WHAT A YEAR!!

On the home front we weren’t able to offer any long-haul tours in 2020 including the Canning Stock Route. This resulted in us sitting on our backsides for much of the year! However, part of the time was spent doing ‘rekkies’ for new destinations in our trusty Landcruiser, “Gypsy”, so we’re not complaining!

As a result, we managed to run a couple of new tours; planned a new itinerary for a coach tour to Karijini; submitted tenders for three major touring & training contracts (we won them all - hooray!); & ran more towing training & 4WD courses than you can poke a spanner at!

Plus, we’ve designed a brand new one-day “Mickey Mouse Mechanics Course” that debuts in January! Read on for more details!

We also delivered our unique Tour Guide Training Course in Perth, Walpole & Carnarvon to dozens of aspiring - and inspiring! - guides & updated our popular book “How to Be an Award-Winning Tour Guide”.

Another very exciting development is that, thanks to recommendations from the WA Indigenous Tour Operators Council, we are carving out a niche for our customized, extended training courses for Aboriginal tour guides in remote areas. We’re really loving this work & are delighted with the tangible results we’re seeing from the talented & enthusiastic students.

Well done, everybody!

We’ve also received lots of messages of support from you lovely folks just checking that we were okay & sending us your good wishes. We really appreciated your concern & the short answer is “Yes, we’re fine & thank you so much for asking!”. With borders open & a vaccine (or two!) on the horizon, it’s very much a case of onward & upward for Global Gypsies! So saddle up, pardners! Let’s get stuck into 2021! Yeehah!

CAN’T WAIT FOR THE CANNING & THE KIMBERLEY!

Assuming permits are available (they weren’t this year), we’ll be running a “Mini-Canning Expedition” (10 days from Wiluna to Georgia Bore) in July 2021 & the ‘full monty’ (21-day marathon from Wiluna to Halls Creek) in June/July 2022. There are still a few places available on each adventure but get in quick! You’ll find details on our website at

www.globalgypsies.com.au/tours/Australian/.

WHAT?? A NEW WEBSITE & BLOG???

Yes! We’re finally taking the plunge & getting a new website! We hope to have it finished by the end of March so keep your peepers open! A fantastic new feature as far as we’re concerned will be our new blog, the “Gypsy Journal”, which we plan to fill with Gypsy musings, cruisings, schmoozings & perusings! Contributions, suggestions & story ideas will be welcome & we hope you’ll enjoy it!

SOUTHERN ECO-SAFARI REPORT

After our Rock ‘n’ Quoll Safari in September (which we reported on in the last news update), we ran a Corona-Busting Southern Eco-Safari in November. We had several late cancellations so it was only a teeny group, but it was definitely a case of quality if not quantity!

We travelled from Esperance to Dunsborough via Cape Le Grand, Hopetoun, Fitzgerald River National Park, Bremer Bay, Albany, Walpole & Manjimup taking guided walks, a cruise & visiting the Valley of the Giants, the ANZAC museum & the pristine beaches along the way.

We had good weather (except for one sudden torrential downpour at Albany’s famous Gap – the water was WILD!) & the spectacular scenery right along the coast was as breathtaking as ever – it really is a very special part of the world. Highlights for us were the ANZAC Museum (our first visit – highly recommended!) & the potluck suppers! Thanks to John & Marian Meharry & Eric & Maureen Cumming for sharing this adventure with us!

4WD FOREST MINI-BREAK REPORT

Thanks to gypsies Suzanne & Peter Gallagher, Steve Smith & Cheyenne Martin, Ross McGillivray & Aileen & Gerhardt Strumpher for joining us on our inaugural 4WD Forest MiniBreak in late November. How can you have so much fun in just four days?

We went exploring in the gorgeous forests around Collie in the Ferguson & Preston Valley, the weather was excellent, the 4WDing was challenging, the bushwalks were delightful, our private campground in the forest was oh! so peaceful, our hosts Baz & Shaz were charming, the flowers were out, the birds were singing, the sun was shining & all was right with the world!

It only takes two hours to reach Preston Valley yet it’s got a completely different vibe & ambience to the Big Smoke – not to mention all the wonderful trees to hug! Everyone loved spending three nights in one place instead of moving each day & this was a special bonus for us as we had a new tent to try out!

Highlights were a visit to the Wellington Dam where a massive historical mural was being painted on the dam wall, picnics in the forest & a stop in Gnomesville to add some new residents!

HERITAGE & HOMESTEADS TOUR IN MAY!

