Convoy life, camaraderie and the Field of Light in the Red Centre
To tagalong or not – that is the question. It is the question we posed to each other when we saw an Xpedition Tagalong tour advertised. We contemplated the pros and cons and what swayed our thoughts was the Field of Light at Uluru and how we would not have to organise anything for ourselves. We also thought about the full-on involvement with other people and how it might impact us and just how many vehicles would be in a convoy. Anyhow, we made a positive decision and added our names to the waitlist. And just as we were heading to Tasmania/lutruwita for a three-month trip, we got the call to say there was a vacancy and did we want it? YES please! So, send us “X” amount of money to secure your place, and a month before departure we want the rest. Okay then!
Our Iveco’s annual service after Tassie called for some rather important corrections, and the fuel crisis took our budget and doubled it. However, the Field of Light still called and so off we headed, all cleaned and polished, and the freezer full of prepared meals, just in case. We were amazed to find that there were 18 vehicles on our tour, plus the guide. It was a very long convoy.
From 4WD tour guide to tagalong newbie
Our working history is in the automotive industry and real estate/finance, and we have followed Formula 1. Then four-wheel-drive off-roading came along and a LandCruiser took our breaks on a totally different path: we became an instructor and tour guide and travelled all around Australia with vehicles following us into interesting situations. It was so much fun, and we continued travelling by ourselves to explore more places.
A caravan gave us luxury but still went everywhere. This was followed by a Tvan Track Trailer, which towed behind the Cruiser effortlessly through everything from mud to snow to sand. We finally sold all that and settled into a motorhome, which joined an Xpedition Tagalong with others. Such is life and the challenge was to keep up with the guide.
Meeting the convoy in Quorn
An afternoon meet and greet introduced us to our fellow travellers, who were mostly of similar vintage and representing a variety of occupations – farmers, medical personnel, law enforcers, structural engineers, as well as finance, motoring and education professionals. We also discovered that many in our group had met on previous tagalong trips. We were the newbies. An initial meal at the hotel was an opportunity to get acquainted.
Through the Flinders Ranges to Coober Pedy
From Quorn, in South Australia, we travelled the lower Ikara-Flinders Ranges and hit the Stuart Highway to Glendambo, after a quick visit to the Woomera rocket and missile park. The town is getting smaller but the flies were plentiful. A fly net was an immediate purchase on arriving in Coober Pedy, where we spent a couple of nights doing daytime tours of the Kanku-Breakaways and opal mines. The first tyre disaster was quickly fixed by a fitter with just the right rubber.
Convoy life and crossing into the NT
Each day’s travel was organised to reach a roadhouse or caravan park without being too onerous on travellers. Convoy procedure was important to keep everyone in touch from the front to ‘tail-end Charlie’. By day four we had crossed the Northern Territory border (good photo opp) and parked up at the Erldunda Roadhouse and caravan park, with a resident camel watching us. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset, with flies still our friends, and happy hour under the trees.
Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the Field of Light
And so, we set forth to Uluru and the Ayers Rock Campground, our home for three nights so we could trek around the base (or hire a Segway to join in with the younger tourists). We enjoyed sunrise over Uluru, and then sunset, plus a visit to Kata Tjuta/the Olgas during the afternoon. And of course, the very important Field of Light, a walk-through static display of coloured lights. It was beautiful as the moon rose, complementing the light show. Some in our group also went to other more high-tech shows, with drones and laser lights and packed dinners made from native ingredients – and they loved it.
The town of Yulara is quite a complex with high-end accommodation down to backpacker hostels and the caravan park. The general store was so busy during our visit, with busloads of students buying nibbles and other supplies. The shop assistants were almost overwhelmed.
