QUANDAMOOKA COAST ACHIEVES ECO AND ROC CERTIFICATION
Congratulations to Quandamooka Coast for achieving ECO and ROC Certifications for its Yalingbila Whale Tours and Cultural Guided Land Based Walks. Quandamooka Coast is the tourism arm of QYAC (Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation) who also operate ECO certified Redlands Kayak Tours and ECO, ROC and Climate Action certified Minjerribah Camping.
QYAC is a Registered Prescribed Body Corporate created under the Native Title Act 1993 to manage the recognised Native Title rights and interests of the Quandamooka People. Through its tourism division, QYAC offers a range of tours that are designed to showcase both the cultural heritage and spectacular landscape of Quandamookajara (Quandamooka Country - Moreton Bay area)
Every year, between June and October, Yalingbila Whale Tours enable guests to experience humpback whales migrating past Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). This tour is owned and operated by the Quandamooka people. It offers a day cruise with local Aboriginal guides sharing cultural knowledge about Yalingbila (whales) and the spiritual connection these creatures share with the Quandamooka people, part of one of the oldest living cultures in the world. The informative guides also share scientific knowledge about Yalingibla and their migration journey.
Quandamooka Coast offers Cultural Guided Land Based Walks such as the Mulumba Cultural Walk. This walk is guided by a Quandamooka tour guide. The tour takes guests on a journey around the rocky headland at Mulumba (Point Lookout) through the Gorge Walk. If offers guests interpretation of the landscape, creation stories, bush tucker identification and information about medicinal bush plants, trees and ochre.
Quandamooka Coast is continually striving to offer sustainable, informative, and culturally engaging products for its guests. The organisation conducts its tours in a way that maximises the cultural experience and minimises the potential negative impacts its operations can have on the environment.
Quandamooka Rangers are actively working every day to improve the health of (Quandamooka Country). Land management activities that are carried out include tree planting, habitat restoration, cultural site management, mining rehabilitation, traditional fire management, and weed eradication. Not only do these activities provide for the natural, cultural, and scenic attraction that brings people to Quandamookajara, these activities store carbon in rehabilitated areas and tree planting, improve habitat for threatened species such as koalas and acid frogs, reduce the risk of bushfire and in turn lower the resulting carbon emissions.
QYAC has also joined Ecotourism Australia’s ECO Destination Certification program and Quandamooka Country has begun the journey towards becoming a certified ECO Destination. For more information click here.
Congratulations once again to Quandamooka Coast for achieving Ecotourism and ROC Certification!
For more information visit their website or Facebook page.
[Pictures sourced from Quandamooka Coast]