Our Tour Reviews

Raw beauty! Tranquil nature.

If you like camping, this is the trip to go on if you want or need to get away from it all. Grieg Taylor leads you over hills, valleys, rocks, and streams to see the best and most remote of this Outback region. I appreciated his knowledge and love of the land and learned much about the Kimberly wilderness and its beauty. I also gained a great appreciation for the beautiful Aboriginal people and their culture. Grieg is one of Australia's national treasures. I will be back!   Travelled on 11 Day Mixed Group Kimberley Tour in July 2016.

Kristin H., United States

Darwin to Broome 11 days

Absolute stunning tour. Recommendable to all who want to see as much as possible of the Kimberleys. Greig always knew when to be at a place in order to avoid a lot of other tourists. He is a very friendly and extremly experienced guide and a fabulous cook. It was luxury to be in a such small group! Even we were not used to do camping we felt very comfortable with the swags and tents. Like a home from home. We would always return and would like to thank you again for that unforgetable experience! For us the Kimberleys were the best part of Australia!!!

Travelled on 11 Day Mixed Group Kimberley Tour in July 2016.

Tamara & Nick, Switzerland

Broome to Darwin 10 Day Tour

Shadowed gorges and echoing waterholes, hushed attention to rock art and glowing campfire evenings only begin to describe this trip. It was comfortable in swags and small tents. Greig's extensive knowledge answered all our questions and he adapted to our pace and fostered wonderful communication between six people (2 couples, 2 singles) who had been strangers at the beginning. This is the best travel I've known. Too full for writing a daily diary and utterly memorable.

Travelled on 10 Day Kimberley Tour in July 2016.

Patricia G., Newcastle NSW

Up close & personal way to experience the Kimberley If you want to experience the Kimberley in an 'up close and personal way' then this is the trip to be had. We have just spent 10 days camping through the Kimberley with Greig and 4 other travellers. We had the best time - sleeping in swags in easy to erect tents, being served wholesome, delicious food cooked over a campfire every night, walking, swimming and experiencing breathtaking landscapes that leave an imprint on the soul. Greig's knowledge of the Kimberley, his personable nature and his desire to provide the best experience possible has provided us with wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Travelled on 10 Day Kimberley Tour, July 2016.

Hana & Ches, Albury- Wodonga (Victoria Australia)

The most wonderful 10 Day Kimberley Experience

We recently returned from the most wonderful 10 Day Kimberley experience, travelling with Charter North's Greig Taylor, and four other lovely guests/ companions from Broome to Darwin. By way of review, we concur completely with other folks' comments. The only variation from the comprehensive words written by "Fiona and Darryl of Brisbane" were that we missed meeting Alina and Frankie Holden! As we had a full complement of six guests, Alina had to stay home and plan further improvements - though it is hard to see what they could be!   Travelled July 2016 on 10 Day Kimberley Tour.

Marion and Peter, near Tenterfield, New South Wales

Gorgeous - A must for experiencing the Kimberleys

  We (a family of 2 adults and 3 children aged 16, 14 and 11) spent 10 days on a charter tour from Broome to Darwin with Greig and Alina. The experience was just AMAZING! Very well organised camping (with perfect material), sometimes real bushcamping in the middle of nowhere, ready for the sunrise every morning, the sunset and gazing at the stars from our open tents. Food (an important topic for all of us) was tremendous, very varied, very healthy (fresh fish twice during the tour, lots of vegies), incredible what Greig and Alina were able to cook. We discovered all splendours of the Kimberleys, with very nice hikes (30' to 2h30, some experience of hiking and good condition required), plenty of time to swim in the gorges and rivers, a wonderful day canoeing and walking in Dimond Gorge. Greig and Alina were not only our guides and drivers: they did participate to all activities and we had so much fun together. Moreover, we got a lot of information about the Kimberleys: Greig, who has been touring since 20 years in the area, knows everything about everything, from the indigenous history, rock art, culture to the animals, plants, rock formations. What an incredible wealth of knowledge! And of course the driving was always very good and safe. We would strongly recommend such a tour with Charter North in the Kimberleys: both the destination and the tour operator are fantastic! Thank you again mates!

