๐
๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฒ ๐
๐ฎ๐ง-๐๐๐ฒ!
What's more fun than roaring up and down Big Red in the Simpson Desert?!
#savannahguides #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #BigRed #CanningStockRoute #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #centralaustralia #4wdpassenger
How fast can a camel run?
๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐
Did You Know? Feral Facts About Australiaโs Camels ๐ค
โข Australia has the largest wild population of Arabian camels, found across desert and semi-desert regions.
โข Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1840s for inland exploration, with somewhere between 10,000 & 20,000 imported from India.
โข Camels are highly mobile, travelling for more than 100km in a day if necessary. This, combined with their ability to go for several months (under the right conditions) without water, means that no part of the desert is immune to their browsing and trampling impacts.
โข Camels pose a threat to Indigenous sites by fouling waterholes and damaging cultural landmarks.
โข Camels impact farming in Australia by damaging fences, fouling or destroying water sources, and competing with livestock for grazing resources, especially during droughts.
This camel was happy to cruise along beside me for a while on the Gunbarrel Highway back in June 2023.
Savannah Guides Limited #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #CanningStockRoute #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #centralaustralia #FunFactFriday #spinifexgrassland
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
For this week's Wildlife Wednesday, I wanted to share a special encounter we had earlier this year. Believe it or not, despite travelling all over remote parts of Australia, I don't come across many snakes. So, when I spotted my first black-headed python (๐ด๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ข๐ ), I was pretty thrilled!
Like all pythons, black-headed pythons are non-venomous. However, it's always best to respect their space and let them go about their business. They primarily feed on small rodents, lizards, and frogs, but what's truly fascinating is that theyโre immune to venom and can take on even the most highly venomous snakes as part of their diet.
Nature's incredible! ๐
#WildlifeWednesday #BlackHeadedPython #AustraliaWildlife
#savannahguides #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #CanningStockRoute #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #centralaustralia #BeadellHighwaysTrek #4WDpassengertours #australianwildlife
Ride Along as a Passenger in our Lead Tour Vehicle
๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฅ๐
No 4WD? No worries! Join us on the ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ - 24 Nights, $8,000pp, or in the ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ญ - 15 Nights, $5,800pp.
๐
๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ -
โข You can literally turn up with your clothes and we're good to go!
โข Licenced, Accredited & Experienced Tour Guide
โข Exclusive up-front position - see the wildlife and hear first-hand from your guide
โข 2 seats only per tour - plenty of space, & time in the front seat
โข Great for solo travellers or couples
โข Save on vehicle setup or hire costs
โข Reduced travel time - fly to the starting point, and fly out at the end
โข We supply all the camping gear
โข You have your own fridge & storage
โข Cook for yourself - avoid dietary issues
โข All inclusive arrangements - from landing to leaving
๐๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ and use the form on the page to contact us: https://4x4treks.com.au/ride_along_passenger.html
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
The Simpson Desert is a place of extremes. Most people think of the desert as being hot and dry, and while the definition of a desert is an area receiving less than 250 mm average annual rainfall, this certainly doesn't mean the Simpson is always dry (and it gets pretty cold in Winter).
Back in the Summer of 2023 there was significant rainfall in the Gulf Country of North West QLD and Eastern NT. This is the catchment of the Georgina River, and what eventually becomes Eyre Creek in the Simpson. If you get enough rain in this catchment, it takes about 3 months for the water to reach and fill the enormous lagoons to the Northeast of the Simpson Desert. Once they fill up and spill over, Eyre Creek starts to flow through the desert. Sometimes it's a single waterway that can be crossed at a few well known rocky points, but at other times, like in 2023, it spreads out and flows down multiple dunes as it heads South. At times like these, Eyre Creek might be 10 km or more wide, completely cutting off vehicle access across the desert.
I took this video in May 2023 when we went up for a sunrise flight with Birdsville Aviation (Birdsville Hotel).
Savannah Guides Limited #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #CanningStockRoute #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #centralaustralia #BeadellHighwaysTrek
๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฅ๐
New in 2025 - get an exclusive up-front experience in the ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ญ or the ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐. Only 2 spaces per tour. Great for ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ or ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ. You can literally turn up with your clothes and we're good to go!
