1.What can I expect on tour?

Our tours are NOT like a walk in the park, or a relaxing holiday around the pool in tropical Queensland. They are 4WD adventure tours through remote areas with limited facilities. This means camping in areas where there are no toilet facilities (ie you will need to use a shovel) and going for several days without a shower (although there are plenty of places to swim in fresh water). Every swimming hole and gorge entails a walk over uneven ground, with the longest walk up to 8km. Even getting in and out of our vehicles involves a 50cm step (for off-road clearance). As we are covering a large area and visiting many sites, many days are long with early rises and late finishes, and sometimes irregular mealtimes. You will be expected to roll your own swag, and group participation is required in firewood collection, meal preparation and loading the vehicle. You will also need to accept and respect the judgement and experience of your tour guide as he or she leads you through this outback adventure. In other words, if you are fit, tolerant, flexible and prepared to assist, then we would love to take you on tour!

As of May 1st, 2008:
All our vehicles are now equipped with power inverters (True Sine - 240V/50Hz) for our clients' convenience. The Inverters are specifically designed for sophisticated and fragile electronic equipment like digital cameras, video cameras, MP3 players and notebooks.

2.What happens if I have more than 15kg luggage?

We travel without trailers to enable us to go places other tours cannot access. This means a strict luggage allowance of 15kgs per passenger. On some tours, we can arrange transfer of an additional 10kg bag to your final tour destination via Greyhound coach, at no extra cost - please call us between 9am and 5pm several days prior to departure for more information.

3.What if I am a vegetarian or have other special meal requirements?

Please let us know on booking if you have special meal requirements so we can shop and pack for you. You will also need to liaise with the driver during the tour, and may be asked for help with your shopping. Vegetarian and other meals are usually modifications of standard meals on tour.

4.Why are pickups from hostels etc not available on tours departing Broome and Darwin?

It is likely that your tour guide will already have some passengers with him from a previous section of the tour, and time does not allow hostel and hotel pickups. We have chosen instead, departure points that are central and convenient to most accommodation

5.How fit do I need to be?

Anyone with average fitness will be able to take part in most or all of the walks and activities on our tours. Generally if you can walk several kilometres over uneven ground, you should be able to take part in most walks. Some walks are harder than others, and you will need to accept the judgement of your tour guide. Of course if you prefer, you can choose not to go on a walk, and relax at camp. We have found that tolerance to outback conditions and a good sense of humour is more important than peak fitness!

5a./ Tours which include transfers

Whenever there is a transfer involved, the pax must make their own way to either the Greyhound Transit Centre or to the relevant airport. Upon arrival in their destination, e.g. Darwin or Kununurra they need to make their own way to either their accommodation in Darwin or to Kimberleyland Holiday Park in Kununurra. We are unable to do pickups and drop offs in these locations. Please note that we organise the transfer portion only, that is either the Greyhound or plane flight. It is at our discretion which of these modes are used as there may be additional costs involved for late plane bookings. At the conclusion of a tour, we drop all pax off at their relevant accommodation.

6.What if I am travelling alone?

Many of our passengers are travelling alone, so you certainly won't be the only one. We do not charge single supplements.

7.What happens if I need to cancel my booking?

A fee will be charged for cancelled bookings, depending on how much notice is given as follows: - departure during tour, non-arrival or less than 72 hours notice of cancellation: no refund; - 3 to 7 days notice: 50% refund; - 8 to 14 days notice: 75% refund; - 14 to 30 days notice: 90% refund; - over 30 days notice: $30 administration fee applies.

8.What will I be sleeping in?

At the beginning of the tour, you will be issued with a Swag - this is like a large canvas envelope with a zip down one side and along the bottom edge. Each swag has a comfortable foam mattress and pillow. You will also be supplied with a pillowcase (and a sleeping bag with liner if you have booked one). This swag will be yours for the duration of the tour, and will be rolled up each morning, with the sleeping bag inside, for loading onto the roof of your vehicle. For nights where mosquitoes may be a problem, we carry large mosquito dome tents which each sleep 5 passengers. We also carry some single mosquito nets, as well as a limited number of tents on board for people who prefer - but we must warn you that sleeping under the stars can be addictive!

9.Can I bring some wine or beer?

