tag a long tours

Probably depends who you go with, Some will be better than others Just make sure they are accredited.

Where abouts and with whom?

You posed a short question, but I will try to give you a long answer:

When I first started to get a bit adventurous regarding remote travel, I was conscious of the potential for the "outback" to exact it's revenge on me (and more importantly, those I love) in a very unforgiving manner. In case you don't know what I mean by that, let me say it a bit more succinctly: I was chitting myself about all the things that could go wrong.

So, our first couple of trips into the great unknown were undertaken in a convoy of others of a similar ilk and led by a very capable bloke provided by Great Divide Tours.

There are even extremely seasoned outback travellers I know who have recently been on a tag-along trip with Jol Flemming.

It is an extremely expensive (IMHO) way of touring, but for the piece of mind it provides you with (at least until you build up some confidence in remote area travel concepts), it is probably worth the money.

However, if I had my time over again, I would probably have joined a 4x4 club whose members do these sorts of trips. That way, you get to go on such a trip but also have the safety of others who are more experienced. To me, that is what it's all about......safety in numbers and confidence in your own equipment and abilities.

Cheers

Roachie

Hi New Boy
Like all things in life, we all have to start somewhere. I was never in a position to afford to pay someone thousands of dollar to tag along to places that I would like to visit, so I joint a four wheel drive club and it has all snowballed from there.
Like all clubs around, you will find one that suits your requirements. Some are for social trips away on easy trip, while some offer the chance to go to extreme driving situations.
It will all come to to practice and experience. A lot of the places that we have travelled have been very remote and I now lead a small group a friends each year.

Join a four wheel drive club, learn the basics and gain confidence and you will be surprises where you pride and joy can take you.

Cheers

Stephen

Tag-a-longs are great for getting into touring or when heading into new areas you dont have the confidence to go on your own. Although they may appear expensive (verses a to trip to Bali) you can save alot compared with travelling alone by not having to purchase any of the expensive stuff which the tour leader will have like HF radios, sat phones, tyre repair gear, gps mapping systems etc. Additionally they have the experience to make bush repairs on your car should it break down, have 1st aid knowledge & of course know where the must see attractions & camp sites are.
Some guides offer all meals included which can make the trip more of a relaxing holiday. It's a matter of choosing a tour company that provides the service you want & has a good reputation in that area.
Cheers Craig............

Hi new boy
Lie Roachie above I did a tag a long as a way of gaining some confidence about what I ( and my vehicle ) could do. It also depends on where and how long you want to go for. Maybe try something easy yourself ( The Darling River Run is a good place to start maybe ) and then try a more adventurous one either by a tag along or with 4WD club. I did a Tag along with Brisbane Hinterland 4WD tours which included a 4WD course as well. Cost a bit yes, but now confident about a whole lot more but still lots to learn!!

Usual disclaimer about relationship to above company etc!! Just a satisfied customer.

Thanks everyone for your info it was a spur of the moment question so will now supply more info we are leaving WA in January for an 18 month lap with an 18ft Coromel van and saw the tour advertised in the Caravan and Motor home mag and thought it might be a good way to see the Victoria highlands ( van friendly tour).
A. the web site wasn't all that flash so will check out there credential's
B. 4wd experience is not extensive and certainly could like to learn more but this wasn't my first thought.
C. haven't got the dollars yet so don't know whether it value or not

PS Roachie notice you have recently retired from the NAB I resigned 20yrs ago after 20 yrs in the bank and you have my heartiest congratulations for staying so long you would have been brought up in the time when service was paramount not like today . I think some of the banks are starting to realise that the Joe Bloggs account are important .

Biggest problem with tag-a-longs is that while you can pick the tour operator you can't pick the other members on the tag-a-long (unless it is just you). Unfortunately this can be a really painful experience. From observation the service provided varies a lot. Some are so distant you may as well be out there by yourself, others are in your pocket. I have even heard one tour leader singing over the UHF for the entire time they were in range.

Steve