’s in charge you don’t need Google!! He’s outback internet supremo! ... Plus I’m sure if he didn’t ever know the answer he’d expertly make it up!! I can’t praise a man more highly than one who thought my daughters and I are sisters!! Thank you Tom for an Outback experience like no other.”
“A Breathtaking Journey Through Time and Landscape – 5 Stars!
My wife and I have just returned from an unforgettable 4-day Lake Eyre tour with Tom Noonan from Lake Eyre Tours, and we’re still buzzing from the experience. From start to finish, this journey was a masterclass in outback storytelling, natural wonder, and genuine hospitality. Tom’s deep knowledge and passion for the region brought every stop to life. The Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and Wilpena Pound were simply majestic—towering ancient landscapes that made us feel like we’d stepped into a geological epic. At Nilpena Ediacara National Park, we stood in awe before some of the oldest fossils on Earth, a humbling reminder of life’s beginnings. The overnight stay in Marree after a fabulous dinner and drinks at the Marree Hotel was wonderfully comfortable, then up for an early morning flight over Lake Eyre. Seeing the lake filled with water surrounded by the vast salt flats from above was surreal and spotting the Marree Man etched into the desert was a thrill—especially with Tom’s insight into its mysterious origins. After landing, we set off along the legendary Oodnadatta Track through William Creek and then onward for our overnight stay in Coober Pedy, soaking in the raw beauty of the outback. Highlights included the iconic Dingo Fence and the otherworldly moonscape of The Breakaways—both unforgettable sights that added even more depth to the journey. Every detail was thoughtfully planned, every moment rich with meaning. The food and drinks were fabulous and catered for everyone’s tastes. If you’re looking for a tour that blends adventure, education, and heart, this is it. We’re grateful to Tom and Lake Eyre Tours for a truly fabulous experience—and we’re already dreaming of our next outback escape. Highly recommended. Five stars, without hesitation!”
“Just do it - not just a tour, but a lifetime experience *****
An amazing experience from start to finish. Tom was a wonderful tour guide, knowledgeable, interesting, and a great host and ambassador for South Australia. He took 11 of us through beautiful, quaint little towns with great food, painted silos, art museums, and artists. We looked over the stunning scenery of Wilpena Pound and the surrounding gorges, saw Ediacaran fossils in Nilpena National Park, visited an Ochre pit, stayed in Marree (take a fly net), took a flight over Lake Eyre and the Marree Man. The lake was almost full after the Queensland cyclonic rains earlier in the year but unfortunately we were too early to see the bird life we’s hoped to (it’ll likely be great in about a year’s time). We travelled the Oodnadatta Track, saw Williams Creek, Cooper Pedy, and the Breakaways... and so much more. We loved it. And South Australia - we’ll be back! We can’t recommend this tour highly enough.”
“Essence of Australia’s outback heart.
I did the 4 day Lake Eyre small group tour to see water in this iconic inland sea, a long sought dream, but I got so much more than I expected: visited legendary film venues in Quorn and Coober Pedy, stayed at a craft brewery/gourmet game restaurant in the shadow of the Flinders Ranges at Paranchila, and privileged to meet passionate bush polymaths like Jeff Morgan and Talc Alf. The most unexpected thing was to find that the origin of todays diverse animals resides in the rocks of South Australia. Tom not only drove us efficiently through thousands of kilometers of sealed and not so sealed roads, his personal stories and eclectic choice of bush eateries ensured that we were always surprised and sated ! Four days of experiences that would take forty years to discover. Still marvelling at all the beautiful things I saw but never heard of before.”
