October 2019

* Canning x 2 * Silk Road Report * Tales from Tanzania * Wild Japan *
* Karijini Charter * Rudall River * Ocean2Outback Charter * Photography Tips *
* NEW Astro Tour! * Silk Road Part II & more!

AN OVERDOSE OF GOOD NEWS!

CANNING STOCK ROUTE EXPEDITION

We spent a thrilling 21 days on what is said to be one of the toughest 4WD tracks in the world with 17 intrepid gypsies completing a south-to-north expedition along the Canning Stock Route in July. Congratulations to Paul Bide, Peter Hamilton, Alan Bray, André Morony (of NSW); Tony Shields (VIC); Robert Humphries & Liubov Alatyreva (QLD); Les Luck (ACT) & from WA Diana Buchanan, Helen Schwenke, Brad Kent, Neil Macaulay, John Ripp, Neil Warren & Haley Allen, Gypsy 'shotgun' rider Terry Brewin & 'trail boss' Jeremy.

A good time was had by all with only a few hiccups – one of them was more like a burp when our trusty escort vehicle broke an axle! Fortunately it happened at the end of the tour just before we reached the excellent mechanic at Halls Creek. What a hero! He finished the work in just two days! Other exciting escapades included two vehicles temporarily deserting the convoy to undertake repairs to fuel pumps & doors; discovering when we got to Kunawarritji they had no fuel after they had assured us there was plenty of it (resulting in an unscheduled day trip to Punmu to fill up!); a travelling herb garden thanks to Diana & Helen; navigating the potholes & washouts; & the joy of utilizing not one but two new dunnies at Well 33 which had only just been completed by our friends at Trackcare! Be seated everyone!

Other lasting memories include the poignant readings from "The Book of Wells" by the Prophet Jeremiah; heated debates involving buckets at 50 paces over whether Canning or his nemesis Snell got it right with well construction; the severe & seemingly endless corrugations; dodgy alternators, shockies & batteries; raising $1000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service from 'silly fines'; & hilarious bush banter written by Tony & Haley (you can read their clever literary contributions on the CSR page of our website!).

At the end of the tour, Jeremy & Terry stayed on in Halls Creek for a few days to rest up for the next Canning trip – read about our "Well 46 Restoration Voluntour" later in this newsletter! By the way, our 2020 CSR adventure is filling fast so if you'd like to join us, get in quick!

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STORIES FROM THE SILK ROAD

It's rare that we entrust our valued clients to another tour operator, but our escorted adventure along the Great Silk Road is an exception to that rule. For the past three years we've asked our business partners in Tashkent, Anvar & Dilmurad from Miramax Travel, to lead this exotic 26-day tour for us & each year they surpass themselves.

This year's happy travellers were Kris Blair, Janet Farr, Stephanie Meagher & Gwynne Thomas (from WA); Kathleen Smalley & Ross Hudson (VIC); Gary Reeves (NSW); Gerry Ritchie (SA); Paul & Prue Dodge (NZ) & Christine Blignaut (South Africa).

Highlights in China included a dinner in the desert, the ancient Magao Caves & the village of Dunhuang; enjoying meals with the local people, learning about the culture & history, staying in a yurt, an eagle hunting display & the raw mountain beauty in Kyrgyzstan (particularly after the bustle & heat of China!); & Registan Square & the many other attractions of Samarkand & the intoxicating city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan.

Thanks to feedback from these roving gypsies we're going to make a few changes to future tours such as running it a little later to try to miss the crowds & the heat in China; replacing some of the longer driving days with quicker & more comfortable flights & reducing the amount of food our over-hospitable hosts keep trying to feed us!

If you're hot to trot on this awesome Persian adventure, get your name down now for a late-August departure in 2021 - & possibly even for a 2020 tour if we get the numbers!  Stay tuned for details!

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LOOK UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! NO!  IT'S AN ASTRO-TOUR!

