The GDT Team

Vic Widman - Owner of Great Divide Tours

Started 4wdriving in 1978, first major outback trip was up Cape York in 1981, has now crossed the Simpson Desert more than of 25 times and trained in excess of 30,000 people in the art of 4wdriving. Vic lives and breathes 4wdriving, he has written various books including the CSIRO 4WD Skills book which everyone that completes a 4wd training course receives a copy, was a major contributor to Overlander magazine and 4x4 Australia Magazine in the past, he has produced 4wd DVD's, has a permanent radio segment with the Duck on the radio and podcasts with his weekly segment running since 2011. Vic is also a Certificate IV Trainer and Assessor and has trained many of the current competition in the world of 4wd tours and driver training. And his jokes are great too! Vic drives a 200 series, an FJ Cruiser and wishes he had more time to drive his Toyota GR Yaris.
 

Julie Widman

Long suffering wife of Vic, behind every Outback Vic there is Julie pushing him out the door. She keeps the whole show together, helps run the office and has brought up the most amazing family whilst Vic has been away exploring Australia. Julie drives a Hyundai Kona, correct, not a 4wdrive.

 

 

Jenny Stanton

Jenny learnt to 4wd at a Great Divide Tours training course in 2005, joined the team in 2006 as a guide and 4wd trainer. However, she is the real corner stone of GDT, working tirelessly in the office, she will be the one to reply to your email, call you or answer your inquiry. Jenny and her partner Wayne also lead the Beach Safari trips these days in the fiery red Hilux and when she leads one of our big outback tours she loves her Iveco Daily 4x4 Motor home.

 

 

Wayne Brady

A senior guide and driver trainer with GDT, & partner to Jenny. Always up for a yarn when on a trip, he is a great bush mechanic and owns his own electronic fuel injection servicing business. Drives the Iveco when Jenny lets him. 

 

 

Scott Broadhead

Scott is another of the full time GDT employees, he is the mastermind behind all the paperwork for our RTO (Registered Training Organization) and of late has become the trip leader extraordinaire, breathing new life in to our Cape York tours which are now the best available and recently pioneering an amazing trip across the Nullarbor and along the West coast beaches of WA. He will definitely be leading many more trips for us. He drives one of the GDT 76 series Landcruisers and loves golf!

 

Tom Savage

I met Tom when I was camped at Policeman’s Waterhole in the Davenport Ranges in the NT in 2013. A few weeks after that chance meeting he rang me and asked for a job, that was 12 years ago. No-one in the crew leads more tours than Tom! His specialty areas include the Kimberley, the Canning, the Follow the Fence tour, the Outback Icons tour and from November to May he virtually lives in the Victorian High Country leading my various 7 day High Country tours. He is a lucky man with his lovely wife Dawn often joining him on the trips and he loves towing his Tvan when I’ll allow it. He drives the second GDT 76 Series Landcruiser.  

 

Ty Widman

Vic's nephew, joined the team in 2013, he leads our Stockton Beach tours and has also led the Big Red Bash tour. He drives a Landcruiser 200 series and is a plumber by trade, checkout his business www.stopdripplumbing.com.au he is the best for sure.

Ian Sheppard

Known as Yarn to his friends. He leads trips for us and assists with our driver training especially our corporate training. He works with Cooper tyres and knows more about tyres than anyone I know. Yarn drives a 100 series Landcruiser too.

 

 

Greg Dickinson

Greg did his first trip with GDT way back in 1993. He lives in Mudgee and runs our trips around the western Blue Mountains, he has also led trips virtually everywhere including the Kimberley, the Simpson, Cape York and the High Country. Greg usually travels with his lovely wife Helen, he drives a 200 series Landcruiser and his favourite word is "Mate"!

 

 

Denis Dobie

Denis Dobie, joined GDT in early April 2020 He is Cert IV Trainer and Assessor as well as Cert IV Driving Instructor and Driving Instructor Trainer. Denis has been personally off-roading and touring for over 40 years. He has been a full time Professional Advanced, Operational and 4x4 Instructor and Mentor for 20 years. Specialising in work based offroad and operational driving environments, Denis is now semi-retired and also works as a trainer and tour guide with Great Divide Tours. He has travelled extensively around Australia and trained overseas in 4WD’s, both personally and as a professional trainer/assessor. If asked, Denis would tell you the thing he enjoys the most about his career and semi-retirement, is passing on life skills to others and meeting new people. He drives a very bright red Ford Ranger.
 

