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Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Tours Run?
Tours run from the beginning of April through to the end of October. Off-season can be VERY hot, which is why we don’t run over Summer or a month on either side.
The normal schedule is every Tuesday and Thursday with the second and fourth Thursdays of each month being a two-day tour. All the others are single-day tours, which include two nights camping or accommodation. You arrive the day before the tour and leave the day after.
The two-day tours include three nights at Maralinga.
Pricing
Pricing is subject to change and variations, please check on the bookings page.
One-day tours are around $265/$295 per person, and two-day tours start at $450 per person for the campground. (BYO camping/caravan/swag)
Accommodation starts at around $400 per donga, for one to four people, two single beds in two shared rooms, for a one-day tour (two nights). BQ1 Accommodation starts at $150pp for two nights.
Accommodation for two-day tours is $500 per donga (1-4 ppl), $210 pp Single BQ1 room or $450 for a double en-suite (1 or 2 ppl).
Prices include all fees and permits and are calculated on purchase.
Add CPI for 2025
See https://maralingatours.com.au/accommodation/ for a looksee.
Can I stay but not go on the tour?
All participants must pay for the tour and can NOT stay in the village while the tour is in progress. This is a security/supervision requirement, with strict rules for visitors to the village and the test site. Section 400 is still a highly controlled atomic location.
COVID-19 Info – No Vax or cert needed!
The requirement for COVID vaccinations and the proof of vaccination certificates has been dropped.
However, COVID-19 and the Flu are still of great concern to Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people living in remote communities are at greater risk from COVID-19 and flu type viruses. This is because:
– there are higher rates of other health issues in these communities
– it can be much harder to access healthcare
– people in the community are very mobile and travel often
– people often rely more on outreach services in remote places
So please be mindful of this and practice correct hygiene and social distancing , esp. if feeling “a bit crook”.
Thank you for helping keep our communities safe.
Booking Dates. When do we need to arrive?
This is important.
Tours run on Tuesdays and Thursdays.*
When you book, the booking date is the day of the actual tour.
You need to arrive the day before and will depart the day after.
Aim to arrive at the barrier gate in mid-afternoon (after 2 pm) on Monday for a Tuesday tour or Wednesday for the Thursday one. Call the village from Ooldea on the railway line where there is good Telstra Mobile coverage.
The number to call is 0438 462 001.
If you don’t have a Telstra network phone you’ll need to call from Nundroo or Penong and try a rough estimate of arrival time.
*unless arranged otherwise.
Tours, one day or two?
Roughly a quarter of our tours are “two-dayers”. They are usually scheduled for the second and fourth Thursday and Friday of each month. You arrive on Wednesday and leave on Saturday.
Though the tour format is evolving, the main difference between one and two-day tours is that the two-dayer visits more locations, both more bomb sites and other points of interest. Both days take you to the forward area and help your sense of direction fall into place.
The other advantage is that having the extra night between the tours when you are not setting up or preparing to leave, gives you a chance to kick back and think about what you have seen and heard on the first day, making the second day a little more familiar and easier to absorb.
As mentioned earlier, the museum has a collection of archive videos and the extra time allows you to view these and wander around the village some more.
On the second day on the bus, fellow passengers and our guides are now familiar acquaintances and the tour settles down in to a familiar rhythm.
Can we travel between Emu and Maralinga?
Simply, NO!
The road between Emu and Maralinga, through the forward area, is closed in its entirety, to everyone.
There are other travel options to hook up with the Anne Beadell Hwy at Vokes Hill via the Cook Access Road which will need separate travel access permits and may be issued without additional charge if you are doing the tour.
Note: If you are just coming up from the Eyre Highway and returning the same way, your permit is included in the tour booking.
If you want to travel elsewhere on Maralinga Tjarutja Lands, application forms can be sourced here; Download Permit
Please contact the Ceduna office for more details on additional travel/access permits. (08) 8625 2946 Ceduna Office reception@maralinga.com.au
DO NOT pay for the tour using the details on the additional permit application form, use the booking form on this website. Mamungari Park will still need camping fees to be paid though.
