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1. What is there to see?
Well there is actually quite a lot of variety to see in our region. The diversity of the region is unsurpassed in
Australia and is a real feature. Depending on the tour you take you may see things like:
- rural grazing countryside
- huge mountain wilderness
- wildlife like kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and others
- birdlife like cockatoos, parrots and eagles (please visit our
wildlife page for more info
- stunning vistas
- tall and short forests
- vineyards and orchards
- beaches and rocky headlands
- rainforests and jungle like forests
- rivers, creeks and streams
- large and small country towns
- pubs and restaurants
- sometimes country fairs
- art galleries and museums
- the stunningly beautiful city of Canberra - the national capital
- aboriginal sites
- historical sites and landmarks like bushmens huts
2. What will we be doing?
The short answer is a variety of things. And it's largely up to you. You can sit and look out the window, spend all
day talking with your Tour Leader, wander the little towns, explore the galleries and museums, take short hikes into the
bush, search for bush huts and cattle or brumby yards, relax alongside a river, take a swim, talk to the locals, eat a
meal, play the pokies, challenge the locals to a game of darts, go spotlighting for animals at night, sit around a camp
fire talking. Our extended tours tend to spend around 4 hours per day travelling which we tend to break up into small
segments with the longest segments around 2 hours.
3. What sort of vehicle will we be travelling in?
Most tours we operate are small groups of 2-6 passengers in which we utilise our 4 wheel drives. These are modern,
extremely comfortable and luxurious (air cond, CD player, electric windows, side steps etc). We generally use a Toyota
Landcruiser GXL wagon or a Land rover Discovery, both only 1-2 years old. The Landcruiser is the typical 4WD used by
tour operators throughout Australia as it is the largest standard 4WD available in Australia. It is rated as an 8 seater
vehicle but generally 6 passengers is it's limit without luggage. Seating is generally 1 passenger in the front, 3 in
the middle seat and 2 in the rear.
Larger groups are generally toured in 14 seater minibuses like the Toyota Hiace or we hire buses in the range of
18-24 seats for specific groups wishing to stay together.
The 4WDs are the preferred transport due to their ability to access rougher terrain areas and travelling comfort on
dirt roads. Quite simply they allow you to access areas most travellers won't get the opportunity to go.
4. How old are your clients generally?
While we've had clients aging from 4 years of age to 91 years of age most of our clients are in the range of 40-70
years of age.
5. How is a MudMaps tour different to a coach tour?
MudMaps tours are described as personalised wilderness tours. The personalisation means you get a variety of extras
not possible on a coach tour. For instance you get to stop at any stage, you get to control how long we say in any
particular location, what time you leave in the morning, how long we drive for, or where we stop for lunch etc. etc. The
wilderness aspect means you get to go places that coaches can't travel. Along roads that don't accept heavy vehicles,
along bush tracks where 4WD is necessary, along winding mountain trails where a coach would be too slow. Our guides are
known as Tour Leaders and are more educated than the average coach driver. They converse with you rather than talk at
you. The range of topics discussed is controlled by you. The Tour Leaders will answer all your questions and explain in
as much detail or as little as you would like.
6. How much driving is there?
There is usually only 3-5 hours driving per day. On the shorter trips this is broken down into 45 minute or less
segments, and on the longer trips the longest travelling stint is 2 hours in highway conditions. The idea is not to
travel all day but to allow time to explore the locations you wish. As a comparison a coach tour will generally travel
5-8 hours per day with strictly regulated time at each stop.
7. How much walking is there?
Well this is very much up to you. If you are not much of a walker then this can be accommodated. If you like walking
we can accommodate this as well however it is wise to pre-advise us as most of our tours are arranged around light
strolls of up to 45 minutes only.
8. Where will we be staying?
Depending on the tour we normally stay at the best locations available in the region. This tends to be 4 star
Farmstays, Bed & Breakfasts and Motels. Farmstays are a preferred location as they give you an opportunity to meet
the locals and experience a bit of their life. (Plus you get another persons view of the world apart from you Tour
Leaders'). Camping, shearers quarters, swags etc. can be arranged if desired for a more adventurous custom designed
trip.
9. Do we pay for our own food?
Not generally. Meals are included in the price you've paid for the overall trip. We offer a total service package so
that there's little you have to worry about. You'll reach into your own pockets for drinks however whether you have
alcohol or not. You'll find often that things like morning teas may be 'shouted' by the guide for you initially but
you'll want to reciprocate or 'shout-back' the next day.
10. Where are all the resorts?
Resorts are really few and far between in most of Australia. While the country is the sixth largest country in the
world it is basically as large as the US of A, with a population of only around 18 million people who live mainly in the
cities or along the coastal belt on the east coast. Larger towns have generally 3 star motels and in rural areas there
are farmstays and Bed & Breakfast locations generally of a higher standard. We prefer these farmstays a they give
you not only a unique accommodation experience but you get an insight into how people live in Australia, plus the
ability to talk extensively with the locals.
Hint: If you the 'resort' type of person rather than the 'traveller' type of
person - ask us to customise an itinerary for you. As a regional specialist we know the region very well.
