The Top End Convoy

The Top End of Australia is one of the most unique and special places on Earth. But it’s super remote and pretty intimidating. So how about if we go there together? In a homeschool convoy!

We’re taking on one of the most amazing drives in the world - Cairns to Darwin via Katherine and Kakadu.

Don’t worry if you’ve never been camping before or only have a small sedan - this is the perfect opportunity to try something new! You don’t need a four wheel drive and there will be plenty of people around to help you set up your tent, caravan, campervan, swag or van. So pack your bathers and let’s head off on an incredible, completely safe adventure that your kids will never forget. When else will you ever get the chance to show your kids these unique and special parts of Australia?

We take the fear and stress out of travel, so you can concentrate on making amazing memories with your kids.

Our trips are designed specifically for families.

Kids get to enjoy amazing adventures on their own level, with a group of new friends. Adults get to take a break from entertaining the kids and enjoy the kind of relaxing holiday that just isn't possible on solo family trips.

Our trips are unstructured, so you can customise them to suit your family's individual requirements. If you like to wake up early and want to head off to the next campsite at sunrise, that's no problem. If your kids like to hang out at the fire until midnight and sleep in, that's also no problem.

  • This trip is a convoy in that you'll be supported the whole way and will travel with a group of other families who will all stay at the same campsites together.

    It's not the type of convoy where everyone has to adhere to strict timelines and schedules and all drive together at the same speed in a single line. It's fun, not regimented

    The Top End Convoy is led by two trip co-ordinators. Each one drives a vehicle that is equipped with essentials like tools, satellite phones and first aid kits. The support vehicles can also help carry some of your gear, so you don't have to squeeze it all back into your car at every stop.

    The trip co-ordinators make sure you stay safe in the remote outback and have the best possible experience. They are available 24/7 and are always happy to help with any issues you encounter along the way. One of them will always drive at the back of the group, to make sure that nobody is left behind and everyone arrives at each campsite safely.

    We also provide each family with a Zoleo satellite communication device. This ensures that you can keep in contact with the trip coordinators, even when there's no phone coverage, and your family can always reach you if there's an emergency at home.

  • If you have kids in your life and you’re keen to make amazing memories, show them the world and help them make new friends - this is for you.

    Kids have more fun when they travel together and parents get to relax instead of worrying about them being bored. Plus you’ll have all the support you need as we head into the remote outback.

    Our trips are not the usual group tours. Everything is built around providing support and giving kids an opportunity to make friends, have amazing educational experiences and travel at their own pace.

    We are neuroaffirming and embrace diversity.

  • As with all of our trips, you’re welcome to join in as much or as little as you like.

    You can drive from place to place with the convoy, or sleep in and do it in your own time.

    You can keep to yourself or hang out with the group around the campsite. It’s totally up to you.

    We just want everyone to have an amazing holiday, feel comfortable and have an outback experience safe in the knowledge that they’re not alone if they need support.

    Plus it’s a lot easier and less stressful to holiday with kids if they’re having a great time with friends!

  • This trip will run from 21 May - 13 June 2025

  • Definitely not. Your normal, everyday car will be fine. We’re not going off road and most of the trip is on the highway.

  • We travel with a Starlink satellite dish to make sure that everyone has access to fast, reliable internet at all of the campsites.

  • We stay at powered sites for the whole trip.

  • Unfortunately dogs are not allowed on this trip, because they are banned from the national parks we will be visiting.

  • There supermarkets at the bigger towns along the way, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to stock up as we go.

    We will provide you with a detailed itinerary showing locations where it's important to stock up and refuel.

    Most of the campsites have camp kitchens and a lot have bistros or are near pubs or restaurants, so you can buy meals if you don’t feel like cooking.

  • Most of the campsites have washing machines and dryers available for a small fee, usually around $4. Most have a camp kitchen, which you can use to wash your dishes.

How much does it cost?

The price is $1354 for adults and $1284 for kids aged 5-16. Kids aged 4 and under are free. Adventure passes are available for an additional $539 per adult and $487 per child. Secure your spot for a deposit of just $300 per person. Payment plans are available.

You’re very welcome to bring your own caravan, camper trailer, van, tent or swag, or you can hire one of our camping kits.

The cost of the camping kit is $499 per family if you would like to set it up yourself, or $989 per family if you would like us to set it up and pack it up for you. Tent numbers are very limited so we recommend booking early if you would like to hire camping kit.

