Ecotourism Australia (EA) is proud to welcome Boobook Ecotours, another outstanding sustainable ecotourism operator, to our ECO Certification program. We offer our congratulations to this team of professional ecological consultants on their recent achievement of reaching Advanced Ecotourism Certification for their Discover Carnarvon Ranges Day Tour, Wheat Wells and Wildlife Day Tour, BOOBOOK’s Eco-Science Expedition, BOOBOOK’s Roma Town Tour and Wildflower Wander Tour.
The award-winning Boobook Ecotours operates in Roma, within the Sandstone Belt of south-west Queensland. Roma is accessible via a one-hour flight, which run daily from Brisbane or, alternatively, it is an easy six-hour drive from the state’s capital. Their ecotours provide the opportunity to experience the Australian outback the way it was intended, with exclusive access to privately owned properties, family-run farms, little-known national parks and state forests.
With an ecological expert as an interpretive guide, small groups of two to twelve visitors can immerse themselves in the natural ecosystem, encounter lesser known wildlife and hear unique stories of local pioneering history, all while being educated on the local industries of agriculture and coal seam gas.
Curly-bark Heath-myrtle (Micromyrtus sessilis) / Credit: BOOBOOK Ecotours, Facebook
Craig Eddie is the director of BOOBOOK Ecotours, Principal Ecologist and tour guide. He is a walking natural history guide, book author, published expert, has sat on numerous panels regarding Queensland fauna and has a healthy obsession with snails, which has led to the discovery of new species.
Craig is considered the David Attenborough of the south-west.
Other members of BOOBOOK’s specialist team, with 20+ years of experience, include Meryl Eddie; Business Manager, Richard Johnson and Michael Cunningham; both senior ecologists and Rosamund Aisthorpe; Botanist. These highly experienced and passionate professionals offer visitors a unique and unforgettable tour experience while ensuring they maintain the pristine quality and untouched natural landscape within their offbeat locations.
You can be assured when wandering around Australia’s real outdoors, with an ecologist tour guide, that you are in for something special, and BOOBOOK’s ECO certified tours reflect just that. A range of individual fitness levels are considered in relation to the terrain explored, with tours clearly rated from easy to moderate through to more difficult levels. Specialist equipment such as walking poles is supplied if needed as are headtorches, with rechargeable batteries of course, for overnight stays.
Overnight stay / Credit: BOOBOOK Ecotours, Facebook
BOOBOOK Ecotours are committed to reducing their environmental footprint as much as they can and although all tours are fully catered, you won’t see any disposable cutlery offered. All meals are transported with reusable containers, leftover food is composted on the group’s return to the office and visitors are required to bring their own water bottles, which will be topped up with rainwater.
Visitors will be thankful for limited Wi-Fi as they see and connect with parts of Queensland rarely seen by most people. In preparation, BOOBOOK Ecotours recommend bringing a sense of adventure, good humour and to be prepared to ask plenty of questions!
So, let’s have a closer look at the tours which BOOBOOK offer.
Head off on an adventure to Discover Carnarvon Ranges and explore a 71,000-acre working cattle station where nature and farming co-exist. Amongst the hidden wonders of secluded gorges and secret caves is the opportunity to discover dinosaur plants, Australian wildlife and Aboriginal rock art, which includes some of the best Indigenous stencil art in the world.
Discover Carnarvon Ranges Tour / Credit: BOOBOOK Ecotours, Facebook
The Wheat, Wells and Wildlife Day Tour is perfect for those who are keen to learn more about local history, sustainable agriculture and the coal seam gas industry. While visiting the local water holes you might be lucky enough to see a platypus and critically endangered turtles, as well as appreciate local flora.
If stopping to smell the ‘wildflowers’ is more your thing then treat yourself to one of southern Queensland’s most botanically significant areas thanks to the Wildflower Wander Gurulmundi tour. From mid-August to September, visitors can marvel at fields of wildflowers, grass trees and rare and endemic species while being surrounded by the colour explosion that makes Gurulmundi shine. Visitors arriving outside of wildflower season can enjoy a guided tour of Roma to hear the untold stories and learn how the town has transformed thanks to past and present heroes. There is also the town’s biggest bottle tree that you don’t want to miss seeing!
The Rufous Bettong (also known as rat-kangaroo) is commonly found around Roma / Credit: BOOBOOK Ecotours, Facebook
For a truly unique travel experience, BOOBOOK Ecotours also lead a real-life Eco-Science Expedition working with an Australian expert ecologist. Visitors can contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge through helping to discover and document Australian animal species from previously unexplored areas. Soak in the peace and quiet while visiting stimulating, impressive and offbeat locations with amazing rock foundations, gorges and lookouts. There is also the opportunity to take a paddle in a canoe or, if the weather is right, a swim in the local spring-fed creek or waterhole.
Eco-Science Expedition / Credit: BOOBOOK Ecotours, Facebook
It is easy to see why BOOBOOK Ecotours have received a five-star rating from their previous visitors as their unrivalled commitment to Australia’s unique ecosystem is evident through their business culture and ongoing community support. BOOBOOK Ecotours support, both financially and in kind, Maranoa Wildlife Caring & Education Centre, donate to the Save the Bilby Fund and Richmond Birding Butterfly Conservation and members of the team are active wildlife carers. Local schools benefit from their accumulated knowledge as BOOBOOK Ecotours participate in school talks as well as continuing to support local organisations such as the Maranoa Wildlife Caring & Education Centre.
To all those Australian nature lovers out there, BOOBOOK Ecotours is definitely one operator you need to save on your ‘must have experiences’ list.
Find out more on their website.
[Cover image courtesy of BOOBOOK Ecotours (Facebook)]