Visited June 2016 on 10 Day Private Kimberley Tour

Phillipe, Sandrine, Noemie, Chloe and Manon; Switzerland

Kimberley 10 day Darwin to Broome - Soft Adventure camping tour - Charter North is the obvious choice

Greig and Alina made our dream Kimberley trip comfortable, relaxed, safe, worry-free, educational and fun. We had a great itinerary adapted to circumstances to maximise our enjoyment and outback adventure experience such as sunrise breakfast at Purnululu, breakfast at Five Rivers Lookout ( a surprise bonus location due to being ahead of schedule ), sunset nibbles and drinks in amazing locations at Purnululu and Home Valley. As well as wildlife spotting ( bustards, brolgas, corellas, kites, crocodiles, dingoes, snakes, goannas, wedge tailed eagle ), we even did some celebrity spotting and got to meet Frankie J Holden while viewing the sunset at Purnululu! Tasty, plentiful, varied and always exceptionally healthy meals prepared and washed up for us. Loved Alina's homemade muesli, the lunchtime fresh salad wraps, and delicious dinners. We are amazed how fast Alina and Greig can prepare amazing meals anywhere. We used airy, spacious, 4 person tents for each couple or single. They are quick & easy to erect & pack up. We enjoyed our first time sleeping in swags. The single swags unroll and unzip to reveal a dense mattress, top and bottom sheets, doona with cover, real pillow and pillowcase and are much more comfortable than using sleeping bags on an airbed! Greig is a careful, experienced driver ( with automotive mechanic qualifications and vast driving and mechanical experience ) driving a luxury new Landcruiser with excellent air conditioning, snorkel and after market suspension upgrade so we felt safe, comfortable, well equipped and had peace of mind travelling long distances on dusty, corrugated, remote, outback roads. In fact, we expected our trip to be more bumpy! Greig's sturdy trailer is like Dr Who's Tardis revealing endless amounts of fresh water, foods, condiments, spreads for toast and crackers, camping equipment, luggage, beverages, cookware etc. Alina and Greig do not cut any corners as they select quality equipment and foods for their tours from the new, top of the range Landcruiser, heavy duty, comfortable, camp chairs to the types of meats, fish, condiments and dips offered. It was great to travel with only 5 clients in our tour group - although we did not know Alina, Greig, the other couple or single lady before - all 7 of us got on well with each other so our 10 days together was very enjoyable and harmonious as our group helped each other scrambling over rocks and crossing rivers to reach beautiful gorges and swimming holes. By chance, all clients chose the same helicopter rides which made for wonderful, memorable, shared, group experiences and a better per person price! Alina and Greig both relate well to people. They are cheerful, fun, professional, organised, knowledgeable, informative, thoughtful, sincere and very hard working. multi-skilled people as well as being physically fit, strong and agile. It is obvious they have put a lot of thought into every aspect of their business and continually strive to make improvements as they consider even minute details ( such as using alfalfa sprouts which pack and travel better than lettuce ) and actively request feedback. Alina and Greig are very conscious of their clients and aim to ensure each client is fully enjoying their trip. They made us feel comfortable and relaxed on our outback camping adventure and we were never out of our comfort zone. They make a great team. We enjoyed the fun, inclusive, easy going conversations which made the long driving distances melt away. It was a great opportunity to ask and learn more about camping and outback driving, how to keep foods fresh for 10 days without a fridge, how to manage with no running water, how to start a fire and cook on it, where and what firewood to collect, what type of camping and cooking equipment to select and why, how to drive on outback roads, expedition planning, what foods cannot be taken into Western Australia etc. This is all far removed from our daily lives so we embraced the learning opportunity from outback travel experts as well as learning facts about the natural environment. We learnt so much from Greig and Alina's experiences that cannot be read in books or on the internet. We got to see the well known Kimberley sites ( Purnululu, El Questro's Emma Gorge, Mitchell Falls etc ) but Greig also took us to lesser known aboriginal art sites and sunset locations which are not sign posted and a self traveller would not have knowledge about. The Kimberley is a spectacular, vast, remote location with few services and little infrastructure so is not a cheap destination. Over several years, we have considered many options to see the Kimberley from self driving a rental 4WD, joining a small group tour ( usually of at least 13 people ), joining a tag a long tour ( still having to self drive - but there is support and education available ). As well travelled, city dwellers who are value oriented, enjoy active DIY travel with personal interactions and avoid coach tours, we did not feel comfortable or confident with any of these options or the responses we received from other tour operators. As soon as we saw Charter North's micro-group tours ( maximum 6 guests ) and Kimberley 10 day Darwin to Broome itinerary and dates, we made immediate contact and received a prompt, warm and welcoming response from Greig and Alina ( note: communication range is not consistent and does not extend everywhere in the remote outback ) - we knew this was the tour for us and jumped at the chance. Before the tour started, we were apprehensive about group dynamics, camping comfort levels, feeling rushed on the walks or rushed to depart, how long would be spent in the car, how cramped the car would be, what the toilets would be like, not always having a shower after a hot day etc but our concerns were unfounded. The other travellers were active, fit, slim, easy going people, camping was very comfortable and more fun once you accept and embrace the ever present red dust, we felt very relaxed and not rushed at all, we had adequate stops when travelling and felt able to request a stop without shyness, the car interior was wide and comfortable, the composting toilets are a fantastic invention and airy ( National park toilets have come a long way from the old, smelly, mosquito ridden toilets of the old days ), we felt refreshed after a swim or used wipes to freshen up when swimming and showers were unavailable. This style of self sufficient travel allowed us to enjoy beautiful and natural camping settings and gave us opportunities to see the sunrise and enjoy breakfast in remote locations away from hoards of other tourists. The booking process was very easy, secure and seamless. As we chose to pay by credit card, Greig phoned us and cheerfully answered our questions. The tour with Alina, Greig and our other travellers far exceeded our expectations. We feel validated that we did the research and chose the best option with the best value for our dream holiday destination.

