What is the focus of the Australia trips?Our short camping trips are mostly focussed on being able to experience nature at its best while becoming acquainted with unique Aboriginal culture. Instead of only offering travel along standard routes, we also promote travel beyond of the beaten path. We believe that it's important to treat Australia's fragile ecological system responsibly and to respect local culture. If this is important to you as well and if you're an active and adventurous individual, then these trips were created for you! Before your trip begins, you'll receive an indemnity form from us with which liability issues will be settled. How difficult are the trips?Anyone can participate in our Australia camping trips. There are however 3 different categories to choose from:
1. trips with hikes up to 5km per day.
2. trips with hikes of up to 6-8km per day.
3. trips with hikes of 9km or more per day and some other outdoors activity (these trips are meant for travellers aged 12 through 50). Travellers need to be physically fit to participate. The same goes for active 4x4 trips to Ayers and Kakadu.
Naturally trips that offer less comfort require a more adventurous, active attitude. If you don't like to travel for long distances or get queasy when driving through a lot of turns (for instance in Tasmania), bring along medication for car sickness. If you're planning a boat trip, you may want to bring along medication for sea sickness. When camping you may be asked to help out (a little) by collecting some firewood, preparing dinner and washing up. What's included during the trips?All transport, transfers to/ from the hotel at arrival/ departure, accommodation and use of camping equipment, camping fees, entrance fees at most national parks, meals as described, assistance and GST (Australian VAT). In some cases the cost of several activities are also included. If these costs are included you'll find out about it in the day-to-day description of the trip. What isn't included?Other meals, drinks, tips and other personal expenditures. The entrance fees for the national parks mentioned below are also excluded from the price of the trips. Here are approximate entrance fees for each park (per person): Ayers Rock / Olga’s: AU$25, Kakadu and Kangaroo Island: AU$10, Tasmania: AU$10. You'll pay these entrance fees in Australian dollars to your driver on the morning of your trip. Optional activities (boating trips, helicopter trips, diving, horseback riding) are excluded, unless they are explicitly described as included. Payment takes place on the spot. You'll only have a pay a meal fee when travelling from Alice - Cairns or vice versa. Why go camping?During most Outback trips in Australia you'll spend the night in comfortable tents. Obviously this is more affordable than staying at hotels, which are there aren't that many of in the Outback anyway. However, even if you've never been camping before this is the best possible way to experience the beauty nature. You'll never forget sleeping beneath such an awe-inspiring starry night sky. You'll travel with a dependable, professional local organisation known for its young staff and it's large number of camps in Australia. Are there other advantages? - You'll avoid busy hotels where larger tour groups would spend the night. These hotels may offer more luxury, however they don't have the atmosphere or charm that smaller hotels have.
- You'll travel in a small group with like-minded individuals who you can share your travel experiences with; you'll have plenty of people to keep you company during the long drives.
- Your tour guide will give you interesting background information and will share funny anecdotes and local folklore with you. This will make travelling through a certain area even more appealing.
- You'll arrive at the right place at the right time, before the crowds arrive caused by larger tour groups and you'll visit less well known areas that you may not have found on your own.
- You'll have plenty of time to look around at your own pace before or after an organised tour. What do the campsites look like?Permanent campsites (for instance Ayers Rock and Kings Creek Station): These ‘camps’ are actually quite comfortable: they have a permanent kitchen, refrigerator, flowing water and tidy, shared shower and toilet facilities. The campsites spacious tents are already up and ready for your arrival. Usually you'll find a campsite store, bar and restaurant at a campsite and at times even a swimming pool.
Or maybe you would prefer a room: During longer trips you'll spend the night in cities such as Alice Springs or Darwin. Camping out is a less logical choice in these cities. Due to the very unpredictable weather on Tasmania, you probably wouldn't want to go camping there either. In these cases you'll spend the night in hostels (in a shared room for usually 4, and every now and then 8 people) or hotels. Sometimes you'll stay at a double occupancy room (for a surcharge) or you can book a hotel room on the spot if you would like more privacy. If this is an option, it's usually indicated in the day-to-day description of a module.
Semi permanent campsites: Travellers set up their own tents here and there are shared showers and toilets, however cooking facilities will need to be brought along to the campsite.
Bush campsites: All you'll have available to you is all you bring along with you. You won't sleep in tents; you'll sleep in swags. This is an Australian combination of a tent, mattress and sleeping bag in one. Along the way you'll stop off at ‘roadhouses’, a typical Australian combination of a petrol station, campsite, bar, store and at times even a farm in the middle of the Outback. You'll be able to shower here, go to the toilet and stock up on drinking water and cold drinks. What can I expect?Except while at a bush campsite, you'll spend the night in a tent for 2 - 4 people with a mattress. Couples will get their own double occupancy tent. There aren't any pillows, so you can bring your own if you like (it can also be comfortable for during your ride). While in Kakadu you'll stay in tent-homes on a platform, because of the humidity. If you would like a tent for 2, that's possible as well. You can also choose to stay at a charming lodge in Kakadu (for a surcharge), if you would like to sleep in more comfort. There's also a more luxurious camping option near Ayers Rock. When these options are available, you'll read about in the day-to-day description of a trip. How long will you be travelling in Australia? Depending on the trip and the route you'll travel by air-conditioned mini bus (Toyota Coaster, maximum of 24 passengers with forward-facing chairs or in a special Isuzu or Mitsubishi desert 4x4 vehicle with 16-20 chairs facing forward and air-conditioning). There are also several 4x4 vehicles for up to 9 - 12 passengers. In some cases larger, more luxurious touring buses with a maximum occupancy of 45 people are used to cover large distances (for instance during several days of long travel between Alice Springs and Cairns or Darwin). These buses have better shock breakers and are therefore more comfortable during very long rides. Luckily the trips are always relatively small-scale. Usually a group will be made up of a maximum of 16 people; this depends on which season you're travelling in. If you like you can bring along your own music cassette tapes since all vehicles have a radio/cassette recorder. Smoking and drinking alcohol is only allowed outside of the bus. Will you be in the bus for long? Don't underestimate the long distances in Australia. Kakadu for instance is approximately as large as half of Switzerland. Luckily the roads are calm and the vehicles are well maintained. Since you'll be travelling with an enthusiastic driver/ tour guide and a group of travellers from all over the world, your time on the road will be more pleasant. The distances will seem to be shorter than when you would have had to drive them on your own. For example, during a regular day you'll drive 400-500km. When there are activities planned for during the day you'll driver shorter distances, for instance about 250km. During a long day of travel when you need to cover large distances between cities, for instance between Alice and Darwin, you will travel approximately 900km.
