Willis's Walkabouts Web Magazine
November 2001
Welcome to the first of what we hope will be a continuing forum where we can tell a few tales about trips gone by, where our clients can share their experiences and where we can place special offers and other information. Special thanks to guide Andy Peart for developing the idea and creating the first draft.
Where we've been
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This year has seen Willis's Walkabouts extend further into overseas trips as well as the Australian outback destinations of previous years. Everyone who took part in our first trip to South Africa thought it was a great success, so much so that they gave Russell a special award. Not content to sit at home while the bush beckons, by the time you read this, Russell will be leading yet another trip to Patagonia. |
Some of our Australian trips went to places probably not visited by anyone for decades. One such trip was the Litchfield-Gregory Explorer, which investigated Ryan Creek (picture at right), running through Wardaman Aboriginal country and Gregory National Park.
And then there were the more "standard" trips we offer every year, such as the Kakadu Super Circle #2 in June (picture at left). A client on this trip wrote an account of her trip and has let us reproduce it. (Click to see her story.) It's an interesting point of view from an overseas visitor who had never done one of our tours before.
Interesting things often happen on these "standard" trips - for instance our assistant guide, Steve, spotted Leichardt's Grasshoppers in Kakadu in July, not usually seen until the Build Up. Apparently some freak rains (only the second recorded July rain in Kakadu since records began about 30 years ago) had something to do with it.
What's coming up
The Top End in the Wet
The wet season in northern Australia is a favourite time among locals. Want to find out why?
It's a thrill and a bit of a challenge to experience the Arnhemland escarpment in January (click here for pdf trip notes on one tour which is already a guaranteed departure).
A more comfortable way of enjoying the wet in the Top End is offered on our Kakadu Light No. 1 tour in February (click here for pdf trip notes which combines the thrills of the season with cool, dry accommodation and good meals at the end of the day!
The Kimberley
The Kimberley Coast Explorer from late March through early May is a favourite among guides. You can do the whole six weeks or particular sections.
Want to see the Kimberley's birdlife? In April we're combining with George Swann's Kimberley Birdwatching to offer the Isdell-Mt Hart Birdwatching Special.
In August, we'll revisit what Russell called, "some of the most serious four wheel driving I've ever done" along the Munja Track. We're offering three very different trips along the track. The Charnley Explorer is a major expedition along the Charnley and Calder Rivers. The Munja Track Explorer consists of a number of walks of up to four days as we work our way along the track. The Light-Pack Explorer consists of a series of day walks along the track. This is the only area we have ever found in the Kimberley where we can get completely off the tourist track and enjoy outstanding bushwalking without having to carry a full pack.
There's plenty more trips on offer, including our Central Australian and overseas trips - see "Tour List" in the menu at left.
Darwin in the Wet
If you're coming to Northern Australia for a tour during the summer/wet season months, what is there to do in Darwin if you have a few spare days?
The local weekend markets are a delight for locals, who wander around stalls imagining without difficulty they are holidaying in Asia.
Magnificent storms and sunsets make this time of year a favourite among local Darwinians.
Because it is relatively flat, Darwin is a good place to hire a mountain bike (available at various backpacker hostels in the centre of town). There are many great bike rides, only some of which are shown on the local council's map of Darwin's bicycle paths.
Save $$$
You can get good discounts on our advertised prices, especially by booking early.
Have a look at the discounts offered by the airlines too. Virgin Blue is new to the market and is offering discount fares between Darwin and Brisbane.
Contribute to this Web Magazine
If you're a previous client of ours and would like to pass on an account you've written about the trip you did with us, email it to us. We're not looking for flattery (or rotten tomatoes for that matter!) but interesting stories and pictures that give people an idea of what our unique tours are like.
To send us your story or if you have any questions about making a submission, click the magazine link below.
Submissions to Willis's Walkabouts Web Magazine
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