Our vehicles carry an esky (an ice box or chilly bin) for the use of passengers for drinks; you may bring along a couple of drinks for the first night if you wish, but usually your guide will stop at a liquor store on the first day. Passengers may wish to share a cask of wine etc.

10.What does 'coach transfer' mean?

We realise that not all of our passengers wish to end up at the same destination; many of our tours have an optional transfer by Greyhound coach to a different location. (For instance, the 12 day Gibb River/Plateau and Bungles Adventure can be booked as a Broome to Broome tour, or a Broome to Darwin tour, where the last day is spent travelling via Greyhound to Darwin). Where this is included, we will book and pay for the coach, and your guide will get you to the departure point. Drinks and meals are not included on these sections.

11.Why do your tours north of Broome only operate between May and October?

The Kimberley area north of Broome has a tropical climate, with November to April being the rainy season. Apart from the heat and severe humidity, it is not uncommon for severe storms and cyclones to result in flooding and road closures. Many of the highlights of our tours, for example the Gibb River Road and the Bungle Bungles, are closed to all visitors during this time. We would rather take you to these amazing places when you can actually explore the best bits! Our Perth-Broome tours still operate year-round.

12.What happens if you cancel a tour for lack of bookings?

This is a very unusual occurrence, but when it does happen, we will attempt to book you a tour with another operator. We will try to give as much notice as possible, and obviously you will receive a full refund if you choose not to travel with the other company.

13.Are all National Park entry and camping fees included in the cost of my tour?

Yes, all fees are included. You may need spending money for drinks, ice creams and any optional tours you choose to do.

14.How do I book optional boat trips, scenic flights etc on my tour?

On the first day of your tour, your guide will pass around a booking form which will list all of the available optional boat trips etc, with details of prices, times and a brief description. You can nominate which, if any, you wish to do and the guide will phone ahead and book the required number of seats. You will need to pay the tour operator direct, not your All Terrain tour guide. Most operators accept credit cards.

15.How many other passengers will there be on the tour?

Darwin to Broome section:

Our specially designed and built 4WD Mitsubishi tour vehicles hold a maximum of 16 passengers.

The usual group size is 5 to 12 passengers.

15a.How many other passengers will there be on the tour?

Perth to Broome section: Mini coach tour 2WD vehicles hold a maximum of 21 passengers.

16.If I have to cancel my tour, can I transfer my ticket to someone else?

All tickets/travel vouchers are non-transferable and can only be used by the person whose name appears on them. We strongly recommend travel insurance for all passengers!

17.Can you help me book accommodation before or after my tour?

Because of the huge variety in cost and quality of pre- and post-tour accommodation, it is not practical for us to book it for you - however, we can recommend the following websites for futher information... www.broomevisitorcentre.com.au for attractions and accomodation in Broome; www.tourismtopend.com.au for attractions and accommodation in the Northern Territory; www.westernaustralia.net for attractions in Perth and WA, also www.discoverwest.com.au and www.wotif.com.

18.You haven't answered my emails. What's the problem?

We receive over 200 emails evey day, most of them 'junk' mail - please make sure you put something relevant in the 'Subject' field, or we may delete your email without reading it! You should receive an answer to your email within 2 working days, but please be aware that the office is not attended on weekends.

www.australia4tours.com

www.australia4tours.com is a division of 'Australia 4 Wheel Drive Rentals' the experienced and friendly Australian safari, tours, sightseeing, charter and selfdrive Specialists based in Darwin, Northern Territory Australia.

Call us now to help you organise your next tour in Australia-
Telephone within Australia 08-89453338 or International +61 8 89453338 24 hours a day.

MISSION STATEMENT

As one of the Northern Territory's leading small group safari specialists "Australia 4 Wheel Drive Rentals (incorporating www.australia4tours.com) , we seek out tours to some of Australia's most famous landmarks including Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kakadu National Park. From the sunny tropical Top End in it's dry and spectacular wet season's to the spiritual heart of the sandy Red Centre, from Aboriginal Culture to abundant wildlife and incredable flora - then onto Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns we have sourced an excellent range of tours for your next vacation in Australia.

Our experienced staff will help you discover the best of these unique and special tours offers across Australia with backpackers camping safaris to one day sight seeing coach trips, ecotourisim adventure camping safaris in Kakadu National Park and Uluru (Ayers Rock) from Alice Springs and Ayers Rock Resort (Uluru) in Northern Territory including learning about Aboriginal culture.