“As an older woman, solo traveller, the small group tour was a hoot! Wonderful host and experiences. Tom picked me up from my house and I joined a fun and interesting group, on his mighty mini bus! We covered a heap of kilometers and saw awe inspiring sites, including Red Gum flanked streams and gorges, in ancient Wilpena Pound; the rusted, rolling hills and plateaus of Northern South Australia; patterned salt pans and shimmering waters of Lake Eyre; bright carpets of roadside wild flowers, and sentinel bearded dragons, sunning themselves. We stayed in plush resort accommodation, through to dodgey dongas! In the outback, we found it easy to roll with whatever unfolded and by keeping a sense of humour. We ate at some out of the way and quirky spots, feasting on quandong tarts, fine wines, steak, gourmet pizza & the biggest Marree-style breakfast! As a first time soloist, I highly recommend Tom and his tours. I felt safe, included and met the best people. I’m ready for my next adventure!”
“We did the 4 Day Lake Eyre Tour with Tom and found him very knowledgeable and enjoyed listening to his experiences in the outback. It was a pleasure travelling with Tom and the lovely group of 5 other travellers. We would highly recommend any of Tom’s tours.”
“We done the four day tour, we had the best time from the time Tom picked us up till the time we finished our tour. We had so many laughs with Tom and he was so informative with his information. Everything was well planned, everyone got on so well. Accommodation and meals were great. We would highly recommend anyone to do this tour. Lake Eyre fight was amazing, so come on people, book it in. ”
“I did a 4 day trip with Tom of Lake Eyre tours. Just fantastic. Well organised, knew the countryside, the people and had found some great not so well known places for us to visit. Small group, very relaxed and fun. I highly recommend it.”
“So pleased I had the opportunity to do Tom’s 4 day tour. Such beautiful and interesting country. Having grown up on the land Tom is very knowledgeable and knows the history. He took us to out of the way places, and would stop for us to look at birds, animals and wildflowers. Would highly recommend .”
“We were very fortunate to experience a wonderful 4 day Lake Eyre tour with Tom Noonan. Tom’s relaxed and friendly manner quickly set the tone for the 4 days. His local knowledge and passion for the area greatly enhanced our enjoyment of the tour. Tom worked hard to provide us with a range of interesting experiences. We meet some colourful characters, visited places of historical interest, saw amazing landscapes and spotted unexpected wildlife! Our flight over Lake Eyre was spectacular!!
I highly recommend this tour. Thanks Tom. ”
“So many favorite parts to my trip with Tom on Lake Eyre Tours that I cannot single out one only. Been home for two weeks and still feeling the come down from the trip it was so good. The crew we had on board were fantastic and along with Tom’s knowledge and wonderful personality you could not go wrong with this tour.
I would highly recommend it.”
“Just returned from Tom Noonan’s 4 day Lake Eyre tour. What a fabulous experience to see the many colours of the land, the constant changing terraine of the country, the never ending ‘surprises’ Tom had in store for his charges, kept us all in awe. We traveled as a small group, 9 people making it a friendly, personel tour. Tom made everyone feel very comfortable with his easy going manner. Flying over Lake Eyre, seeing Flinders Rangers and Wilpena Pound were an amazing experience the vastness was unbelievable as was the age of the land. Thanks Tom for your time and your knowledge. 👏👏
Roby”
“I had the absolute pleasure of joining Tom and 8 other adventurers for the 4 Day trip to Lake Eyre in July. What an experience! Tom has a passion for this part of the country and it makes for an unforgettable experience. His ‘surprises’ are amazing and this is a trip where you get a lot more than you expected. Highly recommended!”
“We went to see Lake Eyre in flood, and we saw so much more. An air crossing of the Warburton River shows how fast the river is moving towards Lake Eyre. The Channel Country is best seen by air. Each meal was in a different iconic location. Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and you have plenty of memory. It wasn’t only the sights. The history, people and stories make this a unique trip. We been to many amazing places across the world and this trip compares most favourably.”
“Congratulations Tom, you conduct a marvellous touring company with no expense spared. This adventure needs to be crossed off everyone’s bucket list - make sure you contact Tom.”
“I never thought that I would enjoy the outback not being a camping type person but this was one of the most amazing insights into Outback South Australia ever. Fantastic every step of the way, fantastic people everywhere we went.... exciting exhilarating.... highly recommended for locals as well as overseas visitors.”