Visited May 2016 on 10 Day Kimberley Tour

Fiona & Darryl, Brisbane

Fantastic Kimberley Experience - Darwin to Broome

My 10 day tour with Greig and Alina felt more like an adventure with friends than an organised tour with the added bonus of not having to cook.

Greig and Alina are passionate about the Kimberly and have an extensive knowledge of the history of the area which they passed on to us during casual chats in the car and around the camp fire. At the end of the trip I didn’t feel like I’d just been and saw but rather I had experienced the Kimberley region and had an understanding of the history and the essence of this beautiful area of Australia. I would recommend Charter North to anybody wanting to experience the Kimberley region.

Visited May 2016 on a 10 Day Kimberley Tour

Shirley; Eumundi, Australia

What a fantastic experience!

My wife Paula and I experienced a 12 day Kimberley Tour from Broome in May/June 2015. What a fantastic experience! Our guide Greig took us to places the average person would not even dream of. We had no idea of what the Kimberleys were really like. The Bungle Bungles, Lake Argyle, Elquestro Station, Emma Gorge, Mitchell Falls were magnificent to see. We were so privileged to see this part of Australia and would recommend the tour to anyone and everyone!

Doug W., Gold Coast Australia

Best holiday yet!

Did a 10 day Kimberley Camping Tour with Charter North August/September 2015. Stunning area to visit made even more special by Greig and Alina from Charter North. Greig and Alina are extremely knowledgeable in everything to do with the Kimberley region. To make the experience even more special they provide comfortable bush camps and provide great food. Would have to say that it was our best holiday yet. Looking forward to travelling with them again. Visited September 2015

Anne, Andrew, Katie & Gordon; Melbourne

Kakadu – Start of the Dry

Totally enjoyed our experiences in Kakadu and Katherine Gorge. The countryside was magnificent. It is easy to understand why the indigenous nations feel so tied to their land. Greig added just the right blend of history, stunning vistas and indigenous viewpoints. Camping experience was great and the food plentiful and tasty. Dry season weather was hot, but not unpleasant. Visited May 2015

Bruce and Mariann, Australia

Family of 5 - Charter North

   

With 3 kids aged 12 - 15, we were looking for an adventure they would remember, some real camping, hiking and naturally to be guided to see some of the Top Ends jewels in a safe and educational way. GT was fantastic on our 5 day tour. Never letting up on his service and hospitality for the entire trip. Sun up to sun down - (and beyond when we got caught in the rain once during the night), GT was always ensuring our expectations were exceeded. If your looking to see the Top End, with a professional, experienced, knowledgeable and really decent guy - go Charter North Tours.

