Sustainable Travel: How To Holiday With a Light Footprint

Advanced Eco Accredited with Ecotourism Australia.

Cape to Cape Explorer Tours is a Margaret River Region-based hiking operator specialising in experiences on the 124km Cape to Cape Track, and a two-time gold medal winner for ecotourism at the WA Tourism Awards.

Founder and MD Gene Hardy is full of enthusiasm for his epic outdoor ‘office’. “The Margaret River Region and the Cape to Cape Track is home to some of the most incredible nature you can experience anywhere in Australia. From towering karri forest to coastal heathland packed with rare orchids and wildflowers, ancient granite and limestone cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean, all supporting an incredible diversity of fauna on land and in the water. It’s this environment people come to experience. They’re in awe of it. They connect with it. And they’re changed by it. Caring for and protecting that environment – locally and in a broader sense – is at the core of our business and our staff values.

“We’ve put everything under the microscope to see what we can do better. We’ve phased out single-use containers and plastic in our catering operation and done away with cleaning chemicals at our accommodation base at SurfPoint Resort. All of the fresh produce, bread, wine and other food and drink we provide is sourced locally from within the region wherever possible to reduce food miles. Our vehicle fleet is tailored for the most efficient transfers possible. And we’re currently investigating a carbon offset program so our hikers can have a carbon neutral trip. Cardboard is recycled, tea bags and coffee grinds go into the worm farm, and our staff even take home all the kitchen scraps to feed their chooks!”

Out on the track they collect rubbish, carry out pruning and have a “leave no trace” policy, and are looking to become even more sustainable in the year ahead.

Eco Accredited with Ecotourism Australia.

Brothers Mick and Ryan White grew up with Meelup Regional Park as their playground, and now share its natural beauty and native animals with small groups via their tour company South West Eco Discoveries. They offer coastal and wildlife eco tours around Cape Naturaliste, the northern tip of the Margaret River Region, and nocturnal tours in a fox-proof sanctuary in Yelverton where guests meet critically endangered woylies.

“We make the wonder of the natural environment the number one focus on all of our tours.” This could involve sitting under a starry sky while quendas and woylies hop about your feet, or sighting whales from Cape Naturaliste, or discovering stunning wildflowers.

“The environment of the southwest is particularly sensitive due to its high level of rare plants and wildlife, and proximity to a large population. It is imperative that we as eco-accredited businesses lead from the front in establishing a mindset that is sustainable for our environment for future generations.”

Eco Accredited with Ecotourism Australia.

For 13 years Sean Blocksidge has taken guests canoeing, hiking, 4WDing and to an exclusive wine lunch experience amongst the barrels at a working winery, and he’s about to hit ‘send’ on his eco accreditation submission. “To be honest I was already doing everything they require for the past decade, this has just been a way of documenting the process. We wanted to help create awareness the Margaret River Region is an eco-tourism destination” says Sean.

Margaret River Discovery Co only hosts small group experiences with a maximum of 6 people, entering spectacular landscapes and leaving only footprints. “Our aim is to leave the landscape better than we found it by volunteering for weed removal, rubbish collection and working with local authorities to provide environmental updates. We also source only local products and have an almost zero waste policy.”

One of the most rewarding aspects according to Sean is meeting the type of people his tour attracts. “I love being surrounded by likeminded people who’ve chosen to do something a bit different to the standard mass tourism experience and want a truly unique adventure into pristine environments. It’s super important to me we leave no trace of having ever been there and our guests leave the region with an authentic experience that more deeply connects them to the Margaret River Region.”

Eco Accredited with Ecotourism Australia.

What better way to explore the world’s last remaining tuart forest than to climb and zip line amongst the statuesque trunks? Billed as a treetop obstacle course that will challenge the toughest, Forest Adventures is suitable for brave souls aged 7+, and especially good for adults. Bring your sense of adventure, and look out for the resident brushtail possum and kangaroos.

Eco Accredited with Ecotourism Australia.

The Jesters Flat horse back riding experiences and multi-day hikes have the beautiful natural environment as their backdrop, and they are committed to its preservation and protection. Some of the sustainability initiatives that they have in place include collecting the horse stable waste for compost, solar electricity, minimal fencing to encourage local animal corridors, and native species tree planting.

Advanced Eco Accredited with Ecotourism Australia.

Winding your way down Caves Road at 80 kilometres an hour, admiring the magnificent bushland and vineyards, it’s hard to imagine that over 100 limestone caves lay below the ground. The ancient caves were created around 1 million years ago, with glorious calcite crystals formations adorning the chambers. Ngilgi and Mammoth are well suited to younger children, Mammoth’s first chamber is wheelchair accessible. Lake Cave is truly spectacular and photogenic, while Jewel Cave is the most pristine and awe-inspiring.

You’ll never see them, but there’s a team dedicated to cleaning and conserving the cave as well as weeding and revegetating the cave precincts. A recent switch to LED lighting has helped better showcase the crystals as well as reduce the growth of lampenflora.

Working towards Eco Accreditation with Ecotourism Australia.

Bouquets to Cullen Wines who have been certified carbon neutral since 2007 and carbon negative since 2019 – a tremendous achievement in an industry where glass production and freight leave a heavy carbon footprint. 2021 Halliday Wine Companion Viticulturist of the Year Vanya Cullen prefers the term ‘carbon positive’, as it’s such an outstanding accomplishment. “We’ve created a carbon positive business – our soils sequester more carbon than our whole business emits.”

Cullen is the only Australian member of International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), an organisation taking collective action to decarbonise the global wine industry.

Visit the Biodynamic Wine Room for a wine tasting and delicious lunch overlooking the vines, and you’ll notice a greener approach. Vanya’s replaced cut flowers with living vines on the tables, and switched from a la carte to a set menu where 90% of the food is grown onsite, with significantly less food wastage. Cullen use lightweight glass bottles and switched from glossy painted cardboard to recycled, a move praised by UK wine critic Jancis Robinson who notes bottle weight in her reviews.

Nowadays, a cover crop and fields of sunflowers sequester carbon, and Vanya continues to lead the way with the southwest’s first carbon project, measuring for carbon trading.

Working towards Eco Accreditation with Ecotourism Australia.

One Table Farm have been walking the eco-tourism walk for a while, sharing paddock to plate cooking schools and educating guests on sustainable farming philosophy. Owner operators Tim and Cree left high profile corporate careers and purchased a 100-acre blank canvas farm which they’ve transformed. They promote carbon drawdown principles, including the use of solar power, regenerative farming, food waste reduction, recycling, composting and low food carbon miles.

Look out for their range of farm tours, workshops and classes where you might learn to make sourdough, chocolate or the art of cake decorating.

Want to learn more? Greentravelguide.org is an excellent resource for finding cultural experiences, tours, attractions, wheelchair accessible experiences and accommodation.