Station life at Curtin Springs
From Yulara, we stayed at a cattle station called Curtin Springs/Wayside Inn. It’s an amazing-sized property with very basic facilities, but we were all fully self-contained, so really didn’t need much. We enjoyed a meal in the restaurant/dining bough shed, and the afternoon was spent listening to a very interesting talk from the owner about the property and its challenges. This included a very funny description of the use of a ‘purple tag’, which is used to identify troubled stock that will possibly be sent away on the next truck. An alternative paper-making business venture was also explained, describing how native grasses are harvested and – with persistence, patience and hard work – turned into handmade paper which is very popular for new brides wanting something different. It was a very fulfilling afternoon!
Kings Canyon and a cultural welcome at Karrke
Our next exciting two-day stay was at Kings Canyon and the brilliant Discovery Park, which has changed so much since our first visit. It’s huge with space for each site and great facilities, including multiple laundries and cooking options, an evening light show and a viewing platform overlooking the mountain range. Most energetic people tried the Rim Walk in the early morning, while some of us just enjoyed absorbing the details by osmosis (receiving knowledge passively without actively being involved). The photos taken were indeed stunning and will look beautiful when converted into a rolling picture show on the TV at home. (We also have a computer program that can convert these pictures into jigsaws which keep all these memories with us.)
En route back to Erldunda, we visited Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience & Tours and enjoyed a great presentation by siblings Natasha and Peter, who took us through a wonderful explanation of their culture, tools, food, medicine and trade items. We learnt about the greeting “palya” which also means goodbye and how are you.
Free time in Alice Springs
Next was Alice Springs and three days free time to do whatever took our fancy. Some of us did a mini convoy to Palm Valley, driving through sand, water and rocks to walk up through the valley, taking multiple pictures of the landscape. Beautiful. The historic precinct at Hermannsburg has closed, so the scones we were hoping to enjoy from a previous visit were no longer an option. The supermarkets in Alice Springs enjoyed our largesse as we stocked up for the next few days of free camping. Others in our travelling group went on tours to Simpsons Gap and Ormiston Gorge.
Starry skies at Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles
A night at the Devils Marbles Hotel saw us indulging in a communal meal with lots of conversation and laughter. Jocularity was not lacking among our members. Our tour guide managed to fit all 19 vehicles into the camping area with the dexterity of a Tetris master. His right foot was the position your wheel had to aim for to achieve your spot! We were in very close but friendly quarters. There was a group of tourists who were fascinated with the Milky Way and had all their cameras out on tripods in a circle, determined not to miss a moment.
Just up the road, we once again filled a parking area in our endeavour to view the Marbles/Karlu Karlu – huge granite boulder formations. The colours were amazing and the pathways wended through groups of rocks. There was so much to see and photograph. There was a camping area but we didn’t stay.
Across the Barkly to Mount Isa
After refuelling at Tennant Creek and a lunch stop at a telegraph station, the tour continued up to the Threeways junction and our turnoff east. We needed to keep an eye on fuel, and another stop at Barkly Homestead was essential. What a huge place it is, known for its ‘duelling’ goanna statues.
A couple of nights at rest areas along the Stuart and Barkly highways proved we could still rough it, except that the bities attacked and those of us susceptible suffered the next day. But that’s happy hours for you. Bubbly doesn’t poison insects, apparently. Crossing over the Queensland border we made a comfort stop in Camooweal. From there it was MYOW (make your own way) to Mount Isa and another lovely caravan park, this time accompanied by rain. The park had heaps of space for all our vehicles, and there was opportunity for some personal housekeeping, shopping and repairs for some.
We had a day in Mount Isa, visiting Outback at Isa for a very informative talk on ancient diggings and tiny bones found sticking out of limestone rock. Our guide had a 40-year history and really knew his stuff! This was followed by a lovely drive out to Lake Moondarra, blessed with a beautiful sunny day.
