GRAMPIANS PERSONALISED TOURS & ADVENTURES

Advanced Ecotourism | Certified since 1999

EA: Twenty years is a long time. What is something you’ve learnt over the years that you wish you had known 20 years ago?

GPT&A: To be braver, to be myself, to drill deeper into a forest and its inhabitants and not to be blind to its intricate workings that continue daily. Every moment the natural world educates us, tries desperately to open our eyes to its wonderment and desire to balance and be at one with everything. Whether watching a forest recover after fire or flood, be in awe of symbiotic relationships, or just observing a bird, insect or animal going about its life with complete disregard to human impacts, this gets me out of bed very day.

EA: What piece of advice would you give to operators entering the ecotourism market today?

GPT&A: Be genuine, respectful and enquiring. If you have genuine passion and enthusiasm your clients will be drawn in and engage with the subject, you are interpreting. It’s a two-way interaction, I discover every day from my surrounds, my clients and research, one never stops learning if you are open to it.

EA: What importance do you place in your ECO Certification?

GPT&A: ECO Certification is the backbone of the business. Clients seek out this accreditation, especially international visitors who make up the bulk my business. They want to dig deep into our wildlife and culture, as I do when I travel overseas. They pursue businesses and guides that can bring to our unique environments to life. These visitors are switched on regarding sustainability and caring for nature, they make my job very easy.

Find out more about Grampians Personalised Tours & Adventures.