If star-gazing in the outback with experts twinkles your toes, then prepare for lift-off! We're currently chatting with some savvy scientific colleagues about running WA's first ever Outback Astro Tagalong Tour!

This star-studded, self-catering, self-drive, week-long adventure in the Goldfields & Midwest area will happen in February/March – the best time to enjoy warm weather & clear skies. Telescopes & other tekky gear will be provided & numbers will be strictly limited. If you'd like to join us, send us a rocket & express your interest today!

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CANNING RESTORATION 'VOLUNTOUR' AT WELL 46!

After completing the three-week Wiluna to Halls Creek Canning Stock Route Expedition (CSR), Jeremy & his sidekick Terry were fortunate enough to participate in a most unusual & incredibly rewarding, philanthropic project also on the Canning.

As part of a team comprising Trackcare WA (who have adopted & help look after the Stock Route) & the Ngurrara Rangers (the custodians of the section we worked on), Global Gypsies helped to refurbish Well 46 & to erect a new bush loo at the nearby campsite.

For folks not familiar with the CSR, this may not sound like a great achievement, but for those of you who know & love the Canning, you'll appreciate that it was a massive undertaking involving complex logistics, specially designed equipment, detailed coordination & lots of manual labour!

A dunny at this popular overnight stop was long overdue, not just for hygienic & aesthetic reasons, but to improve the creature comforts available for travellers. Thanks to the generosity of Jim and Lisa Bond who are CSR-tragics, keen 4WD drivers, loyal gypsy clients & retired entrepreneurs, a plan was hatched in 2017 to make it happen!

The Bonds provided some seed capital to get the project started; then we invited a group of 'CSR alumni' clients to participate in a coordinated commercial 'voluntour' which would provide a willing workforce & additional funding to pay for the required materials & their transport.

Trackcare WA offered to supply & build the dunny as well as the expertise & project management skills to supervise the work (they had already built and installed eleven loos on the Canning!); & the Ngurrara Rangers gave their support for the project, assisted with its construction & shared their cultural & local knowledge with the volunteers. It was a case of win-win-winch!

Our sincere thanks to the Trackcare team of Des Bunter (Project Leader), Peter Cooper, Des Degruchy, Brett O'Leary & Jan Bunter, & to the Ngurrara Rangers Elton & Edmond Smiler, Kevin Tromp, Lionel Catada, Jamin Bent & Damian Hastings-James. And, of course, a huge thank you to our enthusiastic and dedicated gypsy clients Norm & Marie Blackburn, John & Joan Carn, Bill & Mas O'Neil, Grahame Edgar, Ken McIntosh, Suzanne Gallagher, Kirsten Harris, Kayleigh Stoddart, Ross McGillivray, Gerhardt Strumpher, Klaus Vollrath, Chris Brandsch & Jim & Lisa Bond.

In addition to the wonderful group dynamics & the fun we had during construction, we raised $1000 for Trackcare from silly fines for such crimes as losing or dropping things, driving with no headlights & making noisy dawn water collections.

Other highlights included completing the project faster than anticipated (due in part to the thought & precision workmanship by Des in creating the 'dunny' designs); using bush mechanic skills to solve a couple of hairy vehicular problems (thanks, Grahame!); the Welcome to Country by the Rangers (which included a traditional 'smoking' & water-splashing ceremony; learning about the precious 20-year old, 8x10m Ngurrara Canvas - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-23/giant-historic-artwork-ngurrara-canvas-returned-home/9074446 - & the festive "Completion of the Dunny" celebration which involved an official christening (don't ask!) and a 'white ribbon' cutting using Trump-illustrated toilet paper! Well done everyone and bottoms up!

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TOWING TRAINING NEWS!

We'd like to welcome Bryan Mitchell to the gypsy camp as our newest Towing Instructor. Bryan joins Jeremy, Eddy Tamlin & Ken George in our highly skilled team of excellent trainers. He may also be helping us out with some other duties as well including a spot of guiding & some office work. Nice to have you with us, Bryan!

