We spent three days on this tour over the October long weekend. Alas, the vehicle we ended up in was a rattly old rental- the customized tour 4WD was out of action after hitting a kangaroo. Which I think you could honestly say- only in Australia.
There were so many charming things about this tour, it would be difficult to know where to start.
Firstly, Mick, our guide and the company owner, is a grizzled bush raconteur. he has been everywhere, is across everything, and has a thousand stories. He seems to be doing this job for the pleasure of it as much as anything else. he knows just enough, without knowing way too much, so as a passenger I was never bored. There was a diversity of ages, body types and primary language in our tour, and he made a fighting effort to ensure everyone's comfort.
Secondly, the resort we stayed in at Wilpenia Pound was gorgeous, and also co-owned by the local indigenous community. There was a welcome to country ceremony at night that, God help my cynical heart, drew me in and made me feel both tearful and respectful. There were options to camp or stay in the motel units, and we opted for the motel- this turned out to be a wise idea because heat, flies, critters, and noise. we were able to retreat at night and watch television rather than be rather too closely associated with the local wildlife. Having said that, we kept literally stumbling over kangaroos, who clearly didn't get the 'be afraid of people' memo as they hopped all over the resort.
The units were comfortable and extremely clean, without being way over the top in either quality or price- resounding box-tick from me.
The scenery was amazing- it has not rained to any extent in nearly eight years, and we saw every permutation of dry, from 'looks a little parched'', to ''My God, how can anything survive this?'dustbowls. Crazily, the land is crisscrossed with dry creek beds that have clearly seen some mega-floods in the past. Who could figure it?
And now for the only con- the flies. I dont know what they live on when they cant get tourist, but my mouth and nostrils seemed to send them into a frenzy'in the wilder areas, although the resort was fine. Invest in a hat with a net and you will have no regrets.
So- go on this tour. You will see some amazing scenery, hear some great stories, and have a great time in a part of the world that really has no parallel.