Gawler Ranges and Goog’s Track 4WD Tag along Tour
Overview Itinerary
A detailed itinerary will be provided upon 4WD Tour booking and payment of the tour deposit or full Tour fee.
Do you like the idea of travelling with a small group that takes it's time to explore an area properly, allows time for photography, has appropriate commentary to give you an understanding of what it took for Goog, Jenny and his family to build this iconic 4WD Track and not driving all day through it, just to tick a box?
Then join us as we trek through the picturesque Gawler Ranges National Park, Mt. Ive Station tracks including Lake Gairdner, followed by the iconic Goog’s Track traversing over 363 sand dunes. This is a great short tour to learn all about sand dune driving and to get an understanding of what you and your vehicle can do, in readiness for some of the more iconic Outback and Desert tracks.
Our 8 day tour includes visiting the Gawler Ranges National Park, exploring the tracks on Mt. Ive Station and 3 days / 2 nights on the Goog's Track itself, so you can enjoy your Goog's Track trek, learn what it took to build it and have time for photography and we can show you various unique desert plants and wildlife along the way.
Dates
Saturday October 3rd to Saturday October 10th, 2026 (Overview Itinerary below)
Duration
8 Days – 4WD Tag along Tour (inclusive)
Trip Cost
$1580.00 (incl. GST) Per vehicle – 2 people (Additional costs for extra adults) (Minimum 3 vehicles)
Where
Gawler Ranges, Mt Ives Station & Googs Track, S.A.
Degree of Difficulty
Basic to Moderate 4WDriving - Unsealed Roads and soft Sandy Terrain
Driver Experience
Some prior 4WD experience in sand would be useful but we will help you along the way or perhaps you’d like to attend one of our Driver Training Courses prior to the trip.
Accommodation
Bush camps - (However, Stone cottage rooms at Mt. Ive Station and Railway cottages at the Kingoonya Caravan Park or Motel rooms at the Kingoonya Hotel, are an option for an additional cost).
Fees
Camping fees, Permits/Parks Passes, a 'Mid Tour' dinner and drinks at the iconic Kingoonya Hotel and our 'End of Tour' dinner and drinks at the Ceduna Hotel respectively, are included.
Approximate Distance
1200 km approx. (Quorn to Ceduna)
Requirements
Minimum of 3 vehicles required to run the tour.
All our 4WD Tag along Tours are Eco-Accredited and we are a fully licensed Commercial Tour Operator in SA, NT & WA with 'Advanced Ecotourism', 'EcoStar' & 'ROC' Accreditations.
Days 1 - 4
We leave Quorn and visit Iron Knob for morning tea on our way to Mt Ive Station. In the evening we will enjoy a sunset drive up Mt. Ive overlooking the homestead & Station buildings. On Day 2 - We are touring the Gawler Ranges National Park exploring Old Paney Station, Pandanna Outstation, Policeman Point Creek, the Organ Pipes and Mirica Falls. On Day 3 - we explore Mt Ive Station itself and visit Lake Gairdner, the Embankment, Organ pipes and the wombat holes. On Day 4 - we will explore more tracks on Mt Ive visiting sites including 'Pete's Pillars' and other points of interest along the way.
Day 5
We leave Mt Ive Station and head north towards Kingoonya, which lies on the Trans Australian Railway. Here we will be enjoying a rest and our 'Mid Tour' Outback pub meal at the iconic Kingoonya Hotel !
Days 6 & 7
We leave Kingoonya, heading for Tarcoola and onto Malboomba siding where we drop out tyre pressures as we make our way south and start to go over some of the 363 sand dunes. We head towards our camp at Mt Finke with an afternoon climb of Mt Finke (if time permits) or early morning the next day. Day 7 - we head southwards to Goog's Lakes and explore the lakes near the camp ground before enjoying each others company around the campfire at another "Happy Hour".
Day 8
We leave Goog's Lake, stopping by the memorial to Goog's family, before heading to Lone Oak Station and then Ceduna where we will Jenny Denton and have afternoon tea before we get together one last time to enjoy an 'End of Tour' Dinner.
This way we break the last day’s long drive and those not heading back with us, can take their time heading home or on to the next leg of their journey.
** Clients are advised to ensure they have extra time available. Delays may occur depending on the terrain across Goog’s Track and any unforeseen weather or mechanical issues.
Note: To take advantage of the full 8 days, it is requested that you are packed and ready to go on the Saturday morning from Quorn or Port Augusta.
A minimum of 3 vehicles is required to run this tour.
Tour price covers: all Camping fees, National Park Permits/Parks Passes and Kingoonya Hotel and Ceduna meal included.
All vehicles to have Front Rated Recovery Points fitted (if available) for your vehicle model. NOTE: These are not factory fitted Tow points, they are an aftermarket product. They are typically Yellow, Red or Orange in colour and hang down below the Bull Bar or Bash plate of the vehicle. Please contact us if you need help organising these.
All vehicles preferably to have UHF Radios and Sand Flags fitted while on the Goog's Track.
What brand/type do you recommend for the UHF radio. We do not plan to head off on our own on 4WD tracks. If we joined your Googs Track would we need to purchase a UHF radio. We went on a tag a long tour with you in May 24 from Quorn and you provided the UHF radio.
Hi Debbie, thanks for your inquiry. We use and recommend GME XRS UHF radios (Australian Made), but there are other cheaper brands on the market if your budget doesn’t stretch that far. The most important thing is to ensure that you buy a 5 Watt unit because there are cheaper versions which don’t have the same signal strength and can be sold as a 1 watt or 3 watt unit.
Whether you buy a handheld unit or an in-car unit please make sure it’s a 5 watt unit for maximum signal strength. An in-car unit will have a much better aerial setup, so that you can push a signal further especially if you mount the aerial nice and high. You can get around 15-30 km’s with the right set up. A 5 Watt Handheld unit is good for bout 2 kilometres maybe 5 kilometres at best. UNIDEN would be my next choice if you can’t justify a GME XRS unit.
I hope that helps!
Kind regards, Norman
Do you have 2026 dates for this? John
Hi John,
Yes, the dates are Saturday 3rd to Saturday 10th of October (inclusive). All the details are on our website for this tour.