Reduce your carbon footprint this holiday season.
So you’ve packed your bags and you’re looking forward to your holiday of a lifetime in Australia. All you have to do now is get a taxi to the airport, a plane to Dubai and then catch your transfer to Australia, then another taxi to your hotel.
You then wonder what that does to your carbon footprint score. It can’t be good. With Copenhagen thrashing out a deal to save the world from global warming, you can’t help but feel that you ought to be doing something to help, oh but you have always wanted to go to Australia….what do you do?
Well now you can combine a holiday in the sun with saving the world! No really! Right now there are a number of eco-tourism projects you can get involved with in South Australia that allow you to mix saving the world with pleasure. So if you want a holiday with a clean conscience and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, read on for our ultimate guide to eco-tourism in Australia.
It’s a common myth that eco-tourism is just for students on a gap year, or young eco warriors. Nowadays it’s aimed at everyone from 8 to 80 and you can do as much, or as little as you like. And it’s not just a clean conscience you’ll have at the end of it, you also take away with you the experiences and the friendships that you’ve built up over your holiday. It may not change your life, but it will change the way you holiday and give you a sense of satisfaction that you just can’t get from lying on a beach all day.
If you love getting your hands dirty and want to play an active part in eco-tourism, then ‘Voluntourist’ holidays may be just what you need. These holidays require a certain level of fitness from tourists and a burning desire to be involved.
Families
Earthwatch is now the world’s oldest and largest organisation in the eco-tourist industry. Holidaymakers here can mix science with sambrinis as they take part in scientific field research. You can choose to go on a climate change expedition in Australia’s rainforest, study the turtles of Kimberley or do a Reef Survey on Ningaloo Reef.
Earthwatch caters for all ages.
An example expedition is the Vanishing Frogs Weekend which is suitable for all the family. Assess the status of critically endangered frogs in the rainforests of eastern Australia by collecting data and analyzing results. In the past teams of volunteers have discovered four new species of frog – will you be the one to discover a fifth?
You’ll be sleeping under the stars in the State Forest, experiencing nature first hand and setting off on night expeditions. If you want to get close to nature, then this may be the holiday for you. All meals will be traditional camp-fire meals that you’ll be able to help prepare and serve. You’ll come away from this trip knowing more about the rainforests fragile eco-system and a greater awareness of how to protect these unique creatures. To find out more about this holiday and others like it, visit Earthwatch.
Youths and the Young at Heart
Conservation Volunteers Australia is a practical conservation organisation that has won awards for the quality of their work and the dedication of volunteers. They run holidays that allow you to enjoy the beauty of the Australian environment whilst working to preserve that environment for future generations to enjoy.
Be prepared to muck in and get your hands dirty!
Teams of 6 to 10 volunteers are assembled and the kinds of activities you may be involved in include: tree planting, erosion and salinity control, seed collection, construction and maintenance of walking tracks, endangered flora and fauna surveys and monitoring, weed control, habitat restoration and heritage protection. You can choose from weekend projects, overnight projects or a single day (some of the single day projects are free to join!). All your meals, accommodation and travel to and from the projects are included.
It’s a great way to meet others from all walks of life and this really is a hands-on experience. Your hands may be dirty but at least your conscience will be clean!
The Older Generation
For those who want to learn about the environment and it’s treasures but who are perhaps a little too creaky to be digging about in the mud and skinning up trees, then why not get involved in a camel safari with a difference?
Save the planet in style by going camelback.
Explore the Outback Camel Safaris is Australia’s leading nature-based educational camel safari operator. For 6 months of the year, every year, they take their camels deep into the Australian deserts to conduct vital research and exploration and now they have opened their doors to allow tourists to join them in preserving the desert’s natural and cultural heritage.
On these 4 – 8 day expeditions you’ll be trekking across the desert on camelback and participating in flora and fauna survey and identification as well as general exploration and historical research. Many desert plants and animals are inaccessible on conventional tours, you’ll get the chance to study these in detail as well as getting up close and personal to some rather friendly camels. You will also be able to test out your navigational skills.
Along the way you’ll also get the chance to see the historic tin hotel at William Creek, witness some spectacular natural artesian spring flows (and quite possibly the most famous spring, the “Bubbler”) and stop off at Strangways or Peake ruins, Australia’s first repeater stations for the historic Overland Telegraph Line.
Whilst you won’t be required to do any strenuous physical exercise, you will need to be fit enough to spend nights camping out in the desert and to manage around 30mins of walking each day. Professionally trained staff will be on hand throughout the day and night for the safety and comfort of all participants. You’ll come away from this holiday with a knowledge of desert life and camels that you can bore your friends with down the pub for years to come!
The Restful Types
Ok, so maybe you’re getting on a bit and want nothing more than a restful holiday, or perhaps you’d like a romantic retreat but without the carbon footprint. What contribution could you possibly make whilst on such a holiday? Well you can stay in Saunders Gorge Sanctuary located in a 1364ha of private conservation area on the rugged eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges or Adelaide Hills. Right in the secluded outback yet only a 90min drive from Adelaide itself.
Stay in their eco-friendly and snug lodges.
You can choose to stay in a hideaway cottage or one of their nature lodges, all with spectacular views of the valley and hills beyond and as close to nature as you can get. The Sanctuary is eco-certified by the Ecotourism board and has won 3 green stars for its environmentally friendly practices, including the use of underfloor heating for the accommodation and solar powered energy where possible.
You can meet with the owners and find out about their conservation projects including the removal of a large patch of pepper and olive trees to be replaced with native grassland and vegetation and the owners do everything possible to protect and care for the native wildlife around them. There are many trails you can walk on to fully appreciate the spectacular surroundings, and for those who find it difficult to get around on foot, the owners will even take you on a 4 wheel drive tour of the countryside, stopping at the most scenic spots to allow you to fully take in and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the many gorges and valleys. And if you wish you get involved in some of the conservation projects you are welcome to do so.
Wildlife Lovers
Arid Recovery is an ecosystem restoration initiative dedicated to restoring Australia’s arid land. It’s located 25km north of Roxby Downs in South Australia’s Outback and is focused on eliminating non-native pest species such as rabbits, cats and foxes and reintroducing many of the native wildlife instead. Four species of locally extinct mammals have been reintroduced into the area since Arid Recovery started in 1997. They are often on the lookout for volunteers to help with research and monitoring, so if you are interested in working with them, log onto their website.
Scarlet chested parrots at the Gluepot Reserve.
Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve is one of Australia’s largest community owned conservation reserves dedicated to protecting endangered bird species. Located in the semi-arid South Australian mallee, it comprises of 50,000 ha of land, home to 6 nationally endangered bird species, 17 regionally threatened species, 190 other recorded species and native flora and fauna. They run annual activities that require volunteer help, such as re-vegetation and surveys. Look on their website for volunteering opportunities if you want to help.
So there you have it, eco-tourism to suit everyone! And what’s more, you’ll have much more to show for your holidays than a tacky souvenir and a nice tan, you’ll have left your mark on Australia’s unique environment that will help preserve it for future generations. That’s got to be better than a kangaroo postcard!
If you want to know more about eco-tourism, visit the South Australia tourist board.
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