<P><B>A modern-day explorer who took everyday Australians along for the ride</B></P><P>Bill King is the pioneer who put the Australian outback on the map for both local and international tourists. Through an enterprise founded on hope and grit—now operating as AAT Kings—he opened up a completely new branch of Australian tourism. Thousands of Australians have experienced the adventure of a lifetime in Bill's capable hands, often walking in the footsteps of early explorers such as Burke and Wills, Leichhardt, Sturt, and Stuart. Eccentric drivers, mad passengers, and sticky situations abound against the backdrop of the glorious Australian outback. Bill and his tour groups sometimes got lost, bogged, or stranded—sometimes even scared out of their wits—but there was always a fierce determination to bring the show back home. Bill never lost a passenger or brought one to harm, though by heck they did sometimes try his monumental patience.