You will also need a Dept of Defence permit to use the Anne Beadell see
Woomera Access Poster
Can we bring alcohol to the village?
No. The Maralinga Tjarutja lands are designated a dry zone. This includes the Maralinga Village. Please respect the wishes of the traditional owners.
Is there fuel available at Maralinga Village?
No, sorry, fuel is NOT available at Maralinga Village.
Please make sure you have enough fuel for the round trip from Nundroo, Penong, Yalata or the Nullarbor Roadhouse.
If you are travelling up to the Anne Beadell, fuel planning will be critically important.
Oak Valley is a closed community and access for fuel at Oak Valley is only allowed by prior arrangement.
Can I fly a drone at Maralinga?
No.
The Traditional Owners have asked that people not fly drones at Maralinga.
However permission may be obtained by contacting the admin office.
Maralinga Tjarutja Administration Office
43 McKenzie Street, Ceduna, SA, 5690
Tel: 08 8625 2946
Fax: 08 8625 3076
Email: senioradmin@maralinga.com.au
Is there mobile phone access?
There are both Optus and Telstra small-cell services in the village. These will give you both phone and internet during your stay. On tour, however, phone service is non-existent.
There is good Telstra* coverage all along the Trans-continental Railway line and near the Iluka mine. But once you get away from these you will find there is no service. The distance will vary according to landforms and height.
*There are a number of smaller mobile providers re-selling services on the Telstra network. They’re called network resellers or Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). MVNOs offer access to mobile networks that they don’t own, and often at a cheaper price. The Telstra service along the railway requires a full-service MNVO like Boost. Many like Woolworths and Aldi will not work on some remote networks.
What about my old dog?
We understand that many people are travelling with their four legged family member, so we allow them, as long as their owners are well behaved.
Pooches will need to be tied up in camp while you are on tour and kept on leads and quiet at all times.
Be warned that as Maralinga is in an outback location outside the dog fence, it may be visited by passing wild dogs and dingos, which may try to convince your dog to join their gang or worse, attack it, if you allow your dogs to roam, hence the warning.
Dogs are not allowed in the accommodation cabins.
So, yes they’re welcome, subject to the above and at your own risk.
Do you have powered sites?
No sorry, we don’t have “powered sites”.
We DO have power for lighting in the camping park ablution areas.
We DON’T have power for caravans. There are no outlets to run high-wattage devices like electric kettles. Electronic devices that require it, may be charged up at the museum.
Donga and BQ1 accommodations have 24-hour power.
What about an ordinary caravan?
If you have a standard van you should be OK getting to Maralinga.
This is subject to your judgement and experience on bush roads.
Take it really easy over the rough patches which are 20-30 km both north and south of the railway line and be sensible for the rest of the way.
Off-road vans and campers will be fine, again depending on your common sense.
Remember to have plenty of spares and water, as per any outback travel. It can be a couple of days between people using this road, if you do break down.
I have a Lamborghini, can I take that to Maralinga?
Probably not! You don’t need a 4WD to get to Maralinga but you will need a bit of ground clearance. Common utes and passenger cars with high-profile tyres will be OK with an experienced Outback driver.
There are a few rough patches with many limestone ridges 20-30 km north and south of the railway line which will require a sensible approach. Care needs to be taken on the whole journey.
If at all unsure, the best bet then is to hire an SUV or 4WD from Cedrent in Ceduna. They are very helpful and familiar with the country.
How do I get to Maralinga?
Well…. that’s up to you, but here is a map.
www.maralingatours.com.au/location/
Or you can download a pdf version here.
Maralinga Village is about 225km from Nundroo roughly 2.5-3 hours drive. Allow 5 hours from Ceduna which is around 400km away.
Payment Questions?
