Great Ocean Walk holiday, Australia
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Our supplier is Advanced Eco-Certified by Eco Tourism Australia as a tour operator meaning they have reached the highest level possible in their operations under the criteria, making a daily contribution to ensuring as minimal an impact as possible on the Great Ocean Walk.
To ensure that the tracks and trails can continue to be trekked and enjoyed for generations to come, our supplier participates in various programs to make sure tourism is sustainable and responsible – it is a business supporter of international conservation group Earthwatch and of Conservation Volunteers Australia which encourages guides to participate in local and national programs organised to support our fragile tourism environments, and it assists Parks Victoria in a new Friends of the Great Ocean Walk initiative to support the maintenance of the walk through volunteer programs and track condition feedback.
When our supplier built their lodge in 2008 it had to match this commitment to sustainable operation. One of the best sustainable architects was employed to create a minimal impact retreat near Johanna Beach. The building materials were chosen based on their sustainability and emissions during production. A passive solar design and cross ventilation has been utilised to reduce requirements for heating and cooling, and harvested spring water and rain water and the sun for heating is used, supplemented with a gas booster. The interior fabrics use natural hemp and vegetable and plant dyes as the accent colours and natural soaps and tea tree based shampoos that are kind to the grey water system and in turn kind to the garden are put in the guest rooms.
We are proud to hold the AITO 3-star Responsible Travel accreditation recognising our commitment to sustainable tourism. We support a number of extremely worthwhile organisations and causes, including Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) at the University of Cambridge. Their pioneering research investigates social and environmental issues in the Arctic and Antarctic, such as global warming. Back home we have an active environmental policy in our office including recycling bins throughout; printing our brochures on FSC accredited paper from sustainable forests; systems to encourage a paperless office; and movement sensor lights which use the latest energy-saving long-life elements.
Community
We are dedicated to ensuring that local communities and the environment are treated with the utmost care and respect by visitors. It is fundamentally important that the area visited benefits from the positive effects of tourism; economic benefits for local businesses and enterprises and employment for residents, thus contributing to the overall economic growth of the region.
The walking company we use was set up by local Victoria residents with a keen interest in walking and sustainable land use. The walking guides are all flora and fauna enthusiasts and are passionate about their beautiful environment and committed to its conservation. They have a deep understanding of the importance of minimising the impact on the environment whilst maximising the benefit to the local community.
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