Can camping and four-wheel driving truly unite families and create unforgettable memories? Join us for an inspiring conversation with Andrew Tims, the passionate owner of Oz Country Tag Along Tours. Andrew's unique journey from the Indian Army to becoming a camping and four-wheel driving enthusiast in Australia offers rich insights into the world of adventure. Learn why joining a four-wheel drive club is essential for mastering safe driving techniques and vehicle maintenance, and discover responsible camping practices that protect our beautiful environment.
Imagine setting off on an affordable, exciting adventure with your loved ones—even if you're a single parent. Andrew explains how you can start camping with minimal gear and still provide memorable experiences for your family. We share invaluable safety tips, like choosing national parks or caravan parks for your camping spots, and practical advice for beginners—like practicing in your own backyard or seeking guidance from experienced Facebook groups and four-wheel drive clubs. Preparation is key, especially for remote areas, and we discuss the necessity of safety gear like satellite phones and personal locator beacons.
Safety and preparedness are at the heart of Andrew’s four-wheel drive tour business. From detailed guidance and training to well-planned itineraries, Andrew's team ensures every participant enjoys a smooth journey. Learn about the critical roles of the lead vehicle and "tail end Charlie" in maintaining convoy safety, the variety of accommodation options available, and the essential vehicle recovery gear that guarantees a secure adventure. Tune in to be inspired and motivated to explore Australia's breathtaking outback with confidence and enthusiasm!
https://auscountrytagalong.com.au/
danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi Andrew Timms.
Hello Anna, how are you Good?
Thank you.
Welcome to the Empowered ParentPodcast.
We're recording this podcasttoday.
I'm in Adelaide and where areyou, andrew?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm in a very freezing place called Black
Mountain, which is about half anhour north of Armidale in New
South Wales.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So very apt that we're actually doing this
recording over online, becauseyou are in the country and I'm
in the city and we're actuallygoing to talk about camping, so
it's ebbed.
So I'm very keen to have you onthis podcast because I believe
(00:52):
what you do and your businessniche is great for the soul and
body, for parents, families andeveryone alike.
Andrew, you own and operate OzCountry Tag Along Tours, so
first of all, I'd like to askyou could you please introduce
(01:12):
yourself and what got you intocamping professionally and
supporting others to access andexperience the outback?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
the Outback.
Well, my name is Andrew Timmsand I've been in Australia now
for about well a good 30 years,but prior to that I was in the
Indian Army with tanks and weused to go out into the desert
(01:44):
for three months a year and campand do a lot of remote stuff,
which actually was veryinteresting, very adventurous.
And when I came to Australia, Isuppose that what I had learned
from that and what I felt andwhat I liked, I wanted to pursue
it again and what I liked.
(02:04):
I wanted to pursue it again, soI bought a four-wheel drive
about probably 12 or 14 yearsago and the first thing I did
was actually join a four-wheeldrive club, because, although
you can go camping, there's theright way of going camping,
there's a wrong way of doingcamping and there's both the
right and wrong way of drivingyour vehicle as well, for safety
(02:25):
.
So joining a four-wheel driveclub was really fantastic.
Um, it was the sydney districtfour-wheel drive club in sydney
and um, very, it was very familyorientated and we learned a lot
about, um keeping our vehiclessafe.
We used to go on trips withthem, um for two days or even a
week at a time, and, um, whichreally really got me interested
(02:48):
into four-wheel driving.
And, of course, when I wasworking there wasn't much time
to do it, but when I retiredabout five or six years ago, it
offered me an opportunity tokeep myself busy rather than
just sitting at home twiddlingmy thumbs doing nothing.
So it was to keep my mindactive, keep myself active, and
(03:11):
what I did was I got togetherwith a friend of like-minded and
we started this business to dothese four-wheel drive tours.
The main reason was for us toalso get out of our environments
, but also to provide guidanceand give a bit of training on
safe travel and protecting theenvironment for people who have
(03:34):
never done this before andspecifically for people who are
maybe 50 years old and older.
they want that safety in numbersand that's what we do.
So we provide that guidance andwe make sure that it's an
enjoyable group and we keep themsafe.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So you know you were talking about four-wheel drives.
I know there's a lot offamilies that have got
four-wheel drives.
There's a lot of families thathave got four-wheel drives.
So is there a right way and awrong way of driving with a
four-wheel drive out in the bush?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
There is and there isn't.
It's a very difficult questionbecause when people talk about
four-wheel driving, it dependson what the owner of that
vehicle wants to do with thatvehicle.
I guess it comes down to, frommy point of perspective doing a
(04:36):
four-wheel drive trip or a touris also, once we go through it,
to go through safely and also toensure that we don't damage the
environment for everybody elsethat's going to come behind us.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So what does that mean?
Don't damage the environment.
How can we damage theenvironment?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, there's a few things.
It's the way that you drive ontracks.
You need to be coming into abit of technicalities, I suppose
, reducing tire pressures toensure that you maintain
traction and you don't getbogged.
If you do get bogged, try toreverse out first without
(05:18):
creating big holes in the tracks, because that will then damage
the track in the tracks, becausethat will then damage the track
.
In terms of camping, it is ifyou take your rubbish in.
You need to take your rubbishout.
Don't litter the environment.
Don't drive off the tracks todamage, you know, flora.
Look after the animals that arein the area, so those kind of
(05:42):
things, and I suppose that justmakes it so that everybody can
enjoy the destinations that wego through or go to.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
So let's say, someone's driving along.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Sorry, dana, you cut out, I can't hear you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
He's half alive.
What should people do?
What's the best thing to do?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I didn't hear the whole question, but I think the
question is about fighting ananimal that is about to die.
So what?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
do you do when you hit an animal and the animal is
about to die and you're in themiddle of nowhere?
What can you do?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
It's a difficult question to answer, because if
you are in the middle of nowhere, the best thing would be to put
that animal out of its misery.
And how you do it?
I suppose it comes down to whatyou have available to you.
But it needs to be done in aquick manner so that there is no
(06:55):
additional pain to the wildanimal.
And I suppose, yeah, thequickest way you can do it with
the available tools that youhave.
I suppose I could call it atyour disposal at that point in
time where you're stuck out inthe bush.
The aim of the exercise is toprevent any more pain to the
(07:19):
animal.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And should people touch animals.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So if the animal has passed away.
Should people be touching them?
You cut out again.
You cut out again there.