Visited on 5 Day Kakadu & Litchfield Private Family Tour in October 2016.

Greg, Geraldine & Kids – Geelong, Victoria

Outstanding Tour - 6 Day Kakadu and Beyond

This tour was everything that we wanted in a Top End Tour. We did the 6 Day Kakadu and Beyond Tour as a private family tour with 3 girls aged 9 to 16 and parents in the Dry Season. GT was a perfect host for us. He is friendly, very knowledgable and hugely passionate about the Top End. He was also very organised and his equipment and setup show that he has been doing this well for a very long time. We had not camped as a family before and it was no problem at all. The swags were very comfortable. The tents were very easy to erect. The camp grounds were generally quiet and for the most part we were not disturbed by any other campers. The food that GT prepared was great. So much choice for breakfast, good sandwiches or warps for lunch and excellent dinners cooked on the campfire each night. We had one passionate coffee drinker who loved the coffee that GT produced on the campfire each morning. The itinerary was great for us. GT was happy to be flexible depending on what we wanted to do and what was the right thing to do on each particular day. Highlights of the itinerary were: Walking to the top of Maguk and swimming in the pools before anyone got there in the morning; Swimming and snorkelling in all the other pools at all the other waterfalls along the way; Art at Ubirr and Nourlangie; Canoeing on Katherine Gorge, seeing a dingo with kill and seeing two emus and everything else that we did along the way. And I should mention that before the tour, Alina did a great job of quickly answering all our questions and making sure that the tour was exactly what we wanted. Her fast responses gave us confidence that we had picked the right tour operator in Charter North. If you are thinking about do this tour, then think no longer, just book it and make it happen for you and your family.

Visited August 2016 on 6 Day Kakadu & Beyond Family Charter.

Thomson Family; Australia

Fabulous Kakadu

We all had a fabulous trip with Greig (GT) on our Charter North tour of Kakadu and Litchfield, the only problem being that we were wishing it was for longer period of time, we were sorry we had not included Katherine Gorge as well. GT is a fantastic guide, his attention to detail and knowledge is amazing. He catered well for all the physical abilities of our group and enabled us to all enjoy some of Kakadu's highlights. Sleeping out under the stars after a fabulous meal cooked on the camp fire by GT was the perfect end to every day, we did not want our trip to come to an end. Our trip got off to an unfortunate beginning with one member of our group becoming very unwell, Greig's professionalism and duty of care in making sure our friend received the best medical attention and accommodation for his Wife was just outstanding. Thank you GT for a wonderful experience. Hopefully we will return for Kimberley experience in the near future.

Visited August 2016 on 5 Day Kakadu & Litchfield Private Tour.

Gail, Robbie, Grace & Ian; Australia

Kakadu we love you

We had an amazing time on Charter Norths 6 day 4WD Safari to Kakadu with Greig and Alina. The itinerary was well paced and varied with croc spotting, walking, swimming and kayaking. The highlights were sleeping out underneath the stars after toasting the mandatory marshmallows over the camp fire and sitting in a circle with Lizzie, Alina and the boys weaving our Pandanus grass bracelets out the back of one of the visitors centres. On our last night we free camped on a WW2 airstrip and let off our '3 Fingered Fred' sky rockets to celebrate Territory day. The meals prepared by Alina and Greig were tasty with lots of fruit and vege (big tick from mum) with fish and 'roo on the menu. We plan to be back for Charter Norths Kimberley tour in the next year or 2.

Travelled in June 2016 on 6 Day Kakadu & Beyond Private Family Tour.

Vicky, Geoff, Charlie & Tom- Sydney NSW

Amazing Kakadu camping adventure

Had an amazing 4 day Kakadu private camping tour with Dan the Man- great scenery , lots of good fun , exercise and fabulous waterholes for well deserved swims at the end of hot, dusty walks and climbs. Thanks Dan for a great memorable trip that our teenagers will remember always and that we as parents will treasure for all time.