Check out our webpage for all the info! https://4x4treks.com.au/ride_along_passenger.html
#savannahguides #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #CanningStockRoute #4WDpassengertours #australianbirds #australianwildlife
Desert corrugations
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Let's talk about UHF radios. This is something that I use a hundred times or more each day when out on a tour. This type of communication is essential to make sure that everyone in my group is on the right track (literally) and that everyone is kept safe in the event of upcoming hazards. I will also talk to other vehicles outside my convoy to coordinate such things as dune crossings.
While UHF radios are very simple to use, there are a few things to keep in mind when installing or using them. The first thing is to get your radio installed by a professional. This will make all the difference when you're out on the track. Improperly installed aerial cabling will destroy the range and clarity of your radio.
Get an aerial that will cope with the terrain you will encounter. The little "whippy" aerials tend to snap off after a good dose of corrugations. I always recommend the "broomstick" type aerials with the spring base, because they will go the distance.
When you talk into the radio handpiece, push the button a second or so before you talk, otherwise your first word or two will be cut off. Talk across the handpiece rather than straight into it. This helps to keep your speech clearer for the listener (there's less "wind noise" from your breath).
When you're travelling in convoy, it's also a great idea to talk between yourselves on a channel other than the main pubic channel for that area, such as CH10 in the Simpson Desert and CH40 in the Canning. That way, you're not blocking the public channels which are needed for coordination between groups. Always have another radio for monitoring the public channel. A 5 watt handheld radio is ideal for this if you don't have a second base set in your vehicle.
CH5 and CH35 are Emergency Only channels, and there are various other channels dedicated for particular uses. The best way to find this out is to Google "Australian uhf radio channels" and print out one of the images so yo
๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ
Here's a throwback to the end of my first Simpson Desert Double Crossing tour under my own banner back in 2021. It was an epic journey with a great group of people, many of whom Iโm still in touch with today. Itโs incredible how a trip like this can turn complete strangers into a tight-knit team and create lasting friendships that go well beyond the desert.
#ThrowbackThursday #savannahguides #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #BigRed #CanningStockRoute #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #centralaustralia
Budgies in the wild
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Budgies are an Australian classic. They're an incredible little pocket-rocket nomadic parrot of the dry interior. They've done really well over the last few years as the rains in the Outback and desert areas have produced abundant seed supplies that they rely on to breed and thrive. For a while there, it seemed that every tree with a hole in it had a pair of nesting budgies. I love the way flocks of budgies seem to appear and disappear as they twist and turn in incredible synchronicity, as the light reflects off their almost iridescent wings. Reportedly, budgies will fly up to 50 km from a water source every day in search of food. Fortunately for them, they can fly at a rate of about 36 km/h over long distances. Did you know that all wild budgies are the same yellow, black and green colour? It's just the ones bred in captivity that can take on the blues and whites so commonly seen in aviaries. In this video, a male budgie transfers food to his mate. You can tell the sex of budgies by the colour of their cere (the nose and nostril area). Males have blue cere, while females are brown. She then goes on to feed her noisey chicks in a nest hole in the same tree.
Hats off to this icon of the Outback.
#savannahguides #tagalongtours #simpsondesert #AustralianBirds #CanningStockRoute #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #centralaustralia
Dune driving in the Simpson Desert
๐๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ!
Get Ready for Your Next Adventure! ๐
Monday's the perfect day to start planning your next adventure! Whether itโs exploring the Desert or conquering rugged outback tracks, weโve got the perfect trek for you.
Ready to make memories that last a lifetime? Check out our website for details: www.4x4treks.travel
#motivationmonday #AdventureAwaits #australian4x4treks #savannahguides #2025holiday #exploreaustralia #overlandtrek #4wheeldrive #adventuretime #aussieoutback #simpsondesert #CanningStockRoute #centralaustralia
Lake Aerodrome, Canning Stock Route
Camped on the edge of Lake Aerodrome on the Canning Stock Route back in July this year, we were treated to a spectacular sunset.
Join Tony in July 2025 for your own incredible Canning Stock Route Experience. See this link for full details: https://4x4treks.com.au/canning_stock_route.html
