As touched on elsewhere, Brown Dog Tours has a young rural couple at the helm. That couple includes the author and photographer for this website – the talented Shanna (okay, that'd be me - ha ha) plus the creator and organiser of the whole Brown Dog idea, Tim.

Our story is pretty straightforward: we both grew up on the land and we simply love the bush (aka the "outback") and its amazing critters and wonderful characters. 

After changing careers from corporate agriculture to tour guiding in our late twenties, we ended up in the Northern Territory. What a wonderful experience! However, despite being as far "out there" as you can be … we soon got tired of taking guests to remote regions only to find we were regularly competing with literally hundreds of other tourists for a photo and a bit of peace and quiet. It kind of takes away from the serenity and authenticity ... as I'm sure those of you who’ve been there and done that would agree.

And so began the Brown Dog brainchild. Our aim was to pioneer a unique route through the relatively unknown and unexplored parts of the Queensland outback. Along the way, we soon discovered our own back yard offered more wildife and diversity than anything central Australia had ever shown us, and its serenity and isolation were absolute. What a jackpot!

We're happy to say that we’ve achieved our goal of combining safe trips to remote destinations with simply fantastic experiences for our guests - and ourselves. We love sharing the Queensland outback with those who haven’t yet had the chance to visit it.

So that's the outback bit covered!  Next, we decided we'd create an East Coast tour leg as an add-on (or stand alone) option to the outback tour. This sector is also fully guided from top to tail, and is designed for passengers who want to see the more tourist driven and widely known coastal towns of Cairns and Airlie Beach, as well as Fraser Island and all the fabulous little places in between. With this thrown into the mix, we can offer our passengers the best of both worlds.

So if you decide a Brown Dog Tour is for you, we’re happy to guarantee 100% enthusiasm and dedication to giving you a unique experience and making this the trip of a lifetime. We're not adverse to climbing trees, catching a lizard or staying up for the odd beer (or ten) in Airlie! In fact we’ll do whatever is required to bring enjoyment and harmony to the gang, whichever tour you might join.

Be sure to check out our feedback, where you'll see for yourself that we don't make any hollow promises!

We arrived in Australia and were overwhelmed with the options available. This tour exceeded our expectations and we now feel that we have seen a good variety of lifestyles, livelihoods and landscapes the country has to offer.  Top Tour of our World Trip – good luck Tim & Shan for the future of Brown Dog. 
Helen and Dave – 35, 32, UK – "Outback + Coast "

This company deserves so much to be a success – they put huge effort and care into their tours. Great value for money and relative luxury for the price. Shan’s CD of photos was amazing and also excellent value for money. We will miss ya! I want to go on tour again with you this Saturday!
Gilly Epps – 27, Scotland – "Outback + Coast "

What a lovely, relaxed and educational experience this was. Tim we would both like to truly thank you for showing us what Australia is really all about.

Ian and Pat - 58, 61, Victoria - "The Outback"

Shanna was the most realistic and accurate taste of a pure Aussie chick! She is down to earth and knows Australia like the back of her hand. Totally cool trip. Thanks!
Megs Fill –18, Canada –"The Coast "

We are glad that we extended our stay in Oz to see the outback – it was totally worth the hassle and expense of changing our flights.  Meeting the old drovers at Tambo was the highlight of our outback tour – we loved listening to the stockman’s stories and it was 100% authentic. We have definitely seen the real outback and will recommend it to others.  We had a great time and I have lots of good memories to take home and hopefully some great photos!
Lisa & James – Honeymooners, Ireland – "The Outback"

I have learnt more about Australia on this trip than I ever learnt at School.

Warren - 43, Sydney - "Outback + Coast"

I really like the fact that it was a small group so a very personal tour.  Tim & Shanna were like our parents in a cool way! I did enjoy a lot the stay in Airlie Beach and the cruise on the Whitsundays as well.  It was lovely. I think that I saved a bit of money on this tour because everything was included and with very good quality. Thanks so much both of you! 

Emilie Durand – 23, France – "The Coast"

Wow – what a blast.  Was the best tour I have ever been on. Tim and Shan know their stuff and gave the tour a very personal feel. There was not a bad point in the whole 13 day tour – really recommend this to absolutely anyone. 
Tom Lloyd – 19, UK, – "Outback + Coast"