Visited June 2016 on 4 Day Kakadu Tour

Selina, Alvin, Olivia and Alex, Melbourne

A TRIP TO REMEMBER

We are a family of 5 with children ages 10,12 and 14. We had an amazing trip into Kakadu visiting numerous falls, gorges and immersed ourselves in the culture and nature of this beautiful region. Greig was very organised, planned our trip to the minute details, and always thinks ahead. He is very easy to get along with and was flexible and adjust/ add activities to suit our family dynamics. He is very knowledgeable of the area and knew how to avoid crowds even though we went during peak season. Because of this, my family was still able to swim in rock holes , gorges and hot springs with the place all to themselves ! We all had an amazing time!! Thank you Greig and Alina!!

Visited on 8 Day Kakadu & Beyond Private Family Tour in July 2016.

Emily, Jason & Kids- Sydney NSW

Incredible Journey in Stone Country

Grieg and Alina at Charter North guided our family through a wonderful week of camping, hiking, and swimming in Kakadu National Park. The charter option we chose enabled Grieg to customize the trip to suit the desires of our family. He led us us on fantastic hikes away from the crowds where we could enjoy stone country in all of its tranquil bliss. Each day we visited a new place, immersing ourselves in the rich cultural and natural history of the area, experiencing ancient stone painting of aboriginal tribes in the back country of the park and enjoying the local fauna and flora. The weather was hot and we had at least two opportunities each day to cool off in swimming holes of Kakadu's fabulous rivers. In the evening, Grieg cooked wonderful meals on an open fire and we were entertained by beautiful sunsets and starry nights. We are an active family from Oregon and Charter North treated us to a great introduction to the outback in Top End Australia. Thanks Grieg and Alina.

Travelled on Private 5 Day Kakadu Hiking Tour in June 2016.

Tod, Chris, Alexandra & Peter-Oregon USA

Excellent tour of Kakadu

Our family of four, with two boys ages 8 and 11, went on a 4 day guided trip of Kakadu with Dan. He was an excellent fit for our family, and tailored the trip to suit our preferences. For example, our 8 year old is an amazing hiker so we were able to do more difficult hikes. Dan recognized this immediately and chose appropriate hikes that were challenging. So we were able to visit a few sites that were off the beaten track. He also tailored meal times, and snacks so that our boys were happy as they are continuously hungry. In addition, Dan is a great cook! We all really enjoyed his food. Overall, an amazing and memorable experience. Thanks Dan!!

Visited June 2016 on 4 Day Kakadu Tour

Monika, Nathan, Adam and Oliver; Canada

Kakadu, Easter Bunnies and Hot Cross Buns

There were 4 of us looking to explore as much of Kakadu and Litchfield in 3 days, over the Easter break and we wanted to avoid a 16 seater bus tour. We knew little to nothing of the area so Greig and Alina made a number of recommendations for the time of year we would be going (end of the wet and beginning of the dry). We were then able to pick and chose from that and while on tour we picked and chose some more - it felt completely tailored to us.

From the first enquiry to meeting Greig on the first day, Greig and Alina were very speedy to respond to my many a query and they made what proved to be an excellent hotel recommendation for the night before and the night after the trip. Greig was exactly the guide we'd been hoping for - a great guy to hang out with, learn about the area and culture from and a guy we could trust to put on the best trip he could. 20 years of experience stood him in very good stead for every question we threw his way, in fact google couldn't even get the better of him! He had seemingly thought of everything, even the very important things, like bringing chips down to our first dunk in the plunge pools following a stunning walk in tropical heat. The four of us friends learned a lot about the area, indigenous culture and wildlife, while also having plenty of laughs along the way. Highlights included the vivid colours of the Kakadu wilderness; learning about the thousands of years of history and culture hiding in Nourlangi rock; cooling off in secluded pools and under majestic water falls; chilled beers, even on day 3; fire-toasted hot cross buns and unmelted Easter bunnies on Easter Sunday; watching the crocs from our boat; tucking into kangaroo curry by the fire; being mesmerised by the stars and the shooting ones at that; and crashing out on very comfortable swags. Would we do it again?! Absolutely, but the Kimberley's may have to be next up! Visited March 2016

Jocelyne, Joannie, Ilona & Tom; Sydney