In July/August 2008, we joined  Swagman Outback Safaris for a 20 day tour out through the areas made famous by Len Beadell and Alfred Canning. This was a “Climb Aboard or Tag-A-Long Tour and we had 13 passengers who climbed aboard, together with 2 tag-a-long vehicles. This gave us a party of 20 all up, including Doug, Scott, John and myself who were official guides, cooks and company drivers. Scotty was also the official mechanic.

Departing from Alice Springs, we headed south on the Stuart Hwy, taking a detour to Rainbow Valley. From there it was on to Yulara for an overnight at the Ayres Rock Campground. Next day we headed for the Great Central Road to Docker River and the Giles Weather Station. Then onto the Gunbarrel Hwy to Carnegie Station. From there we made use of the private track through Glenayle Station, coming out onto the Canning Stock Route at Well 9. Then it was up the Canning to its junction with the Tanami Road and back to Alice Springs.

Whilst there were no serious driving tests in this trip, the challenge of the CSR is handling the logistics of such an undertaking and the sheer pleasure of being as far away from “so called” civilisation as you can get in Australia.