Australia vacations, tailor made

Planet and people

The three week Carbon Conscious Australia trip is an itinerary that features progressive, environmentally sustainable accommodation, excursions and transportation in three diverse states.

Starting with the Northern Territory, the touring throughout the fabulous Kakdau National Park is led by a supremely experienced and passionate guide. The focus is on providing personalised interpretative experiences highlighting in particular, aboriginal culture and the environment. A typical day involves visiting Kakadu's ancient rock art galleries and bushwalking in unspoiled country, swimming in clear waters at the base of towering red ochre escarpment cliffs and perhaps even cruising on a tranquil billabong full of saltwater crocodiles!

The accommodation has been selected for the eco-friendliness. Located on the western edge of the Kakadu National Park is Bamurru Plains, a 300sq km cattle station encompassing coastal floodplains, savannah woodland, paperbark swamps and unique luxury safari style accommodation. The attraction here is in the extraordinary variety and volume of birdlife and wildlife available. Underpinning the natural experience is the camp, remote and solar powered and yet providing a supremely comfortable stay. Activities from the camp focus on exploring the surrounding country, with airboat trips on the wetlands, river cruises and guided walks with an emphasis on environmental awareness and wildlife protection. A strong ecological concept, reconnecting people with nature and yet an understated luxury that is very much in tune with the surrounding environment.

South Australia is blessed with a remarkable diversity of wildlife, in particular across the southern coastline. Kangaroo Island, a short ferry ride from the mainland, has been included in the itinerary for the opportunity to see wildlife in a natural environment. Progressive conservation projects and eco-sensitive management on the island has sustained a remarkable array of birdlife, wallabies, seals, whales and dolphins. Further along the South Australian coastline and a little distance away from Adelaide there are opportunities to interact with more marine life. You can swim with sea lions and dolphins in waters near Baird Bay on the Eyre Peninsula or meet up with thousands of fairy penguins on Granite Island off the Fleurieu Peninsula coast. There may also be the odd shark or two.

South Australia has a selection of very special wineries and a visit to the state is surely not complete without a trip out to at least one of them. A number of these wineries are now implementing conservation practices to protect the local environment and maintain of course, a production of good quality wines. Banrock Station, approximately 2 hours from Adelaide, have for more than a decade been restoring their surrounding landscape so that a once dry and dusty cattle station has been transformed into wetlands and woodland and a flourishing wildlife community. An excursion out to the winery offers an excellent opportunity to experience more than just good wine. The adjacent wetland reserve has a variety of self-guided walking trails that feature story centers, information huts and birdhides where you can watch black swans, pelicans, swamp hens, many species of ducks, ibis, spoonbills, herons and egrets. A bird and wine lovers paradise.

The final state included in our itinerary is New South Wales. We have selected a number of very special accommodation options that subscribe to the principles of responsible travel. To the south of Sydney is the stunning Jervis Bay National Park that encapsulates it all. Home to secluded bays, stunning unspoilt beaches, wildlife and a number of charming small towns Jervis Bay is a popular retreat for many wishing to get away from it all. Close to the town of Huskisson and within a short bike ride of the many natural attractions of the area is Paperbark Camp, a safari styled eco accredited property. Set within a paperbark forest the camp employs solar powered energy and a strict water conservation policy and is another example of how eco principles do not have to compromise comfort.

You could be excused for not wanting to leave the New South Wales coast, such is the beauty of the scenery but you would be missing out. Inland from Sydney are a variety of spectacular locations just waiting to be explored. The Blue Mountains is one such area and offers some of the best walking country in Australia not to mention a number of outstanding nature experiences. In addition there are a good variety of accommodation options throughout the Blue Mountains and a recently developed swag camp in the southern section of the park offers a fabulous natural setting for an authentic Australian bush experience.

This itinerary has been designed to take in a number of iconic Australian locations underpinned with sustainable, eco-sensitive accommodation and transportation.