To explore the many marvels of the more remote Australian outback, you need expertise in handling a 4X4 vehicle, a good understanding of driving on rugged off-road terrain, and the ability to keep cool when things do not go exactly according to plan. The answer might be to join a tag-along expedition. Alan Dean has been talking to Andrew Dwyer of Diamantina Tours – an expedition leader, celebrity TV chef and author.

Andrew -- heading for Australia's remotest outback

Alan
You have been leading expeditions into the Australian outback for many years. What got you started?
Andrew
I’ve been drawn towards wild and remote places since my early childhood. Originally I led walking treks into the wilderness of the Australian High Country, in my home state of Victoria. It’s Man From Snowy River territory. Breathtaking scenery. But the desire always to see what was over the next horizon gradually led me to the outback. First, it was exploring reasonably accessible areas, but gradually, as my expertise grew, I was taking people to more and more remote regions. Pushing the envelope, you might say.
Alan
You have also managed to combine your love of the Australian Outback with a passion for cooking. That led to the TV celebrity chef bit didn’t it?
Andrew
I don’t know about ‘celebrity chef’, but yes, I have been involved in a TV cooking show -- and I was once privileged to work alongside the veteran UK presenter Judith Chalmers on an episode of her London Weekend Television show Wish You Were Here – that takes you back -- and the BBC’s survival expert, Ray Mears, on his Ray Mears Goes Walkabout series. I also did some segments on The Great Outdoors for Australia’s Channel 7 and then presented on Channel 9's food show, Fresh TV some time back. Is that a claim to being a celeb chef? I like to think of it as just being given a fantastic chance to share some of my passion for good food. My daytime job, so to speak, is putting expeditions together. Including tag-along tours.
Alan
What is a tag–along tour, and what are the advantages of joining one for a self-drive adventure in Australia?
Andrew
A tag-along tour is where you do the driving. It's a kind of like follow the leader. You bring along your own vehicle, or hire one, and we provide the lead vehicle, guiding, and the infrastructure should a breakdown or other emergency occur. You get the advantage of our expertise, knowledge and experience -- and also enjoy the freedom of driving your own vehicle, and tackling the associated challenges. The achievement is all yours – Diamantina just leads the way.
Alan
Is it necessary to have someone lead the way? Can’t they just get behind the wheel and go?
Andrew
Well, there are so many places in the Australian outback where it is simply not possible or safe to travel on your own. It’s not a drive in the park. A tagalong makes access to seriously remote country really possible. It gives all the thrills and excitement, without the dangers. This is not just outback, it's remote outback.

Australia's outback -- one of the better tracks

Alan
What are some of the remote places that you get to on your expeditions?
Andrew
We travel deep into Aboriginal lands to experience stunning country simply off limits to most travellers, like the mountains of Pitjantjatjara Lands, or the Pintubi Country in the Tanami Desert, where we meet indigenous people who as children led a traditional nomadic life.
Alan
Do you want to tell people where these places are located in Australia? Give them a little background?
Andrew
Sure. The Pitjantjatjara Lands are mostly in the north-west of South Australia extending across the border into the Northern Territory, to just south of Lake Amadeus, and west a bit into Western Australia. The Tanami Desert is located north west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, to the east of the Great Sandy Desert: it’s the northernmost desert in Australia.
Alan
And do you have even more challenging routes for thoroughbred adventurers; those who want to really prove their 4X4 skills?
Andrew
That would have to be the legendary Canning Stock Route -- the longest and most remote stock route in the world, and in my opinion, the most challenging 4X4 expedition on the planet! One solitary set of wheel tracks that lead for almost 2,000 kilometres across the Great Sandy Desert. It’s a heritage trail. And a real driving achievement. It’s all about water. You have to follow a series of wells that connect the stock route --they were first dug in 1906. The Canning Stock Route, by the way, is named after the surveyor who made it all possible. One of Australia’s true pioneers.

On the Canning Stock Route

Alan
So how much prior 4X4 driving experience do people need to join your expeditions as a tag- along participant?
Andrew
Good question. 4X4 driving is a skill you can learn on the fly. But participants need to be good drivers, comfortable behind the wheel of a vehicle. An ability to react quickly and and good spatial sense are also necessary. If you are a good driver on the road, you can be a good driver off road too. It's all about confidence. To be a really competent 4X4 driver can take years of experience, but joining a tagalong tours means you have the benefit of a leader to guide and instruct, and walk you through each challenge as it presents itself.
Alan
Overseas visitors to Australia would, of course, have to hire a vehicle to explore the outback on a self-drive adventure. Do you recommend any particular 4X4 vehicle for the terrain you cover? And are there hire companies that allow their 4X4s to travel the areas you visit on your expeditions?
Andrew
If you are going to go off road, you need a 4X4 with high clearance: one that is built tough for Australian outback conditions. It needs long-range fuel tanks, and should preferably be a diesel. A Toyota Landcruiser is the perfect choice; it’s the vehicle the locals prefer. Parts are easy to come by; they are sturdy and reliable. When I need a hire vehicle in South Australia I use Complete Ute and Van Hire. They hire latest model Landcruisers, and the gear is always in great shape. They also offer plenty of options like cargo barriers, UHF radios etc. They are based in Adelaide, which I use as a jump off point to the Outback.
Alan
What are the essentials that drivers need to consider when starting off on a journey into outback Australia?
Andrew
The outback is a very big place. The distances are vast, the climate and terrain is extreme, and help can be a very long way away. The secret to the success of any expedition is planning. Work out your details and logistics meticulously. Make sure you calculate your mileage carefully, how far it is between fuel stops. Make allowances for using more fuel off the bitumen than on it, and also make sure that the places you are intending to buy fuel will actually be open when you get there.
Alan
I guess things do go really wrong at times. Especially with people who go off on their own with little or no outback experience
Andrew
Unfortunately they do. Sometimes most tragically. There was an Austrian tourist some time ago whose hire vehicle, not one that was made for remote regions, got bogged down in drift sand near Lake Eyre. That’s a salt lake in South Australia, the lowest part of the country, dried out at most times. After waiting a couple of days she decided to walk for help and perished on the way. She did not run out of water, she died of heat exhaustion. She broke the golden rule of driving in the wilderness - if your vehicle breaks down you stay put till help comes. I would not want the story to frighten people off, just make them conscious of the dangers.

