Willis's Walkabouts - Our History
Founded in 1986, Willis's Walkabouts is northern Australia's most experienced bushwalking tour operator.
This page is out of date. It is still here because this site contains a variety of general information like our newsletters and our Covid Blog page which has not yet been uploaded to our new website.
For up to date information about specific trips, see our new mobile-friendly website.
On almost all of our
bushwalking holidays you carry a full backpack (which can be surprisingly light in our part of the world). On a few wet season trips, you only need a daypack on some sections.
No two trips are alike! This is one of the things which sets us apart from mainstream tour operators. Using as many different areas as possible allows us to minimise our impact and ensure that each group enjoys the same pristine environment as the last. Our environmental efforts were recognised when we applied for and received advanced eco-tourism certification. You can find our tours on the Ecotourism Australia website.
Our History
Russell Willis (see photo) came to Darwin in early 1974 and immediately fell in love with the Top End bush. Within a few months, he was helping found the Darwin Bushwalking Club. As first club president, he helped pioneer many of the routes local bushwalkers use today.
Wishing to share his experience with a wider group of people, Russell started Willis's Walkabouts as a one man, one vehicle operation in Kakadu and the Kimberley in 1986. A year later, there were two guides and two vehicles. The business continued to grow and new areas were added:
- the Red Centre in 1989
- South America in 1990
- the Pilbara in 1993
- the Arctic in 1996
- Southern Africa in 2001
- Vanuatu and Scandinavia in 2012
Since 1992 we have offered more than 50 different trips and employed up to ten guides on a seasonal basis. Every single guide is someone who enjoys bushwalking and sharing their knowledge with those who come on their trips. Every single walk in the program is one which Russell Enjoys doing himself.
To maximise the number of good trips we can offer and encourage people to come back and visit different areas, we visit certain areas only every second or third year. With a number of people having done ten or more of our trips, it seems to work.
We had our first repeat clients in 1988, our third year of operatrion. The number of repeats steadilty increased until 2004 when it hit 50%. We've averaged 40 to 50% repeat clients every year since with the vast majority of our new clients coming based on recommendations from their friends. What better recommendation could we have?
Still curious?
- In September 2011, Wild magazine ran a two page article profiling Russell. You can read it here.
- Territory Quarterly a magazine produced by the NT Government, ran an article about Russell and Willis's Walkabouts in their first edition for 2012.
- In January 2015, Wild magazine ran a two page interview with Russell. You can read it here.
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