ECOTOURISM IN TASMANIA: WORDS BY EMMA HOPE
T
asmania’s ecotourism operators say they are conservationists and environmentalists whose passion is to share the state’s pristine wilderness with the world. While Ian Johnstone came from a construction background to found Maria Island Walks in 2003, he said that in his experience nature-based tourism operators in Tasmania were doing it because they loved Tasmania’s natural beauty and they wanted to share it. “We’re painted as being rapacious, busy, greedy developers by some of our critics, particularly around the EOIs, but I’d say that we’re not doing it for money. We’re doing it because we love Tasmania and we love the outdoors and we love employing people. We love the wilderness and we want to preserve and protect it and show it to others.
As well as saving water through composting toilets they also collect their own rain water to use on site.
“Tasmania has such a wonderful reputation as being a global destination for ecotourism and adventure tourism and I think that that will only grow.
“We generate our own solar power and we consciously minimise waste and take all our rubbish and recyclables off the island.
“We see ourselves as conservationists and environmentalists.
“We have a small footprint in the way we do things.”
“There are a lot of opportunities for the right people in tourism in Tasmania, if they’re wanting to do something sensitive and sustainable.” Ian’s company has two wilderness camps on Maria 24
Island which are built above ground, with no penetration of the soil. Huts are joined by boardwalks, again built above ground.
Ian said to him ecotourism was about more than the environment. “We’re big believers in respecting the local culture and history, wildlife and wilderness values. For example, from day one when we hop off the boat the guide will do a timeline
of the history of humans on Maria Island. It goes for about 30 meters and the last 10cm is when the white people arrived, so it puts that in perspective. We talk about the various eras from a human perspective – the indigenous, the explorers, then convict and the sealers and whalers and so forth. “A large part of our walks are the interpretation and education side.” Ian said the company supported various charities, conservation and environmental groups including Raptor Rescue. “We’ve also been involved in the revegetation of Maria Island.” He said accreditation such as their advanced eco-tourism and climate action leader recognition from Ecotourism
