A warm welcome to our new
holiday walking brochure !

2010 marks twenty three years of walking in many fascinating places around Europe and Australia. The many faces, places and memories remind us how lucky we are to explore all this together with you – walking, nature, culture, fine food and charming accommodation.

Walkabout Gourmet Adventures has been operating personalised walking holidays in Australia and Europe since 1986. We realise how precious holidays are to you and we want to ensure that your holiday with us will remain a special time in your life. After 24 years of organising and leading walking holidays, we still get excited when we see an eagle in the sky, spot an edelweiss in the mountains or meet a truffle hunter in the fields. Our aim is to transmit our enthusiasm to you as our guest and to offer you a safe and comfortable environment in which to experience these facinating destinations.



Our European & Australian Walking Holidays take you into the countryside and to the villages where you will meet the local people. We let you experience the other side of Europe - the fascinating culture and habits which have taken centuries to develop. Walking affords you the time to appreciate and absorb all of this. Most importantly, our holidays are guided. It is not always as easy as it sounds to "go walking" in Europe, even with the detailed maps. We are there to show you the way, help with the language and to ensure that you don't miss any opportunity!



In terms of "grading", naturally those walks in mountainous regions are going to be slightly more strenuous. However, the walking pace is leisurely, allowing you enough time to stop and experience the surrounds. Our comfortable support vehicles take all the luggage and transport the groups between locations. All you need to carry is a light day pack. The tour price includes twin share accommodation and most meals, except lunch. Top

Fine Hotels...



The standard of our hotels is very high, ranging between two star and five star. You can expect a wide variety of styles. Many of them are family run establishments where the hoteliers and their families have often lived in the area for generations and are a real source of information. Others are unique places, like castles and monasteries, manor houses or historic town hotels. In Spain we use many of the Paradores. They are state-run luxury hotels, often located in historic buildings and furnished with appropriate antiques, the restaurants concentrate on local specialties. All our hotels have ensuite facilities and many have swimming pools and tennis courts.

Twin share is the norm but single supplements are available on all walks if requested. The group size is restricted to 16 guests and for cooking seminars, maximum 8 participants.

... and Delicious Food



Naturally the cuisine is a feature of our walks. You have the opportunity to sample provincial cooking in some of Europe's most famous food regions, complemented by supurb local wines and liqueurs. Whether it is a dinner in an Italian trattoria or a gourmet restaurant in France, the meals will always remain a memorable part of your holidays.



Guests

Guests choose our relaxed soft adventure holidays to save time they would otherwise waste solving problems, thus allowing them to enjoy the company of a small group rather than walking and dining independently. Nevertheless, those wanting to "stride out" are given the flexibility to do so. The composition of our guests is varied. It includes couples, single travellers, family members and friends. They are mostly from Australia and New Zealand with an increasing number from Europe, who find it a great way to improve their English. Top

Private Tours

We are happy to organise a private tour for a group of friends to any of the destinations described in our brochure. If you have a special request, ask us and we will do our best to fulfill it. We offer a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more joining an existing departure - direct bookings only. Top



Frequent Walker Points

Many of our guests have travelled with us several times, in fact, approximately 70% of our travellers are repeat customers. To reward such loyalty, we have introduced a frequent walker scheme. For each tour a certain number of points will be awarded which can be credited towards future holidays. Please ask us for further details. Top

Rewards

Our most valuable form of advertising is the referral business created by our loyal guests. They have enjoyed their holiday and are happy to recommend us to their friends and family. In the future, they can look forward to the following reward: For each new booking that has been generated by a "*loyal guest" they shall receive frequent walker points towards their next Walkabout Gourmet Adventure. Top

*Loyal guests refers to travellers who have booked on one or more holidays direct with Walkabout Gourmet Adventures



The Walkabout Team

Walkabout Gourmet Adventures is owned and operated by Gabriela and Graeme Clarke.



Gabriela Clarke, a Cordon Bleu Chef from Europe, is an outdoor enthusiast, having travelled extensively both overseas and in Australia. She is also the teacher for the French Provincial and the Italian Cooking Seminars.

Graeme Clarke spent his youth in country Victoria where he gained a vast experience in the outdoors, with a special interest in the flora and fauna. He later travelled and worked in Europe before returning to Australia