Green getaways
Eco-friendly tours, sustainable accommodation, and volunteering to help make our planet a better place to live: there are countless ways to go green while you’re travelling.
Sustainable SA
You don’t need to travel interstate or overseas to enjoy an eco-friendly holiday. Support local tourism and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, right here in South Australia. Go on a safari without leaving the state, take a cruise to see local wildlife or grab a paddle and kayak along one of SA’s many waterways.
Cycle instead
Lions roaring, giraffes loping along grassy pastures and zebras grazing. It might sound like a faraway destination, but this can all be found just one hour from Adelaide.
Home to more than 500 animals, Monarto Safari Park is the largest safari experience outside of Africa. Buses take people through the park, but for a more sustainable way of getting around, why not consider cycling? It’s good for you and the environment, so jump on an e-bike with Bike About Cycling and enjoy a leisurely sunrise ride around Monarto. See animals like rhinos, hyenas, and chimpanzees before settling in at the waterhole platform to watch the giraffes congregating in the field.
You can also take an e-bike tour around other iconic SA locations. Glide through the Adelaide Hills’ historical Hahndorf, pick strawberries at Beerenberg, enjoy a wine flight with local cheeses at Shaw & Smith, or wind your way around the region’s many vineyards.
If a day trip isn’t enough, you can go on a six-night bike tour, which rolls through the Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Adelaide Hills. Use pedal power to explore these stunning regions while wine-tasting and indulging in gourmet food.
Under the sea
South Australia is home to an array of sea life. Take a quick trip to Brighton Beach on the weekend and you could see a seal frolicking around in the shallows or a stingray gliding underneath the jetty.
Further afield, a SeaLink ferry trip to Kangaroo Island could become an impromptu wildlife tour as a pod of dolphins sidle up to the boat. Want to increase your chances of seeing local sea life? Take a tour.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is home to seals, dolphins, and whales during the winter months.
You can sometimes see these marine animals from the shore; however, the best vantage point is from a boat. Hit the high seas with Big Duck Boat Tours and cruise around the Fleurieu in search of wildlife. Circumnavigate Granite Island and take in Seal Island, before heading out to The Bluff.
If you’re lucky, you could meet long-nosed fur seals, Australian seals and bottlenose dolphins.
In winter, you might encounter a whale or two as they migrate from Antarctica. While on a Big Duck Boat Tour you’ll also learn about the Encounter Bay Sanctuary Zone and Encounter Marine Park, and why the animals who call it home are so important. If you’re concerned about the impact Big Duck Tours might be having on the environment, think again. The tour company has a variety of initiatives to improve conservation in the area.
They assist with the Citizen Science Program by surveying the area for Kangaroo Island and Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch, received ecotourism accreditation through Ecotourism Australia, and follow responsible recycling practices.
Not a fan of the high seas? Take a gentle journey down the Coorong, where the Murray River meets the sea, with Canoe the Coorong. Learn about the Murray Mouth, journey alongside the birdlife and enjoy the beautifully wild scenery.
Rewarding and relaxing Oz
Combining a relaxing getaway with giving back is easier than you think. Learn to dive on the Great Barrier Reef while being trained as a volunteer marine biologist, or care for sick and injured turtles before exploring Far North Queensland. It’s not all work though. Learn about the eco-system on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed K’gari and relax on a tropical getaway.
Volunteer with wildlife
We have some unique wildlife in Australia, and there are dozens of volunteer options for travellers looking to get up-close and personal with these animals. Rescue and rehabilitate animals, bottle-feed joeys, scrub sea turtles’ shells or rebuild endangered habitats – the volunteer roles on offer are endless.
Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is known for its photogenic scenery, hiking trails and wildlife. There’s plenty to do and see at Cradle Mountain, but you might also want to give back. Spend a few days volunteering at Devils@Cradle wildlife park, shadowing keepers as they care for Tasmanian devils and other orphaned animals.
Once you’ve finished spending time with the Tassie Devils, explore the Apple Isle on a Tasmanian Vacations’ Eastern Tassie Detour or Western Tassie Detour self-drive tour. Want to go green? Upgrade your car to a Tesla M3 electric vehicle.
Learn about an incredible island
Stretching 123km along the southern coast of Queensland, K’gari (Fraser Island) has some of the most pristine beaches, freshwater lakes, and rainforests in Australia. Travel via SeaLink ferry to the island and join a K’gari Getaway with K’gari Explorer Tours, which has received Advanced Eco Tourism Accreditation. Explore the world’s largest sand island, which is home to incredible flora and fauna. Travel from coast-to-coast, see the towering rainforest of Pile Valley and visit the Maheno shipwreck.
Eco-friendly overseas
Reducing your carbon footprint when travelling overseas can be challenging when you must fly to most international destinations from Australia. You can still make small changes to go green when you arrive at your destination to help the environment.
The grand electric road trip
You might be trying to reduce the fuel you’re burning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get behind the wheel and weave your way through the picturesque Swiss Alps. In 2018, Switzerland launched a 1600km route for electric vehicles with more than 300 electric vehicle chargers dotted along the journey.
The Swiss E-Grand Tour begins in Geneva and traverses this landlocked mountainous nation, passing through well-known Swiss towns like Bern, Lucerne and Zurich.
You won’t get sick of the stunning views as you travel over five alpine passes, drive past countless lakes and along vineyard-lined roads in the Montreux Riviera region. There are 46 top sights to see along the way, including the famous Hotel Belvedere at an altitude of more than 2400m.
Look out for the oversized red frames along the Grand Tour Route, as they indicate the best locations for a photo.
Feeling a bit peckish? If you want to try the local treats, purchase a Grand Tour Snack Box. For a small fee, this nifty little red lunchbox can be repeatedly refilled with regional specialties at 52 official sites along the way.
From Swiss chocolates and cheese to cured meat and cookies, you’ll never go hungry.
Green with envy
New Zealand makes it easy for tourists to go green. Not only is Air New Zealand trialling sustainable aviation fuel, but you can also rest your head at secluded ecolodges and elegant eco-friendly hotels.
You’ve probably heard of silo art, but what about a silo stay? This unique accommodation option in Christchurch gives guests the opportunity to sleep in their very own silo. Equipped with kitchenette, balcony and a comfy bed, you’ll hardly realise you’re sleeping somewhere that usually holds grain.
For those looking for a more luxurious eco-friendly hotel, the Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown might be for you. Located on the banks of Lake Wakatipu, the hotel provides picture-perfect postcard views of the surrounding mountains. The lodge also has a spacious lounge overlooking the lake and mountains and 12 luxurious suites and rooms.