Due to customer demand, we’re going to run another Heritage & Homesteads Tour from May 19 – 29. 2021. We first offered this tour in 2019 & people loved it! We’ll take a leisurely meander through the Midwest & Goldfields digging up all the dirt in our State’s past & traveling in comfort in a self-driving, self-catering combo of caravans, camper-trailers, motorhomes & tents! It’s great fun, super interesting & we’d love to have you along! Reserve your place in the convoy now! https://www.globalgypsies.com....

NEW WA MUSEUM!

What a treat! We recently visited WA’s brand new museum, known as Boola Bardip (which means ‘many stories’ in the Nyungar language). It’s designed to celebrate Australia’s indigenous culture & history & it certainly delivers!

Our favourite display was the brilliant “Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters” which uses paintings, sculptures, ceramics & multimedia to explain this riveting dreamtime story. Here’s a sneak peek! If you live in WA or are planning a visit here soon, definitely add the museum to your ‘must-see’ list!

DONATIONS FOR DIBBLERS

We recently donated $1000 worth of equipment to Perth Zoo to assist with their ‘breed & release’ program of Dibblers, one of the world’s rarest marsupials. The funds were part proceeds from our ‘Voluntour Science Safari’ to Dirk Hartog Island in 2019 – thanks to all participating gypsies!

Once found in coastal areas across the SW corner of WA from Shark Bay to Esperance, Dibblers are today highly endangered due to introduced predators, habitat depletion & bushfires. As a member of the Dibbler Recovery Team led by the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, the Zoo breeds Dibblers for release in suitable protected areas as part of its Native Species Breeding Program. More than 1000 of these little guys have been bred & released into the wild over the past ten years.

The donated equipment included pet carriers, Elliot Traps & food storage containers to assist the Zoo when translocating the animals to their new homes & recapturing & re-releasing them for ongoing monitoring & assessment.

GREAT LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEA - GIFT VOUCHERS!

Need a last-minute gift for your favourite (frustrated!) traveller? How about a Gift Voucher for a PRIVATE half-day 4WD training course to prepare him or her for their upcoming self-drive Aussie adventures? Or a PRIVATE half-day towing/reversing training course for novice caravanners? Either course costs $385 (for one or two people) & can be held on days to suit!

Or maybe a video or USB stick of our towing training film “Caravanning with Confidence” for just $24.95? Or a Gift Voucher to attend our brand new one-day “Mickey Mouse Mechanics Course” for just $325? Read on for more details about this sensational new idea from WA’s most innovative touring & training company!

NEW! MICKEY MOUSE MECHANICS COURSE!!

It’s new, different affordable & incredibly useful! A one-day basic mechanical course for caravan-owners & four-wheel-drivers!

Ideal for beginners or those who want to brush up their skills before they embark on the “Big Trip”, this new training course will be run in conjunction with the Caravan Industry Association at their spacious premises in Cockburn.

It will be delivered by Global Gypsies Director, Jeremy Perks, who - amongst his many other talents - is a qualified mechanic, accomplished outback traveller & tour leader, former Tour Guide of the Year & an experienced towing & 4WD instructor who holds a Cert IV in Training & Assessment.

There are two initial courses scheduled for Saturday, January 16, & Sunday February 21,

2021, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Course fee of $325 per person includes lectures, discussions, demonstrations (on facilitator’s vehicle), mechanical equipment, course notes,

Certificate of Completion & morning/afternoon tea. Please BYO lunch. For bookings please call 9341-6727 or 0417-913-071 or email us at [email protected]

KRAZY-4-KARIJINI-KOACH-TOUR! BOOK NOW!

Bookings are now open for our inaugural escorted, catered & accommodated Krazy-4- Karijini-Koach-Tour! For 12 dazzling days you’ll travel in the comfort of a roomy A/C bus (with luggage trailer) exploring WA’s inland & coastal highlights & admiring some of the best scenery in Australia!

You’ll stay in hotels & motels on a twin/share basis & be fed, transported & spoiled rotten by Jan & Jeremy. There will be lots of fun, inclusions, surprises & cultural & eco-activities as well as optional outings! Contact us today for a detailed itinerary & more info! We’ll only take 14 gypsies & we already have several places tentatively booked so jump on board & reserve your place now!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU!

Can’t lie – we’ll be happy to see the end of this oddball year. For some folks it’s been sad, for a few it’s proved a windfall, some just found it disruptive while others had their lives & livelihoods turned completely upside down. We feel fortunate, we’ve weathered the storm thanks to generous government support & to loyal clients like you who have stuck with us like glue. Thank you to all of you from the bottom of our hearts. One thing’s for certain - 2020 has been a big wake-up call for all of us & as we celebrate the holidays, we wish you peace, love, happiness & a deeper appreciation for the things & people who really count in your life. Enjoy your holidays, have a Happy New Year & we’ll see you on the other side!

Until then happy travels