About Red Dirt Tours
The short version...
Red Dirt Tours is locally owned and operated by one person, me - Vicki Jones. Red Dirt Tours started as a one "man" show in 2015 (just myself, a bus, a mobile phone and a computer) but has steadily grown to now include 4 tour guides who are all professional guides with exceptional customer service and who care about YOU - the ones who matter most on this journey and the reason why I started the business in 2015. I saw that travellers were wanting a tour to the Dinosaur Stampede, but I had to add in some of the beautiful scenery to the tour - otherwise you wouldn't even know it was there!
The longer version...
Background on Vicki - the business is an extension of Vicki, so by knowing her you get to know the business!
I'm Vicki Jones. I had my first venture into the world of tour guiding when I was 22, working at the Lodge at Carnarvon Gorge. I then worked as a tour guide for the next 12 years in a number of ecotourism resorts and tour operations around outback Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania but then ventured into tour guide training and resirt management roles. After a few more years doing project work for tourism organisations, I left the corporate world to move back into tour operation management and back into Outback Queensland. After working on a project in Winton I saw a need for good quality tours in the area, but it took me a couple of years to make that a reality.
I was told by a good friend and mentor in 2001 that I should start my own tour operation and have never forgotten this. Despite what he could see, I never really felt I had the broad skills nor had earned enough stripes to own an operation of my own. But after many years of broad experience, finding a wonderful location and a couple of years of thinking and planning, in 2015 (instead of going on a holiday to Africa), I took the leap, took the risk, followed my heart, and did it; I bought a tour bus and started Red Dirt Tours from scratch!
The business has grown steadily since 2015 and has some legs now! In 2019, I added another small bus to the fleet, and gained my first employee. In 2021 I added another bus and then another in 2022. We had a really busy time in Outback Qld during the "Covid years" when people either had to travel within Qld or eventually just within Australia. I ended up with 5 buses and 5 staff at one point. The business is still growing, steadily now. I've moved a few buses on, bought a few new buses and reduced down to 3 buses now.
All the buses are 24 passengers or less, so smaller groups which I prefer when I'm travelling. I've been the driver guide on tours with big groups of 40+, but find the smaller groups much more personal. I believe you do too. So the main off-road buses we use are around the 18 to 20 passenger seats with one slightly larger 2wd bus of approx 24 passengers. I've tried a few different types of buses over the years and have been refining brands and types for what works best on the roads around Winton. These days I spend a lot more time in the office in the peak season. I do the off peak season on my own, train/re-familiarise the guiding team at the beginning of the season and then it's all systems go for 6 months before we breathe again!
I had been a guide for a while prior, but now Red Dirt Tours is in it's 10th year! I am a long time accredited tour guide with both Savannah Guides and EcoGuide. I believe that the professionalism associated with these organisations has stood me in good stead over the years and has helped me to build skills I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to build.
So, welcome to my first venture into the world of owning a tour operation! I hope that I can use the skills I have gained over the years to be able to give you a memorable holiday experience.
Leave the car at home, just sit back, relax and let us show you around!
Vicki.
Red Dirt Tours is locally owned and operated by one person, me - Vicki Jones. Red Dirt Tours started as a one "man" show in 2015 (just myself, a bus, a mobile phone and a computer) but has steadily grown to now include 4 tour guides who are all professional guides with exceptional customer service and who care about YOU - the ones who matter most on this journey and the reason why I started the business in 2015. I saw that travellers were wanting a tour to the Dinosaur Stampede, but I had to add in some of the beautiful scenery to the tour - otherwise you wouldn't even know it was there!
The longer version...
Background on Vicki - the business is an extension of Vicki, so by knowing her you get to know the business!
I'm Vicki Jones. I had my first venture into the world of tour guiding when I was 22, working at the Lodge at Carnarvon Gorge. I then worked as a tour guide for the next 12 years in a number of ecotourism resorts and tour operations around outback Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania but then ventured into tour guide training and resirt management roles. After a few more years doing project work for tourism organisations, I left the corporate world to move back into tour operation management and back into Outback Queensland. After working on a project in Winton I saw a need for good quality tours in the area, but it took me a couple of years to make that a reality.
I was told by a good friend and mentor in 2001 that I should start my own tour operation and have never forgotten this. Despite what he could see, I never really felt I had the broad skills nor had earned enough stripes to own an operation of my own. But after many years of broad experience, finding a wonderful location and a couple of years of thinking and planning, in 2015 (instead of going on a holiday to Africa), I took the leap, took the risk, followed my heart, and did it; I bought a tour bus and started Red Dirt Tours from scratch!
The business has grown steadily since 2015 and has some legs now! In 2019, I added another small bus to the fleet, and gained my first employee. In 2021 I added another bus and then another in 2022. We had a really busy time in Outback Qld during the "Covid years" when people either had to travel within Qld or eventually just within Australia. I ended up with 5 buses and 5 staff at one point. The business is still growing, steadily now. I've moved a few buses on, bought a few new buses and reduced down to 3 buses now.
All the buses are 24 passengers or less, so smaller groups which I prefer when I'm travelling. I've been the driver guide on tours with big groups of 40+, but find the smaller groups much more personal. I believe you do too. So the main off-road buses we use are around the 18 to 20 passenger seats with one slightly larger 2wd bus of approx 24 passengers. I've tried a few different types of buses over the years and have been refining brands and types for what works best on the roads around Winton. These days I spend a lot more time in the office in the peak season. I do the off peak season on my own, train/re-familiarise the guiding team at the beginning of the season and then it's all systems go for 6 months before we breathe again!
I had been a guide for a while prior, but now Red Dirt Tours is in it's 10th year! I am a long time accredited tour guide with both Savannah Guides and EcoGuide. I believe that the professionalism associated with these organisations has stood me in good stead over the years and has helped me to build skills I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to build.
So, welcome to my first venture into the world of owning a tour operation! I hope that I can use the skills I have gained over the years to be able to give you a memorable holiday experience.
Leave the car at home, just sit back, relax and let us show you around!
Vicki.