But, dana, I suppose in termsof touching the animals if it's
not riding in the middle of thetrack.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
So, Andrew, like we were talking, so if someone sees
or has hit an animal and it'sdead on the road and they want
to move the animal, should theyuse their bare hands or should
they use gloves?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
It is best to use gloves to get it off the road so
that all the cars coming behindthem are not impeded, and
they're safe for the rest of theconvoy.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Gloves yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
So really there is.
There's like skills that peopleneed if they're wanting to go
out bush in their four-wheeldrive right.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yes, there are.
There are certain skills.
There's quite a lot of skillsthat you must learn.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
And that's where those four-wheel drive clubs are
helpful.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
That is correct, and it's not only four-wheel drive
clubs.
There are other groups as wellthat do a lot of training.
There are professionalbusinesses that provide training
in doing this, in driving yourvehicle safely and looking after
the environment as well.
The cheapest, of course, is thefour-wheel drive club or you,
(09:08):
and there are certain charitablegroups also that you you can
join and go out on a tag alongtour with them, and they also
teach very similar skills okay,so let's get to camping, andrew.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
What do you think people worry most about?
Camping, and how do you managethat?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I think a few of the things that people are sort of
chary about is firstly, Isuppose, is safety when camping
and you know, and where youchoose your camp.
And I suppose what we do in ourbusiness is that we tend to stay
(09:51):
either in caravan parks or inestablished national park
campgrounds where there issafety.
And I suppose the other one isand this I'm only talking about
experience from my daughter whocame along with me many, many
years ago for the first time isabout, I suppose, is the toilet
(10:11):
procedures, is we tend to stayin caravan parks where there's
hot showers and proper toiletsand there's, again, safety there
.
Camping gear, procurement ofcamping gear, is the other one,
(10:34):
and what we do is we advisepeople to actually go and talk
to professionals who have beenout camping a number of times
before they actually invest inany equipment for camping.
And I suppose one more would beabout cooking and feeding
yourselves on the track and, ifyou're out there in the outback,
in remote areas, the carriageof food.
(10:57):
We provide guidance on how tocarry food and how much to carry
and water specifically.
These are the few things thatpeople think about before they
even start to, which actuallythey want to know about before
they go about camping.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And is camping expensive?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
It doesn't need to be expensive.
Depending on the time of yearwhere you want to go, you can
very reasonably, with verylittle cost, you can go camping.
You don't have to buy a veryexpensive tent.
You can buy.
You can start small and buildup later.
Just be mindful about weatherand carry clothing and other
(11:42):
equipment that is suitable forthe temperatures that you're
going to be traveling in orwhere you're going to be camping
.
So yeah, it's not expensive atall.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
And what do you think the benefits of camping are for
families, and is campingaccessible for a single parent?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
camping accessible for a single parent?
I think the main benefit ofparents taking their children
out is bonding with the children, because you're out there in
the bush, you're in remote areasand you're very close to your
children.
When you're in the car, you'rein remote areas and you're very
(12:24):
close to your children.
When you're in the car, youdon't have distractions of iPads
and iPhones and video, sothere's a lot of bonding that
can take place with the children.
You can learn a lot about theirstrengths and their weaknesses.
You can create very fondmemories of your camping trips
(12:46):
depending on the photographs andthe experiences that you have.
And I suppose the main thing isthat you take a break from the
hustle and bustle of daily cityliving.
It's about letting yourself go,I suppose, and, you know,
relaxing so that you rejuvenateand go back again.
So these are a few things thatwould provide a lot of benefit
(13:09):
to families when they go outcamping.
And I think you also asked aquestion about accessible for
single parents.
Definitely, it is definitelyaccessible for single parents.
Again, just be mindful ofsafety, just ensure the where
you camp you are in propernational park areas or caravan
parks where you are safe, andjust look out for each other.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And that's so.
When you go into a nationalpark, do you need to pay?
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Some parks yes, some parks have free access, but you
do have to pay a nominal fee forcamping and it's not very
expensive.
The only thing is that youcan't take pets into national
parks, and also, within most ofthe campgrounds that are in
national parks, there's alwayswhat's called a long drop toilet
(14:04):
, which is very handy, which youknow.
It takes away that fear ofwhere am I going to go and do my
business in the bush.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I know I've had that fear a few times, but now I'm
used to it.
I love camping.
Camping is my number one hobby.
I love camping.
Camping is my number one hobby.
So if parents are interested incamping, so let's say, a parent
doesn't have anything andthey're listening to this
(14:36):
podcast and they're interestedin camping where do they start?
How do they start?
Do they?
They go on youtube?
Do they call someone like wherewould someone start?
Or do it in their backyard?
Speaker 2 (14:49):
yeah, those are.
Those are very good suggestions.
Yes, dana, those are all goodthings.
They were to start, I suppose,sitting at your desk, you know,
you google tapping and you canjoin facebook groups that are
that.
Do that, go where people gocamping and they put a lot of
information on Facebook.
(15:09):
And then, I suppose, from apractical perspective, once
you've done that, yes, goinginto your backyard just for
practice, pitch a tent, maybe,spend one night out, a couple of
nights out in your backyard,maybe spend one night out, a
couple of nights out in yourbackyard, and if then venture
further away, you know, go outinto a caravan park or a
national park for one night,again, ensure the safety, go and
(15:34):
spend a night out in acampground or a national park.
You could also I think Imentioned earlier, there are
businesses that provide not onlytraining.
Well, they provide access toand they provide practical
experience of camping and theyteach you things of how to camp
(15:56):
and what to look out for, whatthings to buy and checklists and
things like that.
And of course, my favorite ofcourse is to join a four-wheel
drive or something similar.
They're not very expensive tojoin and what you get out of
them when you're in a club istremendous.
You get a lot of training andsome of the professional
(16:23):
training that you get is heavilysubsidised.
So these are the few thingswhere you can go and learn about
camping and experience campingbefore you venture out.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
And what if someone does not have a four-wheel drive
Like can they still getbenefits of camping?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yes, you can.
There are a lot of nationalparks that are accessible by
two-wheel drives.
Again, just do your research.
Go on to Google, take a look atmaps.
You can join groups likeExplorers, Traveller and take a
look there and see what thecondition of the tracks are.
Form the national parks andfind out about tracks.
(17:01):
So, yes, you can take yourtwo-wheel drive out, but just
ensure that the tracks thatyou're going to drive are
accessible right and um.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So what happens, andrew, if you're out there and
you get lost and you don't havemobile phone coverage?
What?
What happens then?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
That's a good question, and I think it all
comes back to preparation.
So if you're going to go out onyour own, you must ensure that
you have some way ofcommunication other than a
mobile phone, because if you'reout there on your own, the next
(17:46):
car that's going to come alongwill probably be days away or
might even be never.
