The Great South West Walk in Victoria, Australia

Environment

Minimal impact walking: We lead by example and encourage others to follow. We believe that we are doing our job well when our customers leave a tour having had a fabulous, fun filled vacation but also come away with a broader appreciation of and respect for the natural environment. Ideally they come to walk and leave as ambassadors for the environment. We stay on formed tracks, avoid trampling vegetation, insist that all rubbish is carried out, pick up rubbish left by others. Group sizes on self-guided trips are usually only two. On group guided trips the maximum size is 15 but there are two guides so we can split into smaller parties, limiting our impact.

We plan our walks to utilise toilets wherever possible and if not available, we provide clear instruction on burying waste and carrying out any sanitary items. We view wildlife from a distance and never feed native animals. We do not light fires in the bush and we do not allow people to smoke on walks. Our motto is “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos and a piece of someone else’s rubbish”.

We donate to The Friends of the Great South West Walk who help to maintain the track, so as to preserve the vegetation along the way. The Friends of the Great South West Walk conduct a range of activities including seed collecting and plant propagation, fencing and regular track inspections.

Community

On this tour, we employ local guides and drivers. As we are a small company, in some areas the guiding is done by Phil and I, the owners of the company. All guides undergo our comprehensive training program and this is tailored to each individual’s needs. It covers areas such as safety, first aid, group management, minimal impact techniques, environmental interpretation, cultural considerations.

On our trips we stay in comfortable local accommodation properties with lots of character. Each one has been personally selected by the owners. It could be an historic guesthouse, comfortable B&B, cosy home-stay, seaside cottage, alpine ski lodge, resort hotel, a luxurious Ecolodge or country motel. When we use motels, we look for small, family-run places in attractive locations. Occasionally, remote locations mean that the only accommodation available is simple in nature, such as lighthouse keepers’ cottages and outback cattle stations, but the ones we select have character and ambience that more than compensates for star ratings. Good food is an important aspect of all our trips. Meals are plentiful, nutritious, wholesome and wherever possible offer local ingredients or specialties. No matter which vacation you choose, the accommodation and meals will add an interesting local flavour to your experience.

Wherever possible we incorporate quality local tourism experiences into our walking vacations. Examples include bush tucker walks with indigenous people, tours of historic lightstation precincts, lake or river cruises, snorkelling with marine biologists etc. On this walk we incorporate local attractions and tours en route such as a boat cruise and an option of exploring the limestone caves. This helps the local community, the grass roots of tourism. Money going to where it is most needed.