Lake Eyre -- not for the inexperienced driver

Alan
That’s a sad story. But it highlights the benefits of signing up with a tag-along expedition. What else do people need to carry with them?
Andrew
You need good maps, and Australia has plenty of these. I would recommend those from Hema and Westprint, they contain heaps of information for the self-drive traveller. But maps are of little use if you don’t know how to use them. Maps of the remote regions are not like your city maps.
Alan
One of the big selling points of your Diamantina’s expeditions is that you are a passionate cook, and that means good food all the way. What type of meals can members of your expedition expect?
Andrew
A question close to my heart. I'm not just passionate about cooking; I am passionate about cooking in the outback, where there are fewer distractions to your senses. The air is clean; removed from all the scents of the city. And food cooked on an open fire simply tastes better. No doubt about it. It's impossible to recreate the heat of a campfire at home, nor the gentle heat of coal and ashes to slowly braise in a cast iron camp oven. At the end of the day, the chances are that you have developed a serious appetite .By getting creative with menus and using modern food storage techniques, you can eat delicious fresh food in remote regions. Meat ages perfectly when vacuum-sealed. ‘Stay fresh’ bags triple the shelf life of green vegetables. Twelve-volt refrigeration has come a long way in the past few years too. Helps to ensure my guests eat like royalty in the middle of nowhere.
Alan
So give us an idea of what you might come up with on a typical day in the middle of nowhere.
Andrew
Mine is modern contemporary cuisine. How about panko and gremolata crumbed fresh fillets of barramundi on a bed of lemon and caper mash? Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb, and gremolata is a chopped herb condiment: lemon zest, garlic, and parsley – the Italians use it a lot. Barramundi is the king of freshwater fish in northern Australia. Or how about seared kangaroo fillets with chilli and qandong glaze. Quandongs are a native fruit like a peach,but not very sweet. Or back strap of lamb with pesto, goats curd and roasted peppers? Don’t let me carry on; you’ll go away with a menu for a year or more.

Cooking for tagalong drivers

Alan
Do you also prepare meals for the tag-along members of your expeditions?
Andrew
Absolutely. A tag-along member on one of our expeditions enjoys everything that a seat in vehicle member enjoys. The only difference is they are in control of their own vehicle.
Alan
What sort of mileage do you cover on your expeditions? How many miles/kilometres a day on average?
Andrew
It's difficult to quote the mileage, as the terrain is so varied, some days you’ll cover several hundred kilometres, and others just fifty or so. I guess the best way to describe the expedition is in terms of time spent behind the wheel. On average you’ll spend around five hours a day behind the wheel. With challenges all the way.
Alan
Do you have any personal favourite places in outback Australia -- places that you would say are a ‘must’ for people planning a self-drive adventure?
Andrew
I love anywhere that is seriously remote and untouched, but if I had to name a few wonderful places for self-drive adventure I would say the Canning Stock Route, and any of the Beadell Tracks in Western Australia, like the Gunbarrel Highway, the Anne Beadell Highway, the Gary Highway or the Connie Sue Highway. They are all remote, and pass through pristine desert country, with lots of interesting stops en route. There are not many highways in Australia where you are likely to come across a mob of feral camels -- that's the Gunbarrel for you.

Feral camels -- part of the scenery

Alan
Do your expeditions appeal to any particular age group, or nationality?
Andrew
All ages? All nationalities. The oldest person we had travelling with us was a remarkable 95-year old Frenchman: youngest was my daughter when she was just seven years old. You simply need to be healthy with the burning desire to explore new horizons.
Alan
You have travelled extensively outside of Australia. Are there any drives you would recommend? And are there any places you would still like to explore?
Andrew
I once borrowed a friend’s 4X4 in Bangkok and drove along the Thai border. It was fascinating, and in the more remote areas there were people who had seen very few European people. At the other end of the scale, I love hitting the interstates in the United States: that country is just made for driving. The Silk Route, or parts of it, is definitely on my bucket list. It presents many of the challenges of outback Australia: rough roads, long distances and adventurous destinations. I am also fascinated with its diverse cultural aspects and extraordinary history. And just think of the challenge of cooking along the Silk Route: that would be different.
Alan
Thanks, Andrew. And on that note, let’s end with a clip of you baking bread. But not the regular way. This is outback cuisine. Enjoy it.