So some of the things that youcan carry is a satellite phone.
You don't have to buy one, youcan hire one.
You can take a look on Google,you can hire satellite phones.
The other thing that is veryimportant that you must carry,
if you're going out alone again,or even if you're going out in
(18:07):
a group, at least one of thecars should have a personal
locator beacon so that you canset it off and it's registered
to the Maritime Services ofAustralia so that they can send
out they know where you are andthey can send out a rescue party
to come and get you.
They will come and rescue you.
(18:29):
They won't rescue your vehicle.
You will have to organize foryour vehicle to be pulled out of
wherever it was and I suppose,having said that, the best thing
would be to actually ensurethat you have insurance that
covers you for all the remote.
Ensure that you have insurancethat covers you for all the
remote texts that you're goingto go on.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
So a personal locator beacon is that something you
fire in the air, or is thatsomething you just pop, or what
is that?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
It's a little device that you can buy from from
businesses or companies thatmake radios.
The one that I have is from GME.
Gme is a very good Australiancompany and makes very good UHF
radios for commercial use aswell as recreational use.
(19:22):
They make what's called apersonal locator beacon.
That is a small little device,probably slightly bigger than a
mobile phone, maybe about fourtimes the size of a or maybe
twice the size of a mobile phone.
You carry it on your person andyou set it off by.
(19:43):
Each of them has a differentprocess.
The GME one that I've got isyou set it off by setting off
the antenna and that sends asignal, a satellite signal, to
the maritime services.
It also positions you throughGPS as to where you are, so that
the maritime services cancoordinate a rescue through GPS
as to where you are, so that themaritime services can
(20:04):
coordinate a rescue.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
So basically you don't need to have phone
coverage, it just does itthrough GPS.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
That is correct, but again, phone coverage is best.
The other little thing that youcan carry I carry what's called
a Spot X.
You do pay a subscription forthe use of that, just like you
do for your mobile phone, and atleast with the SpotX you can
text messages to a mobile phoneanywhere in the world.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Wow, there's all these gadgets.
So basically, if you go to yourlocal camping store, will they
know this information?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yes, they will.
So good camping stores likeSnowys, bcf, anaconda and
various other really goodbusiness camping stores.
They carry all this and theyprovide really good information.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Right, great, great.
So let's talk a little bitabout tag along tours.
So you know, I remember comingon my first tag along tour with
you, andrew, and I had really noidea what that was.
I just envisioned a convoy of30 vehicles or something like
that.
So what are tag-along tours andwhat are their benefits?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
A tag-along tour is a tour where you drive your own
four-wheel drive and you join agroup of other cars on a guided
tour, and normally there isalways a leader.
I'm going to talk on the pointof view of the business.
So we, as the leader of thetour, we provide all the
(21:56):
guidance, we provide thetraining, we provide information
as to what you need to carry interms of food and water and we
provide a complete itinerary.
So, basically, you just have tobring your four-wheel drive and
come prepared almostself-sufficient for food and
(22:16):
water, but everything else istaken care of.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And you've always got someone at the front and
someone at the back.
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yes, that is correct.
The reason we do that is theleader, of course.
I mean, that's self-explanatorythere has to be someone from
the business in front to guideand provide commentary and
provide safety advice.
The more important person iswhat we call the tail end
(22:49):
Charlie.
He is in a car, right in hisown car, and he's basically he
or she is basically the shepherdto ensure that the whole convoy
stays together and gets to thedestination all together.
Because there have been tripsthat I've been on with the
(23:10):
four-wheel drive club,especially when you go into
dusty areas or if you go intothe hills, there are so many
tracks maybe other groupscrossing you.
There have been instances wherethe convoy has actually turned
off and joined the other groupRight.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
So there's always someone at the back, and then I
remember that it just feels verysafe, because if you're on a
narrow, very dirt road a gravelroad that's narrow it's always
good, because the first personalways lets you know if there's
oncoming traffic and the lastperson always lets you know if
(23:51):
there's someone overtaking.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yes, that's correct.
So for the safety of the convoy, as well as safety for other
cars that are on the road thatdon't belong to the convoy.
So, and if you're in a dustyenvironment, of course the
leader will always have clearview of the front of on the
track, and so they are best toactually provide information to
(24:16):
everyone in the convoy ofoncoming vehicles, of potholes,
of obstacles and, you know,provide information as to
whether we're going to stop andwe're going to talk about it for
the crossing and things likethat.
So, yes, it's very importantfor passing that information on,
for the safety of the convoy.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And how do the people in the convoy communicate?
Speaker 2 (24:40):
We insist on every car having a UHF radio of at
least five watt strength, eitherfitted to the car or handheld.
The handheld five watt littleradio it's a CB radio or a
citizen band radio, what wenormally term as a UHF ultra
(25:02):
high frequency radio.
It has 80 channels and we picka specific channel on which we
communicate right throughout theconvoy and that's how we pass
information on to all thevehicles.
The handheld radio has alimited range, so we try and put
(25:23):
them close by or in the middleof the convoy so that people in
front of them who have fittedradios or people behind them can
relay messages.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Okay, that's great.
And what about, say, someone'scoming on your tag-along tour?
Do they need to have a tent ora camper, or can they sleep in
cabins?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
So the way that we organise our tours is that we
tend to stay in caravan parks inmost of our tours.
If we are going bush, whichI'll talk about later then yes,
a tent will be required, but ontours where there are generally
caravan parks and these daysthere are caravan parks all over
(26:13):
the countryside, as you know wetend to stay in a caravan park
where there is the option ofgoing into a cabin.
We have had twice now peoplewho have not been too keen to
camp, so they can organize theircabins or we can organize their
cabins and we offset the cost.
(26:34):
They have to pay for most ofthe cost of the cabin.
We offset it by giving them acredit for the camping fees.
So if they wanted a pile site,that's how much we would credit
them.
But yes to your question, theycan stay in cabins for the
duration of the tour every night.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
And what about?
Do you need a four-wheel driveto go on one of your tours?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Yes, we do insist on four-wheel drives because
they're much more robust.
They have higher groundclearance.
We also insist on all-terraintires because they are much more
robust and can take the tracksthat we drive on.
Four-wheel drives also have ahigh and low-range gearbox,
(27:21):
which is important, especiallyif we go out on tours.
The weather is not somethingthat we can actually control, so
if we do unfortunately get hitby a storm or rain and the
tracks get muddy and slippery, afour-wheel drive is the only
vehicle that is actually goingto get us out.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah, and have you ever had to rescue anyone or
pull anyone out, andrew?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Not on tours.
