Responsible tourism in Australia

Although Australia has a reputation for natural beauty and incredible landscapes it still has its fair share of environmental and ethical issues, two of which we’ve highlighted here. Progress with Aboriginal rights has been moving in the right direction for some time now but still the past is not easily forgotten and we urge responsible travellers to do their research before travelling to Australia as well as taking time out to visit Aboriginal events and cultural centres whilst in the country. Mining in Australia has also proved to be highly contentious and despite continued attempts to thwart big businesses’ thirst for profit, and the Government’s drive to reduce unemployment, vast areas of land, including the Great Barrier Reef, remain under threat by the affects of the mining industry.

What you can do
Read the book 'Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence' by Doris Pilkington Garimara (the daughter of one of the protagonists) or watch the film adaptation to learn more about Australia's 'Stolen Generation'.

Visit the Northern Territory with an Aboriginal guide and book tours of the Outback with smaller, locally owned operators who support, understand and respect Aboriginal communities and put profits back into initiatives based upon continuing to promote and preserve the rights of Aboriginal Australians.

Buy authentic art and wood carvings from Aboriginal cultural centres and learn more about Dreamtime and the Aborigines' relationship with the land and wildlife. Respect privacy when visiting Aboriginal communities and respect cultural traditions when attending a ceremonial event or visiting a sacred site.

Pay heed to signs asking you not to photograph, climb or deface important Aboriginal landmarks. Consider the outdoors as a cathedral or temple, you wouldn't clamber all over an altar to get a good photo or bath in holy water to cool off, so don't do it when you're visiting sacred sites in Aboriginal Australia.

Ask questions. Respect traditions. And remember that the term Aborigine is considered insensitive, because it has its roots in Australia’s colonial past. If you can, use the person’s clan or tribe name, otherwise stick to ‘Aboriginal person', 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander.

What is bleaching?
Bleaching refers to coral becoming white as it becomes stressed through overheating and in turn rejects the colourful algae that feeds it. Without algae, coral reefs become bereft of energy before being reduced to a skeletal state whereupon they’re at the mercy of seaweed. Although bleaching can be reversed as sea temperatures fall and water becomes cleaner, not all coral types will survive with softer coral one of the first to die out completely.

What causes it?
Sometimes natural climate cycles, such as El Niño, cause a blast of warm water to wash through the Great Barrier Reef leaving a trail of white coral in its wake. However, humans are just as much to blame with the proposed coal mining project in Queensland’s Rockhampton dangerously close to emitting almost 130 tonnes of CO2 into the surrounding atmosphere, year on year. The government of Queensland has also said that the corporation responsible for the mining project, Adani, is entitled to unlimited water access for the next 60 years.

Once coral dies, smaller creatures that rely on it for survival die with it. In turn, the tropical fish that feed on the smaller creatures and use the coral for shelter won’t survive which means that the larger fish that feed off the smaller fish will also die. Do you see where this is going? Coral bleaching is far more serious than a responsible tourism issue where snorkellers, divers and glass-bottomed boat passengers will no longer be attracted to the world’s largest coral reef. This is a matter of survival, and affects us all, no matter where we sit in the food chain.

What you can do
If you are holidaying in Australia, visit the Great Barrier Reef for yourself and support sustainable tour operators who love the environment in which they work. Join Greenpeace Australia or visit the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s website and find out how you can join in the Fight for the Reef. Run a marathon, have a cake sale and raise awareness and funds for the cause. Read about what local Queensland residents and the Australian Conservation Foundation have to say and why they’re determined to say no to Adani. Find out more about Global Coral Bleaching and study the statistics, the images and the undeniable truth that needs to be heard and acted upon, before it’s too late.