If you book outside of 35 days before the tour date, you will be charged a 10% deposit, with the balance due at the 30 day mark.
If booking within 35 days of the tour date, then the full amount will be required.
We take Visa and Mastercard and tours are booked online via this website. Book here.
We don’t have a Paypal account at this stage, so please don’t try to use Paypal Send money.
Direct Deposits can be used, only by arrangement and for larger groups. Credit cards are just much easier and refunds can be processed simply.
I don’t have camping gear, can I get accommodation?
Yes, there is accommodation in the form of “Dongas” – which are ATCO style units and in the BQ1 building.
These are available for travellers that aren’t set up for camping, though may or may not be available due to government contractors or officials that visit from time to time. We usually block out these dates on the website so they can’t be booked.
The dongas are self-contained units with twin single rooms and kitchen facilities, which include fridge, stove, microwave, cooking and eating utensils. BQ1 is also self-contained.
All foodstuffs will need to be brought along by yourself, including lunch for on the tour.
Bed linen is included.
When you book, select “Accommodated Tour”.
https://maralingatours.com.au/accommodation/
What do I need to bring on tour?
Don’t forget your camera!
Please pack a lunch and any snacks and drinks that you want for the day. Apples and bananas are good, sandwiches and bikkies too.
The tour guide will bring a supply of rainwater just in case. If you want a Thermos for tea or coffee or a cool pack for soft drinks and your lunch, please feel free to bring these along.
Dress for the weather, hat, jacket, camera, sunscreen and insect repellent might be needed. Common sense prevails.
Do we need a Maralinga Tjarutja travel permit?
NOT if you are ONLY travelling from the highway to Maralinga and back.
There is a permit fee included in the price of the tour. This permit is specific to the Maralinga Atomic Test Site tour. It includes travel from the highway to the Maralinga Village and return.
HOWEVER, if you want to travel anywhere else on the Maralinga Tjarutja lands, you will need to arrange an extra travel permit from the Ceduna office, but they will waive the fee.
DO NOT pay for the tour using the details on the additional permit application form, use the booking form on this website. Mamungari Park camping fees will still need to be paid though.
Download the permit application form MT Lands travel permit
Please contact reception at the Ceduna office for more details.
(08) 8625 2946
reception@maralinga.com.au
You will also need a Department of Defence permit to use the Anne Beadell see Woomera Access Poster
Woomera Range Access
You will also need a Department of Defence permit to use the Anne Beadell see Woomera Access Poster. Not for access into Maralinga itself.
What is a fly-in tour?
A fly-in tour is NOT an aerial tour of Maralinga. It is for people with either their own plane or a chartered one. They will hook up with our normal ground tour.
We do not organise charters but Chinta Air in Ceduna are familiar with our tours and will be able to help.
If arriving for a tour make sure you are on the strip and ready for pick up by 0845 hours.
Airstrip details
Here is a pdf of details of the Maralinga airfield details
The general rule is aircraft do a couple of low passes over the village so we know they have arrived or call on UHF 40 and we meet them and transport them to the village.
If arriving for a tour, make sure you are on the strip and ready for pick up by 0845 hours.
Primary contact:
Robin Matthews, Manager
0438 462 001
villageadmin@maralinga.com.au
Is it safe? I mean these were nuclear bombs.
ARPANSA (http://www.arpansa.gov.au) does regular ongoing testing of the Maralinga area and has deemed it safe for public visitation. This means that protection gear is not necessary for the tour.
Our web man says:
My own experience with my own handheld Geiger counter is that radiation levels at the blast sites are about ten times what I see in my office in country SA. The village on the other hand was actually about 30-50% less than what I measured in my office.
Put in perspective, for the few hours in the Maralinga forward area you might receive as much radiation as a couple of days elsewhere.
Village Information.
Here is a downloadable booklet for the Maralinga Village and Test Area
Any questions that are not answered here, please use our enquiry form.