We haven't had that.
There have been instances where, you know, there have been
internal sort of damages andbans, but we've never rescued or
pulled out people.
I have done it on other trips,but it's something that we are
prepared for.
So our lead vehicle at leastalways has a winch and we always
(28:15):
carry stat straps and otherrecovery gear so that we can
actually recover vehicles andput them back onto the road and
get them to a town where theycan be then assessed and move on
from there.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
And I know you guys helped us when we had to change
a tyre and then our battery ranlow.
So there's always somethingisn't there, and it's like
you've got this magic box inyour car, Andrew, that you're
always pulling something outthat's going to fix the problem
or help fix the problem.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Yes, I suppose, yeah, that magic box, and we do that
because we don't expect everyoneto be carrying that equipment.
So we carry it so that we canget people back on the road
again and at least get them intoa town where they can go to a
mechanic and get their vehiclesrepaired.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
So yes, we do carry things all the time.
Yes, and that's the thing Ithink, that's the safety that I
felt when I went out bush withyou guys.
So what's the most memorableexperience of camping for you
and your family?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
um, well, there's been actually two instances.
Uh, when I first got my carback in I think it was 2008 uh,
the harlocks um, I wanted to goand do a trip and that's when I
I think I mentioned this groupcalled drive for life.
So it's Drive with a number forlife.
They are a group of people whoput together trips to the
(29:54):
Simpson Desert, high country andthings like that, and all the
payment that you do to them allgoes to the Northcote Society I
think it's more a New SouthWales charity that provides
equipment for disabled children.
But that was the first trip thatwe went on, and my daughter and
(30:16):
I we went to the Simpson Desert.
My vehicle wasn't modified, itwas straight out of the.
I mean, I did have suspensiondone and tires done, but we
didn't have a fridge.
We had an icebox.
By three days into the Simpsonwe had no ice, no cool.
Luckily, we had gone out.
I think it was probably Augustor September, so it wasn't too
(30:41):
bad and I think my daughteractually learned a lot of things
and it got her interested infour-wheel driving because she
accompanied me again, I thinkabout maybe two or three years
later, to the high country withthe same group and she actually
went on and she bought a littleSuzuki Jimny for herself and
(31:04):
went out on a few trips with hergirlfriends on our own.
So that's one of the memorableones.
And the other one was, Isuppose, when my wife came with
me and we did a Simpson crossing, again with Drive for Life.
It was her first time and, asyou know, once you leave the
dirt road sorry, the bitumen inAlice Springs, we went from
(31:24):
Alice Springs to Birdsville.
There is nothing, there isnothing, there is no shops, no,
nothing.
So that was an interestingexperience for my wife and I
think she still remembers thatvery, very much because she got
to learn a lot about camping and, I think, about the third day.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
She was professional and I think about the third day
she was professional.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Because it is very different for your eyes, isn't
it going out, bush?
Yes, look, you can't beat whatyou see on the tracks out in the
bush.
I'm just going to say it's theserenity.
How much serenity there is outthere.
You know the wide open spaces,the wild animals, the emus, the
(32:17):
wallabies, and then when you'recamping you come across wombats,
the bird life.
It's just a different worldaltogether out there, and with a
four-wheel drive you get accessto places where nowadays, of
course, a lot of people aregoing, because a lot of people
(32:39):
are buying four-wheel drives,but it's a place where still a
lot of people haven't been.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
And I just remember the stars.
The stars are amazing at night.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Yes, that is correct, Because there's no light.
From the cities, you get a180-degree view.
If you lie down on the ground,you get a 180-degree view from
one horizon to the other, of acomplete black sky with all
these stars in the sky.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Yes, you're right.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I remember those photographs you took.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, yeah, amazing.
So, Andrew, just one lastquestion today how do you think
camping empowers parents andwhat are the benefits?
What do you?
Speaker 2 (33:29):
think empowers parents and what are the
benefits?
I think it empowers parents onthe fact that you get to know
your child a bit more and Isuppose the child gets to know
you a bit more, because both theparent and the child are in
very different circumstances,you know, in a very different
environment.
You're sort of up there wherethere's no phone, there's no
(33:52):
other friends, no other.
Well, you do have your ownfriends along with you, but you
know what I mean, like a circleof other people, friends around.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
No distraction.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
That's correct.
Yeah, that's the word I'mlooking for no distraction,
perspective of having learnednew skills and to develop them
(34:27):
and go and do different thingsto maybe develop their
adventurous spirit.
I suppose, as well as give them, give both the parent and the
child and the family, you know,give them a yearning for the
outdoors, to go out and dosomething different rather than
sitting on your phone whenwatching television.
(34:47):
It, I think it, also instills asense of or gives them
confidence to go and have a goal.
You know, once they've tried itout, they say oh yes, I can do
this as well.
And also gives them a bit ofindependence.
You know that, yeah, I can dothis on my own and I've learned
the skill.
(35:07):
And I suppose overall it's justthat another layer of
confidence for both the parentas well as the the child it's
definitely, I think, aconfidence booster.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
For sure, um, I felt that it was a confidence booster
for me and you know um becauseyou are, you are um going
outside of your comfort zonewhen you're going out there, but
in a safe way yes, that iscorrect.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yes, you are out of your comfort zone, um, and I
think um, you know, when I didit once with my daughter, she
was quite amenable, or quiteopen to actually come along on
another trip, you know.
So I suppose that was somethingthat she had never been on
before and that is somethingthat I instilled in her, or gave
(36:00):
her the skill to do on her ownas well.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
And I think children are very nature lovers.
Um, and it's also about our,the way we embrace nature and
how we can, you know, give thatto our children, to our future
yes, that is correct, um.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
There's a lot of learning from that to um.
Look after the environment,that there's a lot more people
going to come after us and youneed to look after it so that
everybody can enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
So, Andrew, people listening today and maybe they
want to get in contact with youand have a chat with you about
you know, the tours that youprovide, and maybe they just
feel like, oh, I'm not sure ifthis is for me or I'm not sure
I'd be able to do it.
How would people contact you ifthey wanted to know more about
what you do and about your tours?
Speaker 2 (36:58):
There are a few ways they could do that, dana.
The business name is Oz CountryTagalong Tours, so one of the
ways is that you could go toGoogle and search for Oz Country
Tagalong Tours.
We've got a website there.
It has all the information onour tours.
(37:18):
It also has our contact detailsand it also has access to
contacting us through email andasking us questions to which we
respond At least, I think werespond pretty quickly and get
with enough information.
