South West Australia nature tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are an accredited tourism operator with the Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia. All our guides are trained in “minimal impact” techniques, and take active steps to ensure our groups behave in an environmentally responsible manner, such as staying to established trails, not leaving anything behind and not destroying any plants. Our guides possess an exceptional knowledge of local flora & fauna, geology and history.
In our office and shop we recycle paper and cardboard and minimise our use of non-compostable waste. We encourage our suppliers to reduce excess packaging, and refuse to pass on additional packaging to our customers. We actively seek out recycled and low environmental-impact products and promote an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Our fixtures and fittings are all recycled, second-hand or purpose built from plantation timbers. We are energy conscious and have made a deliberate decision not to use lighting in our shop at night, and reduce our water usage.
We participate in local environmental awareness forums and training activities. We are members of the Denmark Environment Centre, the Bibbulmun Track Foundation, the Denmark Historical Society, the William Bay National Park Association, and the Friends of Mt Hallowell Group. We are actively involved in bio-diversity monitoring in our region.
Through annual and access fees to national park authorities we provide revenue essential to the protection and maintenance of the parks we visit. We comply with the management plans of each park and assist by reporting adverse events or special findings to the park management. We employ the philosophy of “leave no trace” and ensure that we take out any items of waste or rubbish. We make every effort to use recyclable or biodegradable packaging for our tour lunches and snacks. We collect and thoughtfully dispose of any rubbish sighted in the parks visited.
Our tour group sizes are limited to 10 people maximum, to minimise any negative impact on the environment and the enjoyment of other people. We encourage the practice of low noise bushwalking and activities that make our guests at one with the environment.
The accommodation that we use in our packages is internationally recognised by Eco-hotels of the World with a 4 star environmental rating, and is eco-friendly STAR certified. Eco-Friendly STAR Accreditation is tailored specifically for the accommodation industry. The Standards used were developed by AAA Tourism in partnership with GREEN GLOBE – the internationally recognised performance improvement program for the tourism industry. The property owners are involved in a weed eradication program which has seen invasive species significantly reduced in number. They also work with the WA Museum on a Carnaby Black Cockatoo nesting program to protect bird nesting trees. Some of the few remaining breeding sites in Denmark for this endangered species are located on their property.
Community
We aim to maximise the positive benefits of tourism for our local community. This includes using local suppliers and assisting in the development of sustainable local businesses. Our business, our partners, and our guides are all locals. We live and work in the environment in which we operate. We are proud and passionate about our region and committed to maintaining its pristine qualities and bio-diversity.
We source all of our food locally. Our lunches are supplied by the Denmark Bakery, and our grocery items are provided by a local greengrocer. We show our appreciation to the local community by shopping locally and, as much as possible, using local operators for all our services. We actively develop reciprocal promotion partnerships with local businesses in order to benefit visitors and the wider community.
