Thursday, July 8, 2010

Man and beast


So here we are: mother earthship and all who sail in her.

7 comments:

Joan Elizabeth said...

oooh a space where for the trip ... goodie.

Ann said...

That's a big truck. Bit too big a group for my liking.

Ann said...

PS. Are they wearing name tags? EEEK! Ooops, I'm a travel snob.

Julie said...

I came away thinking the name tags had been a good idea, paradoxically. They helped us to know each other quickly over the first two days.
After that, they helped us with a recognition factor at checkin counters and at the start of third-party trips. They helped in hotel dining rooms - never had to justify myself a single time.

The truck carried 26 people but there were only 20 of us. I thought this a good size, meant that there were always some people you could get along with if there were others that you got along with less so.

We kept on running into Scenic Tour buses and AAT-Kings buses. They carried anything up to 50 people. Now THAT is a big group. And they were diverse groups - midseventies down to 8 yo.

This was a very homogeneous group. We were snobs too, when we saw the other groups!

Ann said...

The ones I've done have been max 16 which I find a good size. The Mali trip was supposed to be max 16 but combined 2 groups so we had 27 (2 buses or multiple cars) which was a nightmare. It wasn't supposed to be run like that but as 2 totally separate groups, different hotels/restaurants etc but it didn't happen that way. Everyone complained and we got an apology and 20% of the cost back.

I think with Lake Eyre the truck is max 10 or 12 but they take tag-along as well so don't know how many there will actually be. Seems to be peak season right now. They will operate with only 4 people and use a 4WD but I think this one they are taking the truck.

Wouldn't touch Scenic or AAT. Far too big and suspect would attract the coach tour of Europe crowd. I'm a scruffy backpacker myself - except the pack is starting to get a bit heavy for me.

Ann said...

Thinking about it our SA truck was about that size but had the last couple of rows removed and replaced with fridges and storage space so only seated 16. Worked really well as we didn't have to keep the beer under the seats and could keep it nice and cold. In the 14 seat OKA (Pilbara/Kimberley) all available space was occupied by beer. Seems to be a pattern here, I remember the first thing the small group I went to the Pampas in Bolivia with did was work out how much beer 6 people needed for 4 days and despatched a local on a motorbike to the nearest village to get several cartons. Spending too much time reminiscing, really must go and do some work.

Julie said...

*grin* - yes there is a pattern there!

That was the style of my 4WD swag trip from Adelaide to Alice. Not something that I am keen to repeat.

The sort of trip that I have just done, suits me down to the ground. We stayed at THE best motels in each town, and had Cab/Merlots, champers and whiskey.

You must remember, though, that I am 10 years older than you.