The other way is we're onFacebook as well, so you could
(37:43):
go and look us up at Oz CountryTagalong Tours on Facebook and
there are all our tours thatwe've done and photographs.
They're all on Facebook as well.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
And I'll leave those contacts in the session notes
for people to be able toreference.
So thank you so much, andrew,for taking time out of your busy
life to talk to me today andtalk to the families and other
people that are listening, and Ihope this inspires people to
(38:18):
get out there and go deeper intothe Australian bush and, if
they have got four wheel drivesto maybe think about, maybe we
could venture beyond themetropolitan border.
So thank you, andrew, and allthe best in your future
endeavours.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Thank you very much, darla, for giving me this
opportunity, and likewise allthe best to you as well.
Hi Andrew Timms.
Hello Anna, how are you Good?
Thank you.
Welcome to the Empowered ParentPodcast.
We're recording this podcasttoday.
I'm in Adelaide and where areyou, andrew?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm in a very freezing place called Black
Mountain, which is about half anhour north of Armidale in New
South Wales.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So very apt that we're actually doing this
recording over online, becauseyou are in the country and I'm
in the city and we're actuallygoing to talk about camping, so
it's ebbed.
So I'm very keen to have you onthis podcast because I believe
(00:52):
what you do and your businessniche is great for the soul and
body, for parents, families andeveryone alike.
Andrew, you own and operate OzCountry Tag Along Tours, so
first of all, I'd like to askyou could you please introduce
(01:12):
yourself and what got you intocamping professionally and
supporting others to access andexperience the outback?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
the Outback.
Well, my name is Andrew Timmsand I've been in Australia now
for about well a good 30 years,but prior to that I was in the
Indian Army with tanks and weused to go out into the desert
(01:44):
for three months a year and campand do a lot of remote stuff,
which actually was veryinteresting, very adventurous.
And when I came to Australia, Isuppose that what I had learned
from that and what I felt andwhat I liked, I wanted to pursue
it again and what I liked.
(02:04):
I wanted to pursue it again, soI bought a four-wheel drive
about probably 12 or 14 yearsago and the first thing I did
was actually join a four-wheeldrive club, because, although
you can go camping, there's theright way of going camping,
there's a wrong way of doingcamping and there's both the
right and wrong way of drivingyour vehicle as well, for safety
(02:25):
.
So joining a four-wheel driveclub was really fantastic.
Um, it was the sydney districtfour-wheel drive club in sydney
and um, very, it was very familyorientated and we learned a lot
about, um keeping our vehiclessafe.
We used to go on trips withthem, um for two days or even a
week at a time, and, um, whichreally really got me interested
(02:48):
into four-wheel driving.
And, of course, when I wasworking there wasn't much time
to do it, but when I retiredabout five or six years ago, it
offered me an opportunity tokeep myself busy rather than
just sitting at home twiddlingmy thumbs doing nothing.
So it was to keep my mindactive, keep myself active, and
(03:11):
what I did was I got togetherwith a friend of like-minded and
we started this business to dothese four-wheel drive tours.
The main reason was for us toalso get out of our environments
, but also to provide guidanceand give a bit of training on
safe travel and protecting theenvironment for people who have
(03:34):
never done this before andspecifically for people who are
maybe 50 years old and older.
they want that safety in numbersand that's what we do.
So we provide that guidance andwe make sure that it's an
enjoyable group and we keep themsafe.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
So you know you were talking about four-wheel drives.
I know there's a lot offamilies that have got
four-wheel drives.
There's a lot of families thathave got four-wheel drives.
So is there a right way and awrong way of driving with a
four-wheel drive out in the bush?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
There is and there isn't.
It's a very difficult questionbecause when people talk about
four-wheel driving, it dependson what the owner of that
vehicle wants to do with thatvehicle.
I guess it comes down to, frommy point of perspective doing a
(04:36):
four-wheel drive trip or a touris also, once we go through it,
to go through safely and also toensure that we don't damage the
environment for everybody elsethat's going to come behind us.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So what does that mean?
Don't damage the environment.
How can we damage theenvironment?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, there's a few things.
It's the way that you drive ontracks.
You need to be coming into abit of technicalities, I suppose
, reducing tire pressures toensure that you maintain
traction and you don't getbogged.
If you do get bogged, try toreverse out first without
(05:18):
creating big holes in the tracks, because that will then damage
the track in the tracks, becausethat will then damage the track
.
In terms of camping, it is ifyou take your rubbish in.
You need to take your rubbishout.
Don't litter the environment.
Don't drive off the tracks todamage, you know, flora.
Look after the animals that arein the area, so those kind of
(05:42):
things, and I suppose that justmakes it so that everybody can
enjoy the destinations that wego through or go to.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
So let's say, someone's driving along.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Sorry, dana, you cut out, I can't hear you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
He's half alive.
What should people do?
What's the best thing to do?
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I didn't hear the whole question, but I think the
question is about fighting ananimal that is about to die.
So what?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
do you do when you hit an animal and the animal is
about to die and you're in themiddle of nowhere?
What can you do?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
It's a difficult question to answer, because if
you are in the middle of nowhere, the best thing would be to put
that animal out of its misery.
And how you do it?
I suppose it comes down to whatyou have available to you.
But it needs to be done in aquick manner so that there is no
(06:55):
additional pain to the wildanimal.
And I suppose, yeah, thequickest way you can do it with
the available tools that youhave.
I suppose I could call it atyour disposal at that point in
time where you're stuck out inthe bush.
The aim of the exercise is toprevent any more pain to the
(07:19):
animal.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And should people touch animals.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So if the animal has passed away.
Should people be touching them?
You cut out again.
You cut out again there.
But, dana, I suppose in termsof touching the animals if it's
not riding in the middle of thetrack.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
So, Andrew, like we were talking, so if someone sees
or has hit an animal and it'sdead on the road and they want
to move the animal, should theyuse their bare hands or should
they use gloves?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
It is best to use gloves to get it off the road so
that all the cars coming behindthem are not impeded, and
they're safe for the rest of theconvoy.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Gloves yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
So really there is.
There's like skills that peopleneed if they're wanting to go
out bush in their four-wheeldrive right.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yes, there are.
There are certain skills.
There's quite a lot of skillsthat you must learn.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
And that's where those four-wheel drive clubs are
helpful.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
That is correct, and it's not only four-wheel drive
clubs.
There are other groups as wellthat do a lot of training.
There are professionalbusinesses that provide training
in doing this, in driving yourvehicle safely and looking after
the environment as well.
