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Ecotourism
and Soft Adventures
Once upon a time, travellers were simply satisfied
to visit their holiday destinations, take pictures,
enjoy a few drinks and return home relaxed and
ready to bore their friends about their trip !
Nowadays,
it's not enough. Today's holiday adventures are
more about participation - doing something practical
and getting involved. But you don't have to be
a full blooded adventurer by throwing yourself
off a rock face with a parachute attached, you
can if you wish undertake a softer approach -
a soft adventure - by simply taking an elephant
ride in India, or experience the sun setting on
Ayers Rock or guiding the baby turtles to the
sea that hatch out on the beaches of Queensland.
There are many examples of soft adventures throughout
the world - a few soft adventure ideas in Australia
are shown below :
Some
typical Australia Soft Adventure holidays
Kakadu
National Park
This World heritage Listed National Park is situated
about 250 kilometres from Darwin is an Australian
icon and one of the most visited National Parks
in Australia. It is renowned for its diverse environment
from amazing waterfalls including the famous Twin
and Jim Jim Falls and to beautiful Aboriginal
rock art at Ubirr. Soft adventure holidays can
include observing crocodiles, birds and kangaroos
- the wildlife is rich and numerous.
The word Kakadu comes from an Aboriginal language
called Gagudju, which is spoken in the Northern
part of the park.The descendants of these people
still live in the park.
Kakadu NP is managed jointly by the Aboriginal
traditional people and The Department of the Environment
and Heritage. Your soft adventure holidays are
really about observing and sampling the culture.
It is believed that much of Kakadu 140 million
years ago was under a shallow sea. Today there
is an escarpment that rises to up to 330 metres
above the plains of Kakadu. There are six
Aboriginal Seasons; Gudjewg (Wet Season), Banggerreng
(Knock 'Em Down Storm Time), Yegge (Cooler Time),
Wurreng (Cold Time), Gurrung (Hot Dry Time) and
Gunumeleng (Build Up Season).
Cathedral Termite Mounds
Another soft adventure holidays in Australia,
these are huge column like structures that look
like Mediaeval Cathedrals. They are among the
world's largest and are built by termites.These
mounds in the Top End have been measured up to
6 metres in height. If a section of these mounds
have been broken open, they are immediately guarded
and protected by Soldier Termites. For defence
these "soldiers" can eject a chemical
substance with accuracy over several centimetres.
Meeting crocodiles on your soft adventure
in Australia
Estuarine (salt water) crocodile surveys are taken
throughout the year in Kakadu NP. This is to minimise
the danger of crocodile attacks and to also ensure
the protection of crocodile numbers. If a crocodile
is considered to be a threat to people it is captured
(tagged and released) or given to an Aboriginal
Community for its meat. Don't get too close to
the crocs or you will become their little soft
adventure holidays !
Magpie Geese
These birds are common to the Top End wetlands.
Their feet are half webbed so they can perch in
trees. The male of the species builds a floating
platform by stamping on rushes growing at the
waters edge. These platforms are used for courtship,
and later on for their nests - observing wildlife
is an excellent example of your soft adventure
holidays in Australia.
Ubirr Art Site, Kakadu NP
The rock overhang at the main gallery was an actual
living area where the traditional Aboriginals
of this area would set up camp and live, during
the wet season. Food items were regularly painted
on the back wall (Fish, goannas, long-neck turtles,
ring tailed possums). If you look carefully, among
these figures are "white fella" images
painted from more recent times. Your soft adventure
holidays are about getting to the sites under
supervision and experiencing the culture of the
indiginous population, both present and past.
Other
soft adventure holidays in Australia
Australian
Wilderness Soft Adventure Tours
Nature
Bound Australia
Soft
Adventure Tours Australia
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