Meet Dal, the Passionate Tour Guide Sharing McLeod’s Daughters Country
The hit Channel Nine series McLeod’s Daughters may have wrapped up back in 2008, but nearly two decades on, fans are still travelling from across the globe to walk in the footsteps of Claire and Tess McLeod.
From a parmi at the Gungellan Pub to a trip down memory lane at the famous Drovers Run, McLeod’s Country remains very much alive – and at the heart of it all is Dal Long, the passionate local woman behind Tours to McLeods Country.
An avid fan herself, Dal never tires of the drive up to Drovers Run, now known as Kingsford The Barossa – a luxury accommodation and dining destination that once played host to more cattle dramas, tennis matches and farmyard conundrums than most of us could count.
Dal purchased the already-established tour business after filming finished, and thanks to streaming and catch-up TV, interest in the iconic outback drama has never really slowed down.
“Just last week I had visitors from Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Germany and England,” she said. “A lot of them tell me they only came to Australia because of McLeod’s Daughters.”
Step into McLeod’s Daughters Country
Tours to McLeod’s Country offer half-day and full-day experiences starting from $165, taking visitors through the real-life filming locations that brought the series to life. Tours typically include Gungellan (Freeling), Drovers Run, Wilgul, a wander through Fisher (Kapunda), and a well-earned lunch stop at the Gungellan Pub.
Dal also has access to Killarney, the working farm near Mount Pleasant that featured heavily in the series – although fans are often surprised to learn it’s around 60 kilometres from Drovers Run, despite being portrayed as “next door”.
Over the years, Dal has hosted five special meet-and-greet events with cast members including Aaron Jeffery (Alex Ryan), Zoe Naylor (Regan McLeod), Simonne Jade McKinnon (Stevie Hall), Myles Pollard (Nick Ryan) and the much-loved Rachel Carpani (Jodi Fountain), who sadly passed away last month.
Like many Australians, Dal still remembers Wednesday nights when McLeod’s Daughters ruled the television.
“You’d make sure everything was done so you could sit down and watch it in peace,” she laughed.
There’s always talk of a reboot, and Dal would love nothing more, but for now, she’s happy sharing McLeod’s Country with fans who’ve travelled halfway around the world to see it for themselves.
And judging by the steady stream of visitors, the legacy of McLeod’s Daughters is far from riding off into the sunset.
To explore the nearby Barossa Valley click here.