The cheapest, of course, is thefour-wheel drive club or you,
(09:08):
and there are certain charitablegroups also that you you can
join and go out on a tag alongtour with them, and they also
teach very similar skills okay,so let's get to camping, andrew.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
What do you think people worry most about?
Camping, and how do you managethat?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I think a few of the things that people are sort of
chary about is firstly, Isuppose, is safety when camping
and you know, and where youchoose your camp.
And I suppose what we do in ourbusiness is that we tend to stay
(09:51):
either in caravan parks or inestablished national park
campgrounds where there issafety.
And I suppose the other one isand this I'm only talking about
experience from my daughter whocame along with me many, many
years ago for the first time isabout, I suppose, is the toilet
(10:11):
procedures, is we tend to stayin caravan parks where there's
hot showers and proper toiletsand there's, again, safety there
.
Camping gear, procurement ofcamping gear, is the other one,
(10:34):
and what we do is we advisepeople to actually go and talk
to professionals who have beenout camping a number of times
before they actually invest inany equipment for camping.
And I suppose one more would beabout cooking and feeding
yourselves on the track and, ifyou're out there in the outback,
in remote areas, the carriageof food.
(10:57):
We provide guidance on how tocarry food and how much to carry
and water specifically.
These are the few things thatpeople think about before they
even start to, which actuallythey want to know about before
they go about camping.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And is camping expensive?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
It doesn't need to be expensive.
Depending on the time of yearwhere you want to go, you can
very reasonably, with verylittle cost, you can go camping.
You don't have to buy a veryexpensive tent.
You can buy.
You can start small and buildup later.
Just be mindful about weatherand carry clothing and other
(11:42):
equipment that is suitable forthe temperatures that you're
going to be traveling in orwhere you're going to be camping
.
So yeah, it's not expensive atall.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
And what do you think the benefits of camping are for
families, and is campingaccessible for a single parent?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
camping accessible for a single parent?
I think the main benefit ofparents taking their children
out is bonding with the children, because you're out there in
the bush, you're in remote areasand you're very close to your
children.
When you're in the car, you'rein remote areas and you're very
(12:24):
close to your children.
When you're in the car, youdon't have distractions of iPads
and iPhones and video, sothere's a lot of bonding that
can take place with the children.
You can learn a lot about theirstrengths and their weaknesses.
You can create very fondmemories of your camping trips
(12:46):
depending on the photographs andthe experiences that you have.
And I suppose the main thing isthat you take a break from the
hustle and bustle of daily cityliving.
It's about letting yourself go,I suppose, and, you know,
relaxing so that you rejuvenateand go back again.
So these are a few things thatwould provide a lot of benefit
(13:09):
to families when they go outcamping.
And I think you also asked aquestion about accessible for
single parents.
Definitely, it is definitelyaccessible for single parents.
Again, just be mindful ofsafety, just ensure the where
you camp you are in propernational park areas or caravan
parks where you are safe, andjust look out for each other.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And that's so.
When you go into a nationalpark, do you need to pay?
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Some parks yes, some parks have free access, but you
do have to pay a nominal fee forcamping and it's not very
expensive.
The only thing is that youcan't take pets into national
parks, and also, within most ofthe campgrounds that are in
national parks, there's alwayswhat's called a long drop toilet
(14:04):
, which is very handy, which youknow.
It takes away that fear ofwhere am I going to go and do my
business in the bush.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I know I've had that fear a few times, but now I'm
used to it.
I love camping.
Camping is my number one hobby.
I love camping.
Camping is my number one hobby.
So if parents are interested incamping, so let's say, a parent
doesn't have anything andthey're listening to this
(14:36):
podcast and they're interestedin camping where do they start?
How do they start?
Do they?
They go on youtube?
Do they call someone like wherewould someone start?
Or do it in their backyard?
Speaker 2 (14:49):
yeah, those are.
Those are very good suggestions.
Yes, dana, those are all goodthings.
They were to start, I suppose,sitting at your desk, you know,
you google tapping and you canjoin facebook groups that are
that.
Do that, go where people gocamping and they put a lot of
information on Facebook.
(15:09):
And then, I suppose, from apractical perspective, once
you've done that, yes, goinginto your backyard just for
practice, pitch a tent, maybe,spend one night out, a couple of
nights out in your backyard,maybe spend one night out, a
couple of nights out in yourbackyard, and if then venture
further away, you know, go outinto a caravan park or a
national park for one night,again, ensure the safety, go and
(15:34):
spend a night out in acampground or a national park.
You could also I think Imentioned earlier, there are
businesses that provide not onlytraining.
Well, they provide access toand they provide practical
experience of camping and theyteach you things of how to camp
(15:56):
and what to look out for, whatthings to buy and checklists and
things like that.
And of course, my favorite ofcourse is to join a four-wheel
drive or something similar.
They're not very expensive tojoin and what you get out of
them when you're in a club istremendous.
You get a lot of training andsome of the professional
(16:23):
training that you get is heavilysubsidised.
So these are the few thingswhere you can go and learn about
camping and experience campingbefore you venture out.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
And what if someone does not have a four-wheel drive
Like can they still getbenefits of camping?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yes, you can.
There are a lot of nationalparks that are accessible by
two-wheel drives.
Again, just do your research.
Go on to Google, take a look atmaps.
You can join groups likeExplorers, Traveller and take a
look there and see what thecondition of the tracks are.
Form the national parks andfind out about tracks.
(17:01):
So, yes, you can take yourtwo-wheel drive out, but just
ensure that the tracks thatyou're going to drive are
accessible right and um.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
So what happens, andrew, if you're out there and
you get lost and you don't havemobile phone coverage?
What?
What happens then?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
That's a good question, and I think it all
comes back to preparation.
So if you're going to go out onyour own, you must ensure that
you have some way ofcommunication other than a
mobile phone, because if you'reout there on your own, the next
(17:46):
car that's going to come alongwill probably be days away or
might even be never.
So some of the things that youcan carry is a satellite phone.
You don't have to buy one, youcan hire one.
You can take a look on Google,you can hire satellite phones.
The other thing that is veryimportant that you must carry,
if you're going out alone again,or even if you're going out in
(18:07):
a group, at least one of thecars should have a personal
locator beacon so that you canset it off and it's registered
to the Maritime Services ofAustralia so that they can send
out they know where you are andthey can send out a rescue party
to come and get you.
They will come and rescue you.
(18:29):
They won't rescue your vehicle.
You will have to organize foryour vehicle to be pulled out of
wherever it was and I suppose,having said that, the best thing
would be to actually ensurethat you have insurance that
covers you for all the remote.
