Australia
Eco Barge Clean Seas
The Whitsundays is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline anywhere in the world, and one of the most fragile. Sitting on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, its islands and beaches collect marine debris and plastic pollution that washes in from far beyond the region, and without someone doing the work of removing it, it stays there.
Eco Barge Clean Seas is a local not-for-profit doing exactly that. Their team runs regular beach clean-ups across the Whitsunday Islands, hauling marine debris and plastic out of a critical marine environment and recycling what they collect into sustainable products such as jewellery. Alongside the clean-ups, they run hands-on environmental education and conservation programmes that bring visitors into the work rather than just telling them about it.
They also operate the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre, providing care for sick and injured marine turtles. Since 2013, Eco Barge have enabled the successful rehabilitation and release of more than 293 turtles back into the waters of the Whitsunday region.
Donations to Eco Barge go directly towards the equipment and resources that keep this work going, from clean-up gear and boat costs to the veterinary care, food and rehabilitation facilities the turtles need before they can be released.
It is a small team doing enormous work on one of the great natural wonders of the planet. We are proud to help them keep at it.
Make a donation
You can make a donation to Eco Barge Clean Seas and help make a difference.
Your small change will go towards their amazing work of keeping the reef clean and helping to preserve marine life.
Sailing on the Whitsundays
When our Oz groups go sailing aroud the Whitsundays Islands they go with Prosail, who's boats are powered by majority wind and solar, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
With Prosail we contribute an Environmental Management Charge (EMC) for each group member, which helps preserve the fragile ecosystems on the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef
When our groups do the boat trip on the Great Barrier Reef they go with Passions of Paradise. As an Eco Certified Advanced Ecotourism operator, they combine tourism with scientific research to help protect the Great Barrier Reef. In cases where sailing isn’t possible, they offset their carbon emissions by planting trees in the Daintree Rainforest. They also support initiatives like the Coral Nurturing Program and work with Project AWARE to protect the reef. They are also actively involved in reef monitoring and restoration through the “Eye on the Reef” Program.” To date they have installed 6 coral nursery frames at Hastings reef, and support scientific research on sharks and stingrays.
Atherton Tablelands
We explore the Atherton Tablelands with Uncle Brian's Tours, who provide an incredible opportunity to connect with the tablelands and who also do incredible work in the Daintree Rainforest, one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. As an Eco Certified operator, they play a pivotal role in preserving the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our groups are guided responsibly through the tablelands, learning sustainable practices that ensure future generations can enjoy its beauty. By choosing a company that values ecological sustainability and indigenous heritage, we’re providing a deeper, more responsible experience for our group members and help them appreciate the rainforest’s importance on a global scale.
Greyhound Buses
Greyhound buses are considered a relatively eco-friendly mode of transportation, offering significantly lower carbon emissions per passenger mile compared to air travel and personal vehicles. Greyhound emphasizes its commitment to sustainability through fuel-efficient engines, a modernized fleet, and initiatives to electrify its buses.
Since 2023 Landcare Australia has been Greyhound's National Environmental Partner and they do amazing work to protect local ecosystems and improve sustainability of the land through numerous tree planting projects and the construction of safe crossing highway access bridges for native wildlife.
K'gari campsite
Dingos are Eco Certified with Ecotourism Australia and our K’gari campsite is on Butchulla land. Dingos works closely with Butchulla representatives to ensure operations respect their cultural protocols - “What is good for the land must come first”, “Do not touch or take anything that does not belong to you“, "If you have plenty, you must share.” The camp is fully off-grid, powered by solar, with eco-friendly toilets, showers, and lighting. Tours are run plastic-free with refillable water, compostable materials, and recycling of everything from cartons to vehicle oil and food scrap diversion to local farms, with all waste returned to the mainland. They track fuel, water, waste, and energy monthly, and reduce emissions through vehicle upgrades, and carbon-track their fleet.