Pat Cotter

Pat attended the GDT training in 2022 in his role as a Paramedic (Ambulance Helicopter paramedic in fact). He mentioned he would be retiring soon so I suggested he join the GDT crew as I saw his strong qualities suited perfectly to training and tour leading. Pat has undergone his Cert IV Training and Assessment training and is one my key corporate trainers at Braidwood and leads my Brindabella tours when required. He too drives a well set up Ford Ranger.

 

 

Brad Bell

Anyone that has been on a tour led by Brad will understand my comment that he has an incredible passion for outback travel and guiding people on their adventure of a lifetime. A regular in the organisational team for the annual Prostate Cancer and Beyond Blue fund raising rallies, his heart is bigger than most. Brad is also one of my Cert IV Trainers and Assessors and drives a 200 series Landcruiser of course. He also owns Outback Signs and does all of the artwork for my vehicles and brochures, if you need signage or printing check out www.outbacksigns.com.au

 
 

Pete Wilson

Pete was also a client, I took an immediate liking to him as he also drove and FJ Cruiser when he turned up at the Training Centre back in 2012. He then disappeared for a while spending a great deal of time touring around Australia and exploring places even, I had not seen, including a couple of very close encounters with crocodiles. In May 2024 a chance phone call to me looking for some work, just when I needed it, saw him start the next week. Now assisting with the 4wd training and helping with the constant upkeep of the training grounds, he is a valuable member of my great team. He drives a new 76 series landcruiser with Portal axles, it’s a monster! 

 

Phil Owen

Phil first did a tagalong with GDT in the early 1990’s, then about 5 years ago he reached out to me about joining the team. He leads our Arnhem Land trips now and assists Ty on Stockton Beach as well as me at the training centre from time to time. He is usually joined by his lovely wife Allyson in their 200 series Landcruiser with Kimberley caravan in tow.

 

 

Brian Sommerville

Joined GDT in 2014 after semi retiring from his company GPSOZ, what Brian doesn't know about mapping and GPS units does not exist. He is the past president of the All Wheel Drive Club (which incidentally Vic helped set up back in 1984). Over the years Brian has led various trips for us including the Canning Stock Route and Arnhem Land to name just a couple. Brian, with his wife Kirsten, drives a 300 series Landcruiser.

 

 

Eden McKnight

The youngest member of the team barely in his early twenties, Eden too was discovered when he attended the 4wd training centre in 2023. I saw a young kid that was willing to learn, and do the 4wdriving right, and he was big and strong, meaning I might be able to use his muscle when mine failed me. He now assists with the training, assists Ty on Stockton Beach, leads trips in the Blue Mountains and has supported Greg on one of the wettest Big Red Bashes on record. He drives a mighty Ford Raptor that he has worked hard to buy. An outstanding young man indeed.
 

 

Jeff Turvey

Another story of a former client becoming a team member. Jeff first attended the training centre in the early 2000’s and then in 2022, he rang the office and spoke to Julie about attending again as he had bought a new Hilux. Julie rang me and said this guy sounds like a decent person, I should offer him a job, so I did. Jeff assists at the 4wd training centre and leads some of my Brindabella ranges trips. He still drives his trusty Hilux and loves golf almost as much as Scott.

 

 

Stuart Millburn

Stuart was referred to me by Brian Sommerville. Just retired from his job with Westpac & St George Bank, and as a member of the 4wd club I helped form back in 1974, Stuart has become a valuable member of the team assisting with the 4wd training and leading my Simpson Desert tours. He is the proud owner of a new 300 series Land cruiser.

 

 

Anne Rolfe

If you are lucky enough to attend one of our catered 4wd training courses, you will be exceptionally lucky because you will enjoy the amazing catering that Anne produces in the kitchen at the training centre. Anne is a local lass from Nerriga, who is also a gun shearer and raises cattle on her property at Nerriga. You might also see her working in the Braidwood Bakery too. 

 

Irene and Dave Murtagh

Vic's sister and brother-in-law, now retired but they keep dropping into the 4wd training centre because they live next door, an integral part of the GDT team since 1992 so I had to include them. They drive a 100 series Land cruiser too.