And in Oscar-worthy news, our towing training film, "Caravanning with Confidence", is finally available on USB stick as well as on DVD! You can get the production in either format for just $24.95 plus postage – it's the perfect Christmas gift!

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FULL-AS-A-GOOG-TOURS!

We're pleased to report that both our "Wild Side of Japan" & our "Silk Road Part II" tours are chock-a-block, or as we say in Australia, "full as googs" (a goog is an egg!). Both are new destinations for us so we are very excited indeed! In Japan we're hoping to see bears & whales & other wild things as well as the traditional iconic cities & in Turkey we want to watch whirling dervishes, take a hot-air balloon over Cappadocia & visit Anzac Cove. Hopefully peace will have broken out over there by then – watch this space!

And in more egg-citing news, this time for all of you who love your mummies, you'll be pleased to hear that we're making excellent progress with planning for our "Walk Like an Egyptian Tour" in 2022. Don't be in de-Nile! Express your interest today!

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PRIVATE CHARTER : OCEAN2OUTBACK TOUR

Our agent in The Netherlands, JP Ponte from Fivesenses, is busy putting together another private tour of Dutch clients keen to explore the outback by 4WD. They'll be hiring camper-style vehicles from Red Sands for 30 days in October 2020 & will travel in a convoy led by everyone's favourite guide – Jeremy!

Beginning & ending in Perth, the tour will follow the coast to Dirk Hartog Island (which has important historical Dutch connections) then travel southeast on the inland roads tackling several desert tracks along the way. We're looking forward to welcoming the group here & showing them our incredible country!

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SCIENCE SAFARI TO DIRK HARTOG!

Speaking of Dirk Hartog, as you read this, the gypsy crew will be up to their pouches in our annual 'voluntour' Science Safari to DHI. As usual a full house of dedicated gypsies will work their little digits to the bone helping DBCA scientists & researchers to rehabilitate & monitor endangered indigenous species as part of the "Return to 1616" project. Hats & fly nets off to you all!

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PRIVATE CHARTER TO KARIJINI

In August, we assisted our friends at International Park Tours in Queensland on another private charter - a coach tour they offer every second year to Kalbarri, Karijini & lots of top spots in between.

This two-week adventure is a bit different from our usual tours – the main emphasis is on bush walks rather than four-wheel-driving, meals are enjoyed in restaurants & accommodation is in hotels – it's sheer looogshury! There are two tour guides on the trip who share the driving & commentary so it's a nice change of pace. This is the third time we've worked with IPT on this fun tour - thanks for giving us the opportunity Suzanne & Pip!

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ONE-DAY TOUR GUIDE TRAINING COURSE

Attention aspiring tour guides!  We're running another one-day Tour Guide Training Course in conjunction with Tourism Council WA!  It will take place at Four Points Sheraton in Perth on Tuesday, November 19. 2019. Visit https://www.tourismcouncilwa.com.au/event/tour-guide-workshop-perth-0 for more details or to make a booking. Places strictly limited!

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RUDALL RIVER ANYONE?

We've had several requests from gypsies wanting us to run a Rudall River/Karlamilyi Expedition in 2020. If we do it, it would be self-catered & we'd be going in July/August after our CSR tour. To help us decide whether to turn this thought bubble into a real live outback adventure, please get in touch with us ASAP & tell us you're keen! Thanks!

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TALES FROM TANZANIA

Noah, David Attenborough & King Mufasa would have been green with envy if they had joined our Treasures of Tanzania Safari in August! We saw more wildlife than you could poke a lens at & had more fun than a mozzie at a nudist camp!

Our very excited group of 12 terrific gypsies plus Jan & Jeremy & our four fabulous local guides began our marvelous adventure in Arusha (near Mt Kilimanjaro) & from there explored the wilds of Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Crater, Oldupai Gorge & the Serengeti.

