There are few places left where you can truly experience the raw, untouched and isolated landscapes that Australia was once famous for.
At Desert Gateway Tours, we get people out of the rat race and into some of the country’s most remote and unique riding terrain.
Ride with us on one of our 2024 7-day channel country tours in Thargomindah – where the bike between your legs and the wide-open horizon in the distance represents your riches.
We’ll be firing up the bikes, lighting the campfire and rolling out the swags for three epic outback adventures this year:
Tour 1: 2 June – 9 June 2024
Tour 2: 14 July – 21 July
Tour 3: 15 September – 22 September 2024
Day 1: Arrive to Thargomindah
Arrive at Thargomindah and meet your mates for the week. Enjoy a country pub meal and a few cold ales. Not too many though as it’s going to be an early start.
Day 2: Thargomindah to Private Property Outstation
A great introduction to Outback Australia. Old shearing sheds, rocky escarpments, the iconic dog fence and red sand dunes just to name a few. We cross through private properties, including historic stations such as Norley, Orient, Mt Margaret and Noccatunga. We’ll set up camp on the Wilson River at Conbar Outstation for the night, where we’ll saddle up to some homestyle camp oven cooking!
Day 3: Private Outstation to Bulloo Downs via Noccundra Pub
Next, we’ll ride through the iconic Noccatunga & Bulloo Downs Stations through an ever-changing landscape in the footsteps of Burke and Wills. Discover the final resting place of members of the Burke & Wills expedition, travelling along a track where very few have ventured. We’ll rest in the afternoon with a cold beverage on the banks of the mighty Bulloo River and maybe catch a blue claw or two for an entree.
Day 4: Banks of the Bulloo River to The Royal Mail Hotel Hungerford
We travel through private property heading south towards the NSW border to the historic Royal Mail Hotel Hungerford, where we stop for a refreshment and a bite to eat. After lunch we experiencing amazing scenery, artesian bores, natural caves and Aboriginal heritage as we journey the desert landscape.
Day 5: Hungerford to Alroy Station via Yowah Opal Fields
We navigate prime opal country and the hidden town of Yowah. Maybe you’d like to try your hand at finding a ‘Yowah Nut’ or Ironstone Matrix? We’ll stay at Alroy Station, which is a working sheep and cattle property. The campgrounds are on the banks of Yowah Creek & offer a real outback camping experience.
Day 6: Alroy Station to Toompine Pub
On day 6, we continue through unchartered territory on private station roads and tracks to the Toompine Pub – the pub with no town! Throw in a yabbie pot or two or wet a line along the way. The goal will be to catch a few blue claw or local yellow belly to cook on the campfire. Listen to the tales the walls of the Toompine pub whisper, with 120 years + of stories of bygone eras of the Cobb & Co and opal mining heritage
Day 7: Toompine Pub to Thargomindah
The final stretch back to base! We’ll travel local station roads to Thargomindah where we reflect and yarn about the awesome week that was. The first round of coldies is on us, you will have deserved it! You can expect to see a photo reel and laugh about the antics and blunders along the way. Motorbikes, dirt, dust, camping, great food, great company, great countryside with plenty of laughs!
Rest assured the itinerary is jam-packed with adventure, experiences and unrivalled local knowledge. In its truest sense, you will be travelling off the beaten track where only pioneers, landowners and our tours have ventured. Highlights include:
Iconic Dog Fence
Shearing Sheds
Historic Stations
Red Desert Dunes
Heritage-Listed Noccundra Pub
Burke and Wills Resting Place
Royal Mail Hotel Hungerford
Cultural Heritage
Opal Fields
Alroy Station
Toompine Pub
We provide the lot, just sit back, relax and enjoy the fresh outback air. For $3850, you’ll get:
2023 DRZ 400E set up ready to go
Full backup support with spares. (Don’t bother changing a flat, we will do it for you)!
Lead & sweep riders
All Meals & Accommodation
Return Flights from Brisbane via Rex Airlines (Clients need to get their own way to Brisbane)
Fuel
All camping equipment
DGT Hat
Adventure
Fun
Mateship
Country Hospitality
Memories that will last a lifetime
To get started, make a booking here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Steve on 0400 004 123