Ghost towns and outback pubs
We had another MYOW journey towards Cloncurry, but detoured off the road to the Mary Kathleen ghost town. The uranium mine is some distance away and we had seen it before, but taking a break in the township was beautiful (there’s so much room to camp). Our return to the highway included an encounter with two camels who bolted out of the bush and across the road – amazing. We rejoined the convoy and continued on to Walkabout Creek Hotel where we enjoyed a huge schnitzel dinner at a quirky pub in the middle of nowhere.
A shortish drive brought us to Kynuna and the Blue Heeler Hotel, with time for morning tea and a wander around. Unfortunately, we encountered roadworks heading towards Winton, and a passing truck flicked a stone right in the middle of our windscreen. The country ahead was very green with lush grass. Arriving in Winton, we refuelled and set up in a lovely caravan park of just the right size for us all, with gravel sites amongst flowers and trees.
Bush poetry and jump-ups in Winton
At happy hour there was a surprise as our poetical and musical members put in a huge effort to honour our tour guide Dave. All were provided with new words to an iconic Australian song, with some fine singing ensuing from certain vocalists, and the chorus mumbled by the rest. Happy hours can be the greatest fun.
We also enjoyed the antics of ‘Bush Poet’ Gregory North of the North Gregory Hotel, who performs nightly at the caravan park. What a talent, especially his rendition of the ‘The Man from Snowy River’ in the guise of the Man of Many Hats. He persuaded members of the audience to join in another version of an Irish poem with great enthusiasm. Gregory is a busker and you can buy his CDs and books.
Our free day in Winton had our expedition scattered across all parts of town and outlying scenic areas, including the Long Waterhole, where we had camped previously. The grass around town was so lush that the camping areas were overgrown and didn’t match any photos on camping apps. We also discovered that the town has four public dump points, in addition to those in the caravan parks. No excuse for sloppy habits here.
Our evening excursion was a bus trip out to Rangelands Station and a ‘jump-up’ (mesa) for sunset. Our guide took us through a walk in the ‘rifts’ where soil has washed out between the rocks, creating channels. Trees and foliage also grow in these channels, and you need to be fit and agile to traverse them (some of us sat it out). Fabulous photos were taken. We enjoyed sunset nibbles and wine while watching the golden globe disappear over the dark line of the land – spectacular.
A final night on the Thomson River
Departing Winton was sad, but some of our expedition had already left early to visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History en route to Longreach. The rest made their own way to Longreach, which was quite a distance – requiring two toilet stops and a coffee break! Or maybe that was just us. It was very quiet on the two-way, no sight or sound of any others.
We arrived in Longreach at noon and checked in to the caravan park, but they had not taken into consideration our size. The booking was re-jigged and we were good for the night. Others had similar issues. A drive out to the Apex Riverside Park was our plan, to compare it with previous trips. There was a good number of campers and it was dry (never try to camp there if rain is forecast), and we noticed many improvements, making us wish we could stay.
Our final evening’s entertainment was the Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show on the Thomson River – a paddle wheeler experience, poetry, drovers’ dinner, light show and damper. We watched the sun set on the water, then gathered around the fireplace listening to outback-lingo stories – brilliant. The boys who looked after us were wonderful and a credit to the production.
Would we tagalong again?
Day 25 arrived, but before farewelling everyone there was a breakfast barbecue (bacon and eggs) served by the Xpedition leaders and a debriefing from Dave. So many memories were brought back to life. Dave reminisced about each traveller and then asked for their individual thoughts. It was hilarious and most said they loved the camaraderie of the group and how everything gelled.
And so it ended – people travelling in all directions, some far and in a hurry and others very slowly. Some were hanging around for the next Xpedition to another location and others made for home. And of course, there had to be a flu bug which was caught and passed on to others. At least it happened at the end of the tour.
Thank you to you all for your friendship and stories. Thank you, Dave, for your patience and competence!
Would we do another tagalong tour? I’m not sure but we will be watching the itineraries just in case.
Journey planner
CMCA Safaris has 10 itineraries planned with Xpedition Tagalong Tours in 2027. For trip details see page 93.
