5 day Larapinta Trail trek in Australia

Planet

Walk with an eco certified Company that enjoys what this planet has to offer and wants to make sure the generations to come can enjoy as well.

Our ecotourism experiences are primarily about visiting natural areas and using ecotourism products where possible. We provide reusable biodegradable cutlery and a reusable lunch container which can be refilled and helps reduce plastic use on the trip. We ensure that the majority of each visitor’s time is spent in nature. Criteria have been designed to guide ecotourism operators in providing the best nature experiences that Australia has to offer and the careful visitation of protected areas by small groups is encouraged.

The core to providing an ecotourism experience is ensuring that the operation is environmentally sustainable and that staff are environmentally aware at all times. We adopt environmentally friendly practices and communicate our environmental commitment. Types of measures include careful planning as to the use of energy & water and promotion of sustainable (eco-labelled) accommodation where possible. You will be staying at Glen Helen Lodge. They use tank water, they have signs on the property about conserving water, and have solar lights for all the outside lighting on the property.

Interpretation is a key component of any ecotourism experience and our interpretation is well researched, visual, fun and interactive. Specific measures have been designed which focus on all our clients experiences by targeting interpretation towards individuals and groups. The provision of newsletters to past and future customers is also encouraged, as is social interaction between different groups of tourists. Our newsletters are there to provide interesting information to our walkers such as "How to choose the right backpack or trekking poles" as well as letting our walkers know about any new walks we have recently launched.

When you travel with us you will be helping to reduce rubbish and pollution from our country, land, sea and waterways. We promote minimal impact walking, as well as we encourage everyone to carry out their rubbish and pick up any rubbish left by others.

With water we realise this is a precious commodity. We encourage recycling where it is practical and make sure our clients know how precious it is and we encourage them not to not waste it.

In our office we recycle our water as well as all waste products. We have a worm farm that turns all our water and waste products back into water which we can use on our garden to produce healthy home grown produce, and so the cycle continues. We also have a self sufficient solar electricity system that produces more power than we need, putting green power back into the grid. We encourage be green, read on the screen so as to reduce paper. This overall helps to save the trees thus helping the environment. In the office everything is recycled from, plastics to ink cartridges.

People

An essential part of being an ecotourism operator is that the business is actively contributing towards conservation and a number of measures have been included to make this happen. Our contribution ranges from participating in litter clean up days and contributing to the installation of bio-degradable toilets as well as focusing on biodiversity and conservation. We as Ecotourism operators are also encouraged to become actively involved with conservation organisations and the other groups that look after the tracks such as the Bibbulmun track foundation. This helps protect them for the local communities too.

Ecotourism is about creating benefits for the local communities. Operators are encouraged to support local employment, especially in relation to the hiring of local guides. Where possible we support those involved in farming local and organic food, producing local arts and crafts and running rural pubs and restaurants especially those that support ecotourism development in their region. Glen Helen Homestead is owned & operated by the Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal Corporation.

We support local adventures that help create a better environment in the National Parks so as we can preserve and protect our natural environment and the wildlife that exists within it.