Responsible tourism on the Great Ocean Road

Aboriginal culture

When the Great Ocean Road was built by returning WWI veterans there was little left to imply that the land belonged to anyone other than the Australian state government of Victoria.

Southwest Victoria’s coastline and hinterland supplied natural resources for Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. As such it holds significant spiritual connections related to the land, wildlife and Aboriginal ancestors. The Road was built on land owned by clans pertaining to Gunditjmara, Wathaurong, Eastern Maar and Gadubanud language groups.

Unfortunately, the area’s natural resources were also of significance to European immigrants. Farmers, fishermen and whalers in the early 1830s would come into increasing conflict with Aboriginal people. Later, mining industries such as sand, gravel, coal and gold, and the fishing and timber industries, exploited the area’s natural resources, making physical changes to the landscape.

Vast areas of land were cleared and non-native animals such as horses, sheep, rabbits, cats and foxes greatly altered the natural ecosystem. The availability of traditional food sources and the ability to manage the land in traditional ways was also greatly reduced. Low-intensity burning, for instance, was regularly used to revitalise an area for agriculture, and reduce the risk of bush fires.

Horrific human massacres followed including notable sites at Blanket Bay and the Bay of Martyrs. The Aboriginal population was devastated, with the fraction that remained being forced into Aboriginal reserves and missions such as Framingham Aboriginal Mission near Warrnambool.

Jeremy Redmond is co-owner and small group guide at our Great Ocean Road tour specialists, Australian Natural Treasures: “About 80% of the Aboriginal people in the southwest of Victoria died in the first 40 years of white settlement from disease and conflict. It is always quite devastating for our guests to hear that the conflict was so one sided and that we still have work to do on recognising our Aboriginal people properly. When the conversation takes place at a place such as the ‘Bay of Martyrs’, for instance, known for the settlers driving the Aboriginal men off the cliff at gun point, it comes as a surprise to even the Australian tourists as we were all a little oblivious to what went on.”

What you can do
Make sure you travel with a responsible tour group who don’t gloss over Aboriginal ancestry. Your guides might not be of Aboriginal descent themselves, but they should still be able to address topics sensitively and with honesty. Visit indigenous cultural centers exhibiting ancient archaeological artefacts as well as honest information about how Aboriginal people have been treated.

There’s a traditional Aboriginal talking hut, for example, which is located at the Cape Otway Lighthouse. Here you can meet and chat to indigenous guides who are happy to share their personal and ancestral stories and knowledge of their people as well as teaching kids about bush tucker.

Jeremy Redmond: “A new site that has recently been given World Heritage status is Budj Bim Heritage Landscape near Portland towards the Victoria and South Australian Border. This area is an extinct volcanic site that was used by the Gunditjmara people for aqua culture and is the only place in Australia where there is evidence of permanent residence of Aboriginal people. The site is not open to the public or operators without engaging the local Aboriginal tribe and also lacks the infrastructure to roam through unguided. It is possible to get a local Aboriginal guide to give our groups a tour through the site and explain the unique cultural history of the landscape.”

Climate change

Unfortunately, even though some farmers' attitudes to kangaroos are changing, the population, as a whole, is shrinking. Artificial water sources, including dams and water holes, reduced rainfall and unhealthy rivers have affected ‘roos' natural habitat. Climate heating is a major contributor to ever-changing ecosystems and marsupials, in particular, are most under threat. It's thought that a two degree rise in global temperatures will wipe out kangaroo populations from over half of Australia.

Another example of climate change chaos is the plight of short-tailed shearwaters (aka mutton birds) – who are native to Australia. For the previous three decades they’ve appeared around Griffiths Island, near Port Fairy, either side of September 22nd. In 2019 they were late, and it’s thought that higher Arctic Ocean temperatures in Alaska and Siberia may have changed their natural migration pattern. Rather than returning to Victoria to breed, as they normally do, they may have instead bypassed Australia and headed directly to Antarctica.

This could affect literally millions of birds. The Australian wildlife community is in shock as this could be one wildlife experience that we sadly have to wipe off the list. How many times can these sorts of natural experiences keep disappearing from our lives? The fact that no one knows what’s happened to the short-tailed shearwaters shows the lack of research effort and funding for ocean birds.

What you can do
Make your long haul flight to Australia count. Don’t just whizz in for a week and tick off the sights. Be patient and go slow. Join a small group in a suitably-sized small vehicle. Avoid day trips in huge heavy coaches. Eat out locally and avoid international hotel chains in favour of smaller working farms. Don’t take domestic flights from Sydney to Melbourne – just stick to one area and explore on foot.

We’re all responsible for global heating whether we like it or not. Traveling needs to be seen as a privilege, not a right. If you can, chat to your tour provider before you sign up and ask them what they recommend doing before, after and during a trip Down Under.

Read our manifesto for the future of tourism before booking your next vacation.