question about tour buses and permits
Submitted: Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 11:56
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Member - vivien C (VIC)
This is puzzling me and so I thought I would ask if anyone could tell me the answer
Plus as it's Good Friday I can't contact the people concerned and I'm curious.
In our local paper there is an ad put in by a tour bus company. Amongst the many
tours they offer is one that is :
Gunbarrel Highway- Tanami Track -
Oodnadatta Track. Nothing strange in that I know but this is the itinerary they give.
Coober Pedy, Aboriginal Communities, Tjala Arts Centre, Surveyor General's Corner,
Giles Weather Station,
Great Central Road,
Empress Spring,
Wiluna...etc
The part that has me puzzled is the bit from
Coober Pedy to
Great Central Road. Tjala Arts Centre is at Amata Aboriginal Community on the Mulga Park Road and I thought that it was not possible to get a permit to use this road unless you had excellent reasons. A tour bus does not seem to me to fit that criteria as surely it's no different to any of us who would like to travel this road.
This isn't a permits complaint letter at all. It's just that I don't understand how they can advertise a trip unless they know they're allowed out there and if they are allowed "how come"?
I don't think I'm misreading the itinerary as they are going to Surveyor General's Corner and they don't mention going via Ayers
Rock or Docker River.
Viv
Reply By: D-Jack - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 12:10
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 12:10
Maybe they have permission, and probably an agreement with the community because the bus takes people there who most probably will buy art of which the funds go back into the community. Can't see why the concern or curiosity??
AnswerID:
231978
Follow Up By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 12:22
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 12:22
Hello D-Jack,
Just curious because I had heard that it was very difficult to get a permit to travel this way. Of course I can see that the tour bus would bring people to the community to buy the art but I thought you had to have a better reason than that to be granted a permit to use this road.
I guess it just surprised me a little bit too. There are trip notes from Michelle and David about their trip across and how difficult it was to obtain a permit and how they did not have permits to enter the communities. On the permits side of things, I have no problem with the need to get them to travel on Aboriginal Land. That isn't the issue at all.
No concern just curiosity and a quiet Good Friday.
Have a good
Easter
Viv
FollowupID:
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Reply By: macca172 - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 15:43
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 15:43
Suprising what a few $$$$ will do if put in the right hands!
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 17:18
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 17:18
Viv
who is the tour company? so we can read what you have, and may see it different
Richard
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 18:34
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 18:34
Richard,
The tour company is Kingstons and they operate from
Stawell in Victoria. I was just surprised when I saw that they were going on roads that I thought were very difficult to obtain permits for.
It was just an impulse post of
mine this morning and I really didn't mean anything by it. Definitely not that money had changed hands or anything like that.
Good on them if they can go that way. It might mean that permits are easier to get and that I'll be able to do the same trip one day.
Sometimes I should think things through before I press submit.
Viv
FollowupID:
492950
Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 19:46
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 19:46
Viv
I did not mean or say anything about money changing hands..
All i asked for was the name of the company so I could read it
maybe they can get the permits because the people in the bus will do as they are told and can only go where they are told (maybe)
Richard
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 19:55
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 19:55
Viv
I found there web site and down loaded there pdf file and as you said they do travel these roads, good on them..
Richard
ps I'm sure you will find it has something to do with a controlled group
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Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 19:56
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 19:56
forgot this www.kingstonscoachtours.com.au/
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Follow Up By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 21:15
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 21:15
Hello Richard,
Thanks for finding the website. I think good on them too but it was just a bit of a surprise. I live in the area where
Kingston's get the majority of their tour groups from. I didn't realise that they went to such remote areas.
I hope you're enjoying the
Easter break.
All the Best
Viv
FollowupID:
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Reply By: DIO - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 17:48
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 17:48
Gee talk about people going off half-cocked. What basis is there to suggest that 'money talks' etc. Has anyone even considered that PERHAPS the community MAY have entered into a partnership or business arrangement with the operator. Perhaps they may even own the tour company. What then ?
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 18:31
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 18:31
Hello DIO,
When I wrote this it was just because I was surprised that a tour company based in my local area of rural Victoria was going somewhere that I thought was almost impossible to get permits for. The company is based in
Stawell and gets its passengers mostly out of the northern Wimmera/Southern Mallee of Vic.
It was more my curiousity and I wish that i'd not posted it.
I don't think money has changed hands at all.
I'd love to travel through those areas and I hope that one day I will.
Viv
FollowupID:
492949
Reply By: hiab - Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 22:36
Friday, Apr 06, 2007 at 22:36
i think you,ll find money has changed hands, and why not? get the terrorists out there to see whats really going on.or maybe the bus mob just gained the trust of the traditional owners over a period of time, and are now reaping the rewards, good business. i like it.
AnswerID:
232076
Reply By: handy - Saturday, Apr 07, 2007 at 08:41
Saturday, Apr 07, 2007 at 08:41
it aint hard to get a permit for the AP lands, you just have to ring up say you are going to work at such and such pay your money jobs done.
lived there for 2 1/2 years so seen the goings on.
AnswerID:
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