Ensure that you have insurancethat covers you for all the
remote texts that you're goingto go on.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
So a personal locator beacon is that something you
fire in the air, or is thatsomething you just pop, or what
is that?
Speaker 2 (18:57):
It's a little device that you can buy from from
businesses or companies thatmake radios.
The one that I have is from GME.
Gme is a very good Australiancompany and makes very good UHF
radios for commercial use aswell as recreational use.
(19:22):
They make what's called apersonal locator beacon.
That is a small little device,probably slightly bigger than a
mobile phone, maybe about fourtimes the size of a or maybe
twice the size of a mobile phone.
You carry it on your person andyou set it off by.
(19:43):
Each of them has a differentprocess.
The GME one that I've got isyou set it off by setting off
the antenna and that sends asignal, a satellite signal, to
the maritime services.
It also positions you throughGPS as to where you are, so that
the maritime services cancoordinate a rescue through GPS
as to where you are, so that themaritime services can
(20:04):
coordinate a rescue.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
So basically you don't need to have phone
coverage, it just does itthrough GPS.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
That is correct, but again, phone coverage is best.
The other little thing that youcan carry I carry what's called
a Spot X.
You do pay a subscription forthe use of that, just like you
do for your mobile phone, and atleast with the SpotX you can
text messages to a mobile phoneanywhere in the world.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Wow, there's all these gadgets.
So basically, if you go to yourlocal camping store, will they
know this information?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yes, they will.
So good camping stores likeSnowys, bcf, anaconda and
various other really goodbusiness camping stores.
They carry all this and theyprovide really good information.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Right, great, great.
So let's talk a little bitabout tag along tours.
So you know, I remember comingon my first tag along tour with
you, andrew, and I had really noidea what that was.
I just envisioned a convoy of30 vehicles or something like
that.
So what are tag-along tours andwhat are their benefits?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
A tag-along tour is a tour where you drive your own
four-wheel drive and you join agroup of other cars on a guided
tour, and normally there isalways a leader.
I'm going to talk on the pointof view of the business.
So we, as the leader of thetour, we provide all the
(21:56):
guidance, we provide thetraining, we provide information
as to what you need to carry interms of food and water and we
provide a complete itinerary.
So, basically, you just have tobring your four-wheel drive and
come prepared almostself-sufficient for food and
(22:16):
water, but everything else istaken care of.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
And you've always got someone at the front and
someone at the back.
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yes, that is correct.
The reason we do that is theleader, of course.
I mean, that's self-explanatorythere has to be someone from
the business in front to guideand provide commentary and
provide safety advice.
The more important person iswhat we call the tail end
(22:49):
Charlie.
He is in a car, right in hisown car, and he's basically he
or she is basically the shepherdto ensure that the whole convoy
stays together and gets to thedestination all together.
Because there have been tripsthat I've been on with the
(23:10):
four-wheel drive club,especially when you go into
dusty areas or if you go intothe hills, there are so many
tracks maybe other groupscrossing you.
There have been instances wherethe convoy has actually turned
off and joined the other groupRight.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
So there's always someone at the back, and then I
remember that it just feels verysafe, because if you're on a
narrow, very dirt road a gravelroad that's narrow it's always
good, because the first personalways lets you know if there's
oncoming traffic and the lastperson always lets you know if
(23:51):
there's someone overtaking.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Yes, that's correct.
So for the safety of the convoy, as well as safety for other
cars that are on the road thatdon't belong to the convoy.
So, and if you're in a dustyenvironment, of course the
leader will always have clearview of the front of on the
track, and so they are best toactually provide information to
(24:16):
everyone in the convoy ofoncoming vehicles, of potholes,
of obstacles and, you know,provide information as to
whether we're going to stop andwe're going to talk about it for
the crossing and things likethat.
So, yes, it's very importantfor passing that information on,
for the safety of the convoy.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
And how do the people in the convoy communicate?
Speaker 2 (24:40):
We insist on every car having a UHF radio of at
least five watt strength, eitherfitted to the car or handheld.
The handheld five watt littleradio it's a CB radio or a
citizen band radio, what wenormally term as a UHF ultra
(25:02):
high frequency radio.
It has 80 channels and we picka specific channel on which we
communicate right throughout theconvoy and that's how we pass
information on to all thevehicles.
The handheld radio has alimited range, so we try and put
(25:23):
them close by or in the middleof the convoy so that people in
front of them who have fittedradios or people behind them can
relay messages.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Okay, that's great.
And what about, say, someone'scoming on your tag-along tour?
Do they need to have a tent ora camper, or can they sleep in
cabins?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
So the way that we organise our tours is that we
tend to stay in caravan parks inmost of our tours.
If we are going bush, whichI'll talk about later then yes,
a tent will be required, but ontours where there are generally
caravan parks and these daysthere are caravan parks all over
(26:13):
the countryside, as you know wetend to stay in a caravan park
where there is the option ofgoing into a cabin.
We have had twice now peoplewho have not been too keen to
camp, so they can organize theircabins or we can organize their
cabins and we offset the cost.
(26:34):
They have to pay for most ofthe cost of the cabin.
We offset it by giving them acredit for the camping fees.
So if they wanted a pile site,that's how much we would credit
them.
But yes to your question, theycan stay in cabins for the
duration of the tour every night.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
And what about?
Do you need a four-wheel driveto go on one of your tours?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Yes, we do insist on four-wheel drives because
they're much more robust.
They have higher groundclearance.
We also insist on all-terraintires because they are much more
robust and can take the tracksthat we drive on.
Four-wheel drives also have ahigh and low-range gearbox,
(27:21):
which is important, especiallyif we go out on tours.
The weather is not somethingthat we can actually control, so
if we do unfortunately get hitby a storm or rain and the
tracks get muddy and slippery, afour-wheel drive is the only
vehicle that is actually goingto get us out.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah, and have you ever had to rescue anyone or
pull anyone out, andrew?
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Not on tours.
We haven't had that.
There have been instances where, you know, there have been
internal sort of damages andbans, but we've never rescued or
pulled out people.
I have done it on other trips,but it's something that we are
prepared for.
So our lead vehicle at leastalways has a winch and we always
(28:15):
carry stat straps and otherrecovery gear so that we can
actually recover vehicles andput them back onto the road and
get them to a town where theycan be then assessed and move on
from there.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
And I know you guys helped us when we had to change
a tyre and then our battery ranlow.
So there's always somethingisn't there, and it's like
you've got this magic box inyour car, Andrew, that you're
always pulling something outthat's going to fix the problem
or help fix the problem.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Yes, I suppose, yeah, that magic box, and we do that
because we don't expect everyoneto be carrying that equipment.