  • The basic ticket price includes:

    • Accommodation at powered campsites for 24 nights

    • Accommodation at an unpowered campsite for one night

    • A trip handbook with lots of information about the areas we visit and things to do along the way

    • Access to a private group chat so you can meet the families you'll be travelling with

    • A Zoleo satellite communication device to use for the duration of the trip

    • Full support from our team of booking and support staff in the leadup to the trip, and from our trip co-ordinators during the trip

    For an additional $539 per adult and $487 per child you can add an adventure pass, which includes the following activities:

    • Yellow Water Billabong Cruise

    • Cutta Cutta Caves Tour

    • NitNit Dreaming Two Gorge Tour

    • Karunma Sand Island Cruise

  • There are three ways to secure you spot on the Top End Convoy:

    • Pay in full at the time of booking

    • Pay a $300 per person deposit at the time of booking and set up a payment plan for the balance. You choose the repayment amounts and frequency

    • Pay a $300 per person deposit at the time of booking and pay the balance in a lump sum no less than 90 days before the trip begins


    Camping kits and adventure passes are very limited and cannot be confirmed until they are paid in full

  • Our trips are built around creating social connections and opportunities for growth, so kids with goals around social engagement and skill development may be able to claim some of the cost.

    Please contact us at info@boldgorilla.com.au to discuss NDIS funding in more detail.

  • You can see a photo of one of our camping kits here. The kit includes all of the the following essentials:

    • A camping fridge

    • An air mattress for each member of your family and plenty of spares in case they get damaged

    • A cooking kit containing plates, cups, bowls, a frypan, a saucepan, cutlery, chopping boards and utensils

    • A camping stove and butane gas canisters

    • A lantern

    • A folding table

    • A folding chair for each member of your family

    • An extension cord

    • A power board

    • A large tent.

    All of our tents are Zempire Pronto 10s, also known as Zempire Jetset 10s. These are very comfortable and durable air tents that are super easy to set up. You can see them in action here.

    There are two options for hiring our camping kits:

    • The assisted option: Hire the kit and have our trip co-ordinators set up and pack down the tent for you at each campsite. The price for this option is $989 per family, on top of the ticket price. We only have three of these available on each trip, so they sell out very quickly

    • Self setup option: Hire the kit and set up and pack down the tent yourself at each campsite. The price for this option is $499 per family, on top of the ticket price. We only have seven of these available on each trip, so they sell out very quickly

    Both kits are exactly the same.

    Regardless of which option you choose, you're very welcome to transport the kits in our support vehicles so you don't have to fit everything in your car.

Here’s what we have planned:

Day 1: Richmond

On day one we’ll meet up in Richmond, which is about 500kms from Townsville.

Richmond is home to Kronosauraus Korner - Australia’s biggest marine fossil museum. It’s an amazing place with lots of cool things to see. We recommend arriving a day early if you can, so you have plenty of time to see it. They have a great fossil digging activity for kids.

On the way over, you might want to check out “Hughie” at the Hughenden Flinders Discovery Centre. Hughie is a replica of one of the best know and most complete dinosaur fossils ever found in Australia. He is seven-meters long and lived in the area around 110 million years ago, when it was on the shore of a huge inland sea.

There’s a cool little waterpark at Richmond, so we’ll head down for a sunset splash.

Day 2: Cloncurry

We’re really heading into the outback on day two, as we drive the 3 hours out to Cloncurry.

Don’t forget to stop at the visitor information centre at Julia Creek on your way through to see the resident dunnarts - Duncan and Donald!

Days 3: Camooweal

We’ll head even deeper into the outback on day three, with a 3.5 hour drive through Mount Isa and on to Camooweal.

The Camooweal Caves National Park is home to some fascinating sinkholes and a network of underground caves, as well as a beautiful waterhole.

Along the way you might want to stop to see the giant megafauna fossils at Riversleigh Fossil Centre, or go on an underground mine tour at Mount Isa. These activities aren’t included, but we would love to book them for you if you’re keen.

Days 4: Barkly Homestead

On day four we’ll drive about three hours to Barkly Homestead, which is a very remote roadhouse on the Barkly Highway.

They have an amazing bar and grill, and a swimming pool that the kids will definitely appreciate.

Don’t forget to get your selfie with the giant lizards!

Days 5 & 6: Banka Banka West

it will be time for a bit of a rest on day five, so we’ll drive 2.5 hours to Banka Banka West and set up camp for two nights.