What will you eat and drink while travelling? During each trip you'll find out which meals are included: B = breakfast or 'brekkie' as the Aussies call it, L = Lunch and D = Dinner. Lunch and dinner are usually made up of barbecue and food cooked on a camp over, usually on a wood fire. Vegetarian or gluten-free meals aren't a problem, however please make reservations for these special meals when booking your trip. Other special diet meals are also available and should be requested when booking your trip. Especially in the middle and northern part of Australia you'll have to take care to drink enough (2-3 litres per person, per day). Naturally all vehicles have large water tanks and there will always be plenty of water for you to drink. There's also an ice-box filled with soft drinks and beer (for a small fee). During the last days of the trip, a barbecue or buffet-style meal is usually included in the price of the trip. Even if you choose to stay at a hostel or hotel, for instance during trips through Tasmania, meals included during your trip are usually eaten together with your fellow travellers. Who will travel with you? Active travellers, relatively physically fit and who can swim well will be your travel companions. Usually they're 18 to 45 years. So what if you're older and yet still active and physically fit? What about families travelling with children aged 8 - 12? No problem at all.... there are plenty of tours to choose from, just make sure you choose one that's right for you or contact us and we can help you make an informed decision. Children receive a 10% discount when they share an accommodation with a parent, however they cannot join in on 4x4 trips. Unfortunately our camping trips in Australia are not appropriate for children under the age of 8. Our travellers come from all around the world, even from Australia! Aussies really enjoy going on camping trips in their own country. Is there a tour guide? Our trips are lead by young, enthusiastic Australians who offer an excellent combination of professional training (for instance regarding national parks and first aid) with knowledge of geology, biology and Aboriginal culture. It's really quite interesting to see how much fun these people have in their jobs. You'll notice that it's a typically Australian trait to take pride in even the most basic tasks. They really are more a part of the group than the leaders of the group it seems. Our Outback safaris are what you would call 'participating' trips. That's why we expect you to help out a little at times when necessary, for instance by helping to set up a tent or helping to prepare a meal. Can trips be combined? Some of our longer tours (for instance the 6, 7 or 10-day trips) are combinations of 2 to 3 shorter 3-day trips. It's also possible that not all of your fellow travellers will join you for the entire trip or that new participants join the group. Although you'll often have the same guide for these trips, this may not always be the case. What if the weather is poor? Australia has several different climate zones and when crossing a large distance, some routes may be altered due to weather conditions. In the rare event that weather conditions cause a certain route to fall through, we'll offer an excellent alternate programme. You may run into this problem in Kakadu, where tropical conditions during some months can make it difficult to reach Jim Jim and Twin Falls. However the weather can also be unpredictable in other parts of the country, such as in Tasmania. Meeting up with Aboriginals is also an important part of our trips, but can never be guaranteed for 100%. What should you bring along? Luckily you won't need a lot of baggage during these trips. It's best to bring along practical, informal clothing.... there's no need to bring along stiletto heals and party clothes when touring the Outback. Any baggage that you won't need during the trip can usually be left at the hotel you'll spend the night in before heading out on your trip (sometimes you'll pay a small fee for this). You'll have to bring along your own sheet(bag) and sleeping bag (these can be hired for AU$15 each or purchased for AU$25, make reservations when booking your trip) and (especially for trips around Ayers Rock and certainly during the winter months June through September) plenty of warm clothing. You'll also need a sleeping bag when you stay at a hostel. When staying in tropical Kakadu, you'll usually only need a sheet(bag). Mattresses will always be provided. Proper walking shoes, bathing clothes, a towel, a hat with a broad rim, sunscreen, a canteen, a torch, bug repellent perhaps even a 'fly net' or 'mosquito net' are your standard gear. You shouldn't need more than a backpack or bag that can hold up to 15kg, a sleeping bag and a daypack or bag for some smaller items you may need along the way. Can you be reached if necessary? It's hard to go on safari through some of the most remote natural areas in Australia and stay in touch with the outside world at all times. The distances are simply too large and you won't find telephone masts in vast national parks. You'll have phone service in cities and near most official campsites, as well as during most stops you make along the way. If you need to be able to receive an important message, it's best to have it go through one of our local partners in Australia. Our partners are also best suited to find you and contact you in case of an emergency. The contact information for our local partners can be found on your travel documents. When you book a travel module that will take you far away from civilisation, a satellite phone will be brought along just in case of an emergency. Transfers and reconfirmation You'll be picked up at your hotel and taken back to your hotel during nearly all travel modules (unless the module description says otherwise). Be sure to confirm that you'll use the transfers when booking your trip. If you wish to participate in a transfer, you'll have to pass on your name and room number before 16:00 the day before you head out on a tour. That's when you'll find out exactly when you'll be picked up the next day.
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