Adventure tour of Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

Planet

Environmental sustainability is deeply ingrained into our company culture and we are totally committed to the preservation of our natural environment for generations to come. We are an Advanced Eco-certified tour company meaning our tours adhere to best practice and standards for environmentally responsible tourism.

However sustainable is no longer good enough and we are now taking steps to move into Regenerative Tourism. We will launch our 5 year Regen Roadmap in the first quarter of 2022.

From 2008 to 2021 we planted 1.2 hectares of native vegetation, 100% offsetting our carbon footprint. Now living in Port Lincoln we have formed a partnership with The Eyre Peninsula Regional Development Board and Parks South Australia and have a range of new regeneration programs in Lincoln National Park and Coffin Bay National Park under development. These that will give travellers the opportunity to participate in meaningful conservation work making a long term impact on the regions we travel. These areas will also be used for revegetation for us to continue to be carbon positive, not just neutral.

Some of our other environmental practices include:

• Eco Tourism Australia Accredited
• Climate action certified as a ‘Climate Change Innovator’
• Our guides have extensive knowledge on native plants and animals, indigenous culture and eco-tourism and will share this knowledge with our passengers
• We spend over $10,000 annually on our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint
• In addition we contribute $15,000 annually with in-kind labour
• We pay a premium for all of our ‘green energy’ electricity produced from renewable sources

We only work with other Advanced-Eco Accredited wildlife operators such as the Baird Bay Eco Experience where you have the opportunity to swim with wild sea lions and dolphins. Adventure Bay Charters who operate the shark cage dive in Port Lincoln do not use bait or chum to attract the sharks but instead rock music underwater. Accommodation providers we work with must be environmentally responsible and where possible Eco-certified.

Part of the outback experience is to see native animals and local flora in their environment. Our guides all have a keen interest and respect for our flora and fauna. Wildlife is viewed but never provoked, chased or cornered. We explain to our passengers that noise must be kept to a minimum, to avoid rapid or sudden movement and to avoid camera flashes and to use safe night lights. Disturbance of flora is kept to an absolute minimum.

Where other organizations or community groups are involved, we pay entry fees, make purchases and create economic revenue. Our tour group sizes are limited to 7 people maximum, this size group can be managed to minimise any negative impact on the environment, the enjoyment of other people, the capacity of community services, the safety and stress of wildlife. We encourage the practice of low noise bush walking and special solo activities making our guests at one with the environment.

We minimise the use of our tour vehicle in preference for walking, travelling only on formed roads and tracks. Vehicle fuel and service requirements are purchased locally.

To minimise waste we choosing reusable or bulk containers for food and drink
and recycle drink containers, glass, plastics, metal and cardboard. In the past 15 years a focus on recycling drink containers has resulted in 15,000 bottles per year less containers going to landfill. On our camping tours all waste is taken with us.

Our Guides are educated to ensure the business performs in a sustainable manner and they have the knowledge to educate our passengers. We engage the support of rangers, indigenous leaders & environmental groups, to educate passengers about local environment and educate passengers about behaving in environmentally friendly ways.

People

For the business to grow and be recognised for its vital contribution to the local economies, it is important to ‘shop local’ where possible. We continue to build local networks and businesses to support the local economy.

We use local operators to run our optional excursions, thus ensuring that money goes directly to the supplier and the community. The nature of outback regional and rural communities ensures that local staff and produce are utilised at all times. In the remote outback towns that we visit, almost all of the businesses are run by locals and while some produce is transported in, we always give preference to local fresh produce.

We promote close relationships with our suppliers and have long standing partnerships with many. By our visits and the payment of entrance and activity fees ensure that National and Conservation Parks are able to continue their vital conservation and education work. 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.