So we carry it so that we canget people back on the road
again and at least get them intoa town where they can go to a
mechanic and get their vehiclesrepaired.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
So yes, we do carry things all the time.
Yes, and that's the thing Ithink, that's the safety that I
felt when I went out bush withyou guys.
So what's the most memorableexperience of camping for you
and your family?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
um, well, there's been actually two instances.
Uh, when I first got my carback in I think it was 2008 uh,
the harlocks um, I wanted to goand do a trip and that's when I
I think I mentioned this groupcalled drive for life.
So it's Drive with a number forlife.
They are a group of people whoput together trips to the
(29:54):
Simpson Desert, high country andthings like that, and all the
payment that you do to them allgoes to the Northcote Society I
think it's more a New SouthWales charity that provides
equipment for disabled children.
But that was the first trip thatwe went on, and my daughter and
(30:16):
I we went to the Simpson Desert.
My vehicle wasn't modified, itwas straight out of the.
I mean, I did have suspensiondone and tires done, but we
didn't have a fridge.
We had an icebox.
By three days into the Simpsonwe had no ice, no cool.
Luckily, we had gone out.
I think it was probably Augustor September, so it wasn't too
(30:41):
bad and I think my daughteractually learned a lot of things
and it got her interested infour-wheel driving because she
accompanied me again, I thinkabout maybe two or three years
later, to the high country withthe same group and she actually
went on and she bought a littleSuzuki Jimny for herself and
(31:04):
went out on a few trips with hergirlfriends on our own.
So that's one of the memorableones.
And the other one was, Isuppose, when my wife came with
me and we did a Simpson crossing, again with Drive for Life.
It was her first time and, asyou know, once you leave the
dirt road sorry, the bitumen inAlice Springs, we went from
(31:24):
Alice Springs to Birdsville.
There is nothing, there isnothing, there is no shops, no,
nothing.
So that was an interestingexperience for my wife and I
think she still remembers thatvery, very much because she got
to learn a lot about camping and, I think, about the third day.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
She was professional and I think about the third day
she was professional.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Because it is very different for your eyes, isn't
it going out, bush?
Yes, look, you can't beat whatyou see on the tracks out in the
bush.
I'm just going to say it's theserenity.
How much serenity there is outthere.
You know the wide open spaces,the wild animals, the emus, the
(32:17):
wallabies, and then when you'recamping you come across wombats,
the bird life.
It's just a different worldaltogether out there, and with a
four-wheel drive you get accessto places where nowadays, of
course, a lot of people aregoing, because a lot of people
(32:39):
are buying four-wheel drives,but it's a place where still a
lot of people haven't been.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
And I just remember the stars.
The stars are amazing at night.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Yes, that is correct, Because there's no light.
From the cities, you get a180-degree view.
If you lie down on the ground,you get a 180-degree view from
one horizon to the other, of acomplete black sky with all
these stars in the sky.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Yes, you're right.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I remember those photographs you took.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, yeah, amazing.
So, Andrew, just one lastquestion today how do you think
camping empowers parents andwhat are the benefits?
What do you?
Speaker 2 (33:29):
think empowers parents and what are the
benefits?
I think it empowers parents onthe fact that you get to know
your child a bit more and Isuppose the child gets to know
you a bit more, because both theparent and the child are in
very different circumstances,you know, in a very different
environment.
You're sort of up there wherethere's no phone, there's no
(33:52):
other friends, no other.
Well, you do have your ownfriends along with you, but you
know what I mean, like a circleof other people, friends around.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
No distraction.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
That's correct.
Yeah, that's the word I'mlooking for no distraction,
perspective of having learnednew skills and to develop them
(34:27):
and go and do different thingsto maybe develop their
adventurous spirit.
I suppose, as well as give them, give both the parent and the
child and the family, you know,give them a yearning for the
outdoors, to go out and dosomething different rather than
sitting on your phone whenwatching television.
(34:47):
It, I think it, also instills asense of or gives them
confidence to go and have a goal.
You know, once they've tried itout, they say oh yes, I can do
this as well.
And also gives them a bit ofindependence.
You know that, yeah, I can dothis on my own and I've learned
the skill.
(35:07):
And I suppose overall it's justthat another layer of
confidence for both the parentas well as the the child it's
definitely, I think, aconfidence booster.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
For sure, um, I felt that it was a confidence booster
for me and you know um becauseyou are, you are um going
outside of your comfort zonewhen you're going out there, but
in a safe way yes, that iscorrect.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yes, you are out of your comfort zone, um, and I
think um, you know, when I didit once with my daughter, she
was quite amenable, or quiteopen to actually come along on
another trip, you know.
So I suppose that was somethingthat she had never been on
before and that is somethingthat I instilled in her, or gave
(36:00):
her the skill to do on her ownas well.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
And I think children are very nature lovers.
Um, and it's also about our,the way we embrace nature and
how we can, you know, give thatto our children, to our future
yes, that is correct, um.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
There's a lot of learning from that to um.
Look after the environment,that there's a lot more people
going to come after us and youneed to look after it so that
everybody can enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
So, Andrew, people listening today and maybe they
want to get in contact with youand have a chat with you about
you know, the tours that youprovide, and maybe they just
feel like, oh, I'm not sure ifthis is for me or I'm not sure
I'd be able to do it.
How would people contact you ifthey wanted to know more about
what you do and about your tours?
Speaker 2 (36:58):
There are a few ways they could do that, dana.
The business name is Oz CountryTagalong Tours, so one of the
ways is that you could go toGoogle and search for Oz Country
Tagalong Tours.
We've got a website there.
It has all the information onour tours.
(37:18):
It also has our contact detailsand it also has access to
contacting us through email andasking us questions to which we
respond At least, I think werespond pretty quickly and get
with enough information.
The other way is we're onFacebook as well, so you could
(37:43):
go and look us up at Oz CountryTagalong Tours on Facebook and
there are all our tours thatwe've done and photographs.
They're all on Facebook as well.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
And I'll leave those contacts in the session notes
for people to be able toreference.
So thank you so much, andrew,for taking time out of your busy
life to talk to me today andtalk to the families and other
people that are listening, and Ihope this inspires people to
(38:18):
get out there and go deeper intothe Australian bush and, if
they have got four wheel drivesto maybe think about, maybe we
could venture beyond themetropolitan border.
So thank you, andrew, and allthe best in your future
endeavours.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Thank you very much, darla, for giving me this
opportunity, and likewise allthe best to you as well.
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