This is a very cool place, which is part of a 350,000-acre working cattle station and is managed by traditional owners. They are very happy to teach visitors about the history of the area, which includes the important cultural sites of Kajanpurra Waterhole and Punkkurr Pankkurr Spring.

There are some beautiful walking tracks and a really great swimming hole.

Days 7 & 8: Mataranka

On day seven we’ll take on one of the longest drives of the trip - almost five hours to Mataranka. It’s an amazing place, so we’ll spend two nights checking it out.

Mataranka Homestead has its own thermal springs, where you can safely swim. It also has a bistro and sometimes even a whip crackin show! It’s a lovely place so we’ll spend two nights checking it out.

Bitter Springs is also nearby, which is home to lots of turtles. It has a current, so you can jump in at one end of the river and float all the way down to the other, like a lazy river ride.

Days 9 - 11: Litchfield

We’ll drive about 3.5 hours on day nine and arrive at a real bucket-list destination - Litchfield National Park.

Many people prefer Litchfield to Kakadu, so we’ll spend three nights there, taking in the area.

There are beautiful waterholes, magnetic termite mounds and lots of absolutely amazing waterfalls. Darwin is only an hour away, so it’s also a great opportunity to check out the city.

Days 12 - 14: Kakadu

We’ll drive about three hours on day 12 to another bucket-list destination - Kakadu!

There’s so much to do in the area, so we’ll be staying for three nights.

One of the biggest highlights is the Ubirr walk, which has some of the best rock art in the country and ends with a stunning lookout over the Nadab floodplain. There are lots of different tours available with traditional owners.

Other Kakadu highlights are the Yellow Water Billabong, Motor Car Falls and the Maguk Plunge pools.

Days 15 - 17: Katherine

We’ll drive about 3.5 hours to Katherine on day 15 and set up came for the next three nights.

This is an incredible part of the world with so many amazing things to see. There’s amazing rock art, boat tours, canoes for hire, scenic helicopter rides and walking trails.

There are lots of indigenous cultural experiences to enjoy, hot springs and Australia’s only tropical limestone cave system.

Day 18: Daly Waters

We’ll say goodbye to Katherine on day 18 and start the journey home - but don’t worry, there are still lots of amazing things ahead of us.

We’ll drive about three hours to Daly Waters, which is home to one of Australia’s most iconic outback pubs.

Day 19: Spinifex Ridge

On day 19 we’ll drive about 4.5 hours to our only unpowered campsite - Spinifex Ridge Farm Stay. The campsite is part of a one million acre family-owned cattle station.

Day 20: Barkly Homestead

We’ll retrace our sets on day 20, driving about 2.5 hours back to Barkly Homestead.

We’ll chill in the pool, grab a drink at the pub and lose half an hour as we cross back over into Queensland, which is in a different timezone to the Northern Territory.

Day 21: Camooweal

We’ll have another easy driving day on day 21, with a 2.5 hour run back to Camooweal. If you didn’t get a chance to check out the sink holes on the way up, this is a great time to do it.

Day 22: Cloncurry

You have a choice to make on day 22. If you’re ok with not having access to toilets, power or any other facilities you can stay at a really cool ghost town and abandoned mine - Mary Kathleen.

If ghost town’s aren’t for you that’s not a problem, you can stop for a quick look on your way through then head to the same full-service caravan park that we stayed at on our way up.

Day 23 & 24: Normanton

We’ll take on the last long drive of the trip on day 23 - five hours norht to Normanton.

We’ll spend two nights in this beautiful place, resting on the banks of the Norman River.

It’s a great place to do some fishing, or you can take a ride on the Gulflander heritage railway. We definitely recommend driving out to Karumba, on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It’s an amazing place for fishing.

Day 25: Georgetown

Day 25 is the last driving day of the 2025 Top End Convoy. We’ll drive about 3 hours across to Georgetown, where we’ll set up our final camp.

We’ll say goodbye to all our new friends on the morning of day 26, and all head off in different directions.

Depending on how much time you have, you might like to stay at Georgetown for a few extra days. It’s very close to lots of amazing things, the most spectacular of which is Cobbold Gorge. The gorge is a real bucket-list destination, with incredible scenery and some really great tours. You can head out on a boat tour, fly over in a helicopter, cross the glass-bottom bridge or float down the river on a stand-up paddleboard.

Mount Surprise is also nearby, as is the Talaroo Hot Springs, Copperfield Gorge and one of the biggest single-drop waterfalls in Australia, Millstream Falls.

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