We had so many wonderful experiences we'd need a book to record them all but try these for starters…we were charged by an elephant on Day 2 (but encountered lots of friendlier ellies later on!); saw leopards, cheetah, buffalo, baboons, monkeys, warthog, hyena, jackal, hippos, giraffe, zebra, impala, waterbuck, wildebeest, dik-dik, mongoose, crocodiles, ostriches, crested cranes, lilac breasted rollers, eagles, storks, vultures, majestic Lion  King look-alikes with both gold & (rare!) black manes, & oh so much more!  And yes, we DID see wildebeest crossing the legendary Mara River during the annual migration.

Magical mental images include more than 100 grunting hippos squashed together in a small pond like a raft of huge, wet, shiny black worms; three proud, glossy male lions with huge paws padding casually next to our vehicles; descending the steep  slopes  of Ngorongoro Crater at dawn enveloped in a veil of mist & clouds; visiting ancient Hadzabe & Blacksmith tribes; stopping & shopping in a Masaai village; hearing wildebeest galloping past our tent at night; floating  high over the  savannah  in  a hot-air balloon; getting drenched in a torrential downpour & dramatic lightning storm in the Serengeti; acacias silhouetted by crimson sunsets; drinks & chats around the campfire; delicious dinners under the stars & an impromptu African 'kitchen concert' at our farewell party.

The personalities made this adventure extra special as well…our knowledgeable, ever-smiling & oh so charming guides - Marco, Pascal, Nassary & Isaak; the organizers behind the scenes of All Around Tanzania Safaris Pty Ltd, Fiona & Chris; & our mob of intrepid & always-so-nice-to-be-with gypsies - Elaine Capps, Felicity Carlin, Jo Clews, Mike Dawes & John & Heather Richardson (from WA); Pam & Ken Green (NSW); Dianne & Lindsay Morris (Vic); & Anne Witters & Prue Coates (NZ) – many of whom were repeat offenders!  Thank you everyone – you really were the "Treasures of Tanzania"!

It was so good to get back to Africa & we're already looking forward to returning. We really hope you'll join us on our next Tanzania safari in 2021 - give us a loud bang on the jungle drums if you're keen!

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TRAVEL PHOTOGRAHY TIPS

We know that many of you love taking 'pickies' of your adventures so we thought we'd share this list of tips that professional photographer Mogens Johansen put together for shutter-bugs who travel. Happy snapping!

• Get to know your gear
• Practice & perfect your skills
• Develop your eye – look at other photographer's work & copy a style you like
• Take your time
• Try to find something unusual or different in a place
• Use composition guidelines like "Rule of Thirds" or "leading lines" to create clean, easy-to-understand images
• Look for interesting light & decisive moments
• Look for different points of view
• Scan the edges of the frame for unsightly distractions
• When photographing people, get them to relax, engage in conversation or give them a task to do
• Try to create photo 'stories' from the locations you visit. 

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HERITAGE & HOMESTEADS TOUR REPORT

We had a brilliant inaugural "Heritage & Homesteads Tour" in June when we spent 11 days leisurely exploring WA's Midwest & Goldfields regions, enjoying the sights & learning about the local history.

Highlights included an indigenous cultural experience with Njaki Njaki Aboriginal Tours; visiting Merredin's Cummins Theatre & Military & Railway Museums; the War Museum at Nungarin; the Helena Aurora Ranges; Antony Gormley's haunting sculptures at Lake Ballard; Kalgoorlie's Super Pit; Boulder Town Hall; Hoover House in Leonora; London Bridge at Sandstone; the Mt. Magnet Museum & enjoying a station tour & delicious dinner at Melangata Station, owned by our mates Ken Darnell & Safari Hostess, Jo Clews.

Thanks to gypsies Anne Gilkes; Ross McGillivray; John & Marian Meharry; Helen & Evan Parker; John & Heather Richardson; Gerhardt & Aileen Strumpher & Bill & Phyll Astbury for joining us – it was great fun & we hope to run the tour again soon!

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WHAT? NO CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER?

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Until next time, happy travels from –