qanda-with-guides
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Rehabilitating Maria Island with Ben Brown
The founder of The Maria Island Walk, Ian Johnstone, has always been passionate about both showcasing and taking care of Maria Island, drawing that philosophy into his teachings and subsequently into the guides’ work. “So, rehabilitation work on the island is just something that comes naturally to the guides,” says...
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Exploring the You Yangs with Norm Jurrawaa Stanley and Nikki McKenzie
For Norm Jurrawaa Stanley and his wife Nikki McKenzie, everything is tied to connections. “When I take guests to the You Yangs we look at traditional life and how it compares to our life today. We talk about our connection to culture, and what our connection to the country looks...
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Sunset Wine and Whale Watching across Exmouth Gulf with Lindsay Sorensen
When holidaymakers visit the Ningaloo region for the first time, they often book tours of the Ningaloo Reef first, attracted to the open ocean and everything that it offers. But Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo scuba diving and snorkelling guide, Lindsay Sorensen, says that Exmouth Gulf is just as special....
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Reliving Tasmania’s Convict History with Jennifer Collins
Tasmania’s convict history trail is full of fascinating sites to explore, ranging from the well-known to some that many people have not heard of. “Convict labour was used to build new colonies to expand the economic, military and political influence of Britain around the world,” Jennifer Collins, one of Premier...
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Gaze in Wonder at 8,000-year-old rock art at Injalak Hill with Dean Hoath
When Dean Hoath, one of the lead guides with Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris, takes guests to admire rock art at Injalak Hill, he is always accompanied by an Aboriginal guide. “In the township of Gumbalanya, which we visit before we begin our walk, we pop into Injalak Arts to...
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Private solar-powered wildlife cruise with David White
There’s something magical about cruising along the Daintree River listening only to the sounds of only nature. “In 2002, after working on larger petrol driving boats, I started a business that allows people to get close to nature without the sounds of an engine and the smell of fumes,” explains...
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Exploring the Cloud Forest and Hiking Maria’s Peaks with Davis Hinton
For guide and keen outdoor enthusiast, Davis Hinton, there’s no one singular moment that stands out over the others when completing one of the two mountain hikes on offer during The Maria Island Walk. “Guests have the opportunity to climb Mount Maria or Bishop and Clerk, or both if they’re...
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Oyster Shucking and Private Coffin Bay Marine Adventure with Thommo
Steven Thomson – or Thommo to his mates – knows a thing or two about oysters. He’s also the only oyster farmer in the Eyre Peninsula who takes guests to his oyster lease as a side gig. “I don’t run a full-time tourism operation,” he says. “What I offer Australian...
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Birdwatching Across East Gippsland with Martin Maderthaner
The spring and summer months are the favourite time of year for birdwatching in East Gippsland for Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours guide, Martin Maderthaner. “It’s an active time for birds, and it’s a very exciting time to be in the forest. The birds are all singing, and competing with each...
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Saving the Orange-bellied Parrot in the Southwest Wilderness with Mark Holdsworth
There’s only one place in the world where Orange-bellied Parrots (Neophema chrysogaster) breed in the wild, and that’s in Tasmania’s Southwest Wilderness World Heritage Area, a vast and ravishingly beautiful region that is renowned for its wild weather and untamed landscape. Views from a fixed-wing aircraft over Southwest National Park....
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Tracking Manta Rays with Amelia Armstrong
Manta Rays have been around for millions of years, and their reliable aggregations are an important part of Western Australia’s marine ecotourism offering. Yet, it was only discovered as recently as 2009 that there are two species of Manta Rays. Snorkelling with a Manta Ray on the Ningaloo Reef. Image:...
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Take a Private Seafood Masterclass with Kris Bunder
For seafood lovers visiting the Eyre Peninsula, the Australian Coastal Safaris Private Seafood Masterclass can’t be missed. The exclusive experience starts with seafood chef, Kris Bunder, opening up oysters as guests arrive, greeting the diners with the fresh seafood delicacy alongside sashimi and prawns. Kris' Private Seafood Masterclass setting. Image:...
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Explore the World of Assemblage Art with Janine Mackintosh
Janine Mackintosh spent a great deal of time on Kangaroo Island throughout the years before finally deciding to call the paradise home in 2012. “My partner Richard and I purchased a large heritage bush property in 2000 and we both wanted to learn all we could about it,” she says....
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Explore the Sacred Mikinj Valley with Sab Lord
There’s only one tour company that is permitted to enter and explore the Mikinj Valley, and that is Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris. “I’ve spent decades working closely with local Aboriginal clan groups, and we’re fortunate that the members of the Nayingguls family are happy for me to show my...
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Koala Recovery Experience with Kirby Leary and Janine Duffy
This year, the Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours team, together with hundreds of volunteers, is aiming to plant 50,000 trees across the Melbourne and East Gippsland region... and 2022 is set to be even bigger. Some of the many hundreds of volunteers. Image: Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours “Our tree total is...
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Exploring Maria Island’s Ancient Geological Wonders with Dan Fisher
The geological site that excites The Maria Island Walk guide, Dan Fisher, the most is the one that is visited last. “On the last day of The Maria Island Walk, guests visit the Fossil Cliffs, and the fossil beds here – some of which are over 10 metres tall –...
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Exploring Tasmania’s Botanic Riches with Geoff Curry
When Geoff Curry, long-standing guide with Premier Travel Tasmania, talks about plants, he likes to focus on their ever-evolving relationship with their surroundings. “I’m very interested in how everything interacts with each other. The forest isn’t just a bunch of trees, it’s a living and dynamic place,” he explains. “That’s...
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Capturing Ningaloo’s Majestic Underwater Landscapes with Chiara Bussini
Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo scuba diving and snorkelling guide, Chiara Bussini, believes that once you start taking photographs underwater it can easily turn into a life-long hobby. “I started with land-based photography over a decade ago, but now my main focus is taking photos underwater,” she says. “I moved...
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Assist Ecologist Heidi Groffen in Kangaroo Island Dunnart Conservation
The 2019/2020 bushfires had a devastating effect on Kangaroo Island and its wildlife, with more than two-thirds of the island burnt. As a result, a large number of animal and plant species were identified as priority species for recovery efforts, and programs were quickly implemented to support the recovery. The...
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Experiencing Maria’s Winter Wonderland with Jemma Haythorne
The sun sets earlier in winter, and on a sunny cloud-studded day 5pm is a stunning time to be out watching the sky transform into a kaleidoscope of pinks, oranges and yellows. The hundreds of wombats who live on Maria Island like dusk, too, and in the colder weather they...
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Wetlands and Wine Tour with Peter Clutterbuck
When looking for a rural holding more than 30 years ago, Peter Clutterbuck, a long-standing guide with Australian Coastal Safaris, stumbled upon a property on the eastern tributary of the Big Swamp. “I wanted to get out of town and buy a few acres to pursue a more rounded lifestyle,”...
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Active Safari Across Kakadu National Park with Bianca Di Nuzzo
“Maguk is magical,” Bianca Di Nuzzo, the newest guide to join the respected team at Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris says. “It’s a really interesting location to show guests, with a big and beautiful water hole positioned at the base of steep gorge walls, and top pools that always look...
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Tracking Powerful Owls with Martin Maderthaner
When you ask long-standing Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours guide, Martin Maderthaner, to describe the hoot a Powerful Owl makes, he doesn’t hesitate. “It’s a very loud and deep hoot, a double hoot, really,” he explains. “It’s a commanding sound and you immediately know it’s coming from a large bird, a...
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In Search of Tasmania's Endemic Birds with Danny Pulbrook
When you ask The Maria Island Walk guide, Danny Pulbrook, what he likes to do in his spare time, he doesn’t hesitate to answer. “I’m heavily interested in birds,” he says. “I watch them whenever I have a chance, often with my wife and kids.” Maria Island is a dream...
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Writing the Wildbook for Whale Sharks with Heather Kay
Ningaloo Reef is one of the best places in the world to swim with Whale Sharks, with hundreds congregating in the world- renowned marine park from March to early August. “I’m very fortunate to work in an area that has one of the highest interaction rates with Whale Sharks in...