What’s the deal with ‘Dodgy Don’s Tours’?
Don Green explains a joke that got way out of hand at Tailem Bend.
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Every town has someone who quietly brings people together.
In Tailem Bend, that someone is Don Green, the 2026 citizen of the year – although many people know him better as the man behind Dodgy Don’s Tours.
Mr Green understands that the tour group’s name might sound suspicious, but the story behind it is anything but.
“It all began in 2019 when I was organising a railway trip for about 20 people to ride the historic Pichi Richi Railway during a June long weekend,” he explained.
“The plan was simple enough: a night in Clare, three nights in Port Augusta and a couple in Peterborough.”
Like any good organiser, Mr Green started ringing around for accommodation.
The best place in Port Augusta seemed to be the Oasis: very nice, very comfortable, and very much out of his price range.
“It was over $200 a night,” he recalled.
“That was way beyond my league, and I left it at that.”
About 30 minutes later, the phone rang.
“The Oasis called me back offering me a great deal,” he explained.
“I recall it was about $110 a night, but only if I could guarantee a booking for 20 people – perfect.
“There was only one small detail: they needed a group booking name to book the package.”
Fortunately, Mr Green’s mate, Robert Hughes, had been jokingly calling him “Dodgy Don” for years.
So, without any hesitation, Mr Green said, “Just book it under Dodgy Don’s Tours.”
The woman on the phone burst out laughing and wrote it down.
Little did Mr Green realise the name would take on a life of its own.
Later, he received another call from the same travel agency.
Apparently, the paperwork had made its way up the corporate ladder – past serious travel companies and executives – until someone had noticed the name.
It was reported that the agency executive had said, “Dodgy Don’s Tours – do we really need to be dealing with people like this?”
Instead of killing the idea, the story had the opposite effect.
The staff in the travel office loved it – during what was a tough time in the industry, the mysterious “Dodgy Don” gave everyone a good laugh.
“That’s probably what really got me going,” Mr Green said.
“If they hadn’t told me that story, I doubt Dodgy Don would have gone any further.”
Then COVID arrived, which temporarily shut down travel plans, but when restrictions lifted, Mr Green was straight back into organising trips.
One outing involved about 30 people heading to Victor Harbor for a ride on the famous Steam Ranger Heritage Railway Cockle Train.
“Everything was booked, confirmed, and ready to go, until I reached the ticket counter,” Mr Green explained.
“The stoic woman in charge took one look at the paperwork (and) ‘I’m not giving you any tickets,’ she said firmly.”
Apparently, the words “Dodgy Don’s Tours” had raised a few eyebrows again.
Luckily, one of the volunteers recognised the situation and quietly helped Mr Green sort things out with the train guard.
Instead of proper tickets, the group ended up boarding with torn bits of A4 paper with signatures scribbled across them.
“It looked like we’d won tickets in a raffle,” Mr Green laughed.
Despite the unusual paperwork, the trip went perfectly, but Dodgy Don’s story didn’t really start in 2019.
In fact, he had been organising group outings since the 1970s – long before the “dodgy” brand existed.
Back in the day, he arranged busloads of football supporters to matches at Football Park, trips to the Melbourne Cup, excursions on the Puffing Billy Railway, and plenty of social adventures in between.
His community spirit was also fueled by running a fruit and vegetable shop in Tailem Bend from 1969 for more than 16 years.
The shop became a meeting place where locals swapped stories, shared laughs, and planned the next “Dodgy Don” outing.
“We’d sometimes get 70 or 80 people heading over to the Wellington Hotel together,” Mr Green said.
Then there was his famous “Grog and Grub Club,” a tongue-in-cheek community group he created that once entered a float in the Tailem Bend Christmas Parade – cheekily poking fun at a rival food and wine club.
While the rival club’s float featured elegance and sophistication, Mr Green’s version featured rough old herbs like horehound and a lot less polish – and they won first prize.
Looking back, it’s clear that Don Green has always had a gift for bringing people together with humour, creativity, and a healthy sense of mischief.
And while the name Dodgy Don’s Tours might raise the occasional eyebrow, one thing is certain: if he’s organising a trip, guests are guaranteed a good story by the time they get home.