11. Why are the Itineraries only 'Samples'?
At MudMaps our goal is to provide you with the 'trip of a lifetime'. To do this we must ensure a flexible, changeable
itinerary so that we can give you that specialness. All of our tours are personalised tours and quite flexible. Until we
meet you and get to know you better and your interests we won't know what sort of things you are really interested in.
In addition there are many 'events' or seasonal changes in the bush which may influence what we have available on the
day. Can you imagine if we came across 4-5 Black Tailed Wallabies or had a close encounter with a pair of Wedge tailed
Eagles and we couldn't stop because 'it wasn't in the itinerary'. As your time availability is generally the limiting
factor a choice must be made as to where to spend this time.
Hint: Tell us before your trip what items have particularly caught your
attention. That way we can focus on those items for you.
12. Are there toilets where we travel or must we use a tree?
Toilets can be few and far between in some regions however most tours have access to public toilets in the towns and
some picnic areas we visit. In Australia food establishments are not required to provide toilets however many do anyway.
Toilet stops are generally available every 2 hours. This government Map
may but your mind at ease.
www.toiletmap.gov.au
13. Will there be other people on tour?
Depending on the bookings we try and arrange for other people to join the trips, unless of course you've specifically
requested a Private Charter. In most non-private instances however you would not generally expect to have others on
board. This is due to us having such a wide of tours available and only offering charter tours.
14. What does Charter mean?
A charter tour is a tour where your party has booked the whole vehicle and guide to yourself. This is different to a
seat-in-coach tour where you purchase only a ticket on a set tour departing on a set day. A seat-in-coach tour usually
has a minimum number of passengers required before it is guaranteed to depart, whereas a charter will depart regardless
of the numbers of people.
15. Do you have brochures?
Yes, we have sample itineraries for all our tours which outlines what there is to see and do during the trips. You
can get these from our internet site Tours.
Hint: Why not download a few itineraries for reviewing off line.
Itinerary
Downloads
16. Which trip do you suggest would be suited to our itinerary?
Well that depends on you. We offer quite a range of tours to
suit people's differing timeframes, interests and budgets. When looking at our
Sample Itinerary Tours take particular notice of the main caption and the major highlights. If you're not sure just gives us a call, fax or
Email and we'll very gladly talk you through some ideas or options. And of course we'd love to custom design something
specially just for you.
Hint: Wilderness Tours are more orientated to back country. Overland Tours are
more orientated to wider variety. Price is largely a reflection of the length of tour.
17. Will you pick us up and drop us off?
Yes. We pick up and drop off from all Downtown Hotels and Motels, however if you staying in a residential
accommodation then it may also be possible to pick you up from there. Due to the small size of Canberra we collect
anywhere in that city.
Hint: If you're staying with friends tell us where they live and we may be
arrange to pick you up from there or find a mutually convenient locations away from the busy city centres.
18. What do you suggest we take with us on our trip?
You won't need much for your MudMaps tour. We hope you travel lightly with about one suitcase per person on the
longer trips. While our vehicles have large luggage space we've come to expect too much luggage from Americans in
particular. We reserve the right to charge you extra for excessive luggage or leave it behind.
Other items to bring include:
- Change of clothes
- Warm jacket for possible cool mountain weather
- Personal items
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Flat walking shoes
- Camera and film
- Binoculars are also a good idea although our vehicles generally carry them anyway
- Notebook or diary
Hint: Most hotel chains have a luggage transport service between their various
establishments - why not use it, it's probably free or very cheap. Alternatively Hotel Concierges can usually arrange
luggage transfer.
19. What clothes should we wear?
For a start forget the formal clothes. Neat and casual clothes that are comfortable. Preferably do not wear white
clothes as we will be out bush where it is often dusty. Open collared shirts for men are a good idea as some of the
locations where we could stop for evening meals have what we Aussies call a neat-casual dress standard. Flat soled shoes
for walking. Solid hiking boots are generally excessive however most of our guides where light weight hiking boots.
Bring a jacket always - mountain weather can change rapidly even in mid-summer. A hat is also suggested. You'll find
most Aussies now where hats while outdoors due to the harsh Aussie sun.
Hint: Why not buy an Aussie bush hat while on tour. We pass several shops which
sell the famous Akubra hat.
20. What about Smoking?
Under Australian law all public passenger vehicles (including all MudMaps vehicles) are not permitted to have smoking
on board. In some states smoking is prohibited from public buildings including shopping malls, restaurants and bars. All
farmstays and B&Bs that MudMaps use are non-smoking venues.
As MudMaps tours are very flexible we accommodate smokers by making as many regular stops as is needed.
Hint: At the time of your booking advise us that you are a smoker so that we may
be prepared.
21. Why don't you advertise exact prices for your tours ?
As our tours are Charter tours the individual price per person varies according to how many people are on the tour.
The larger the tour party, the lower the individual price.
In addition as we are a specialist tour company providing only a part of your whole Australian holiday we prefer that
you use one of our recommended travel agents. These agents can arrange the whole of your
holiday including your MudMaps tour and due to volume discounts may in fact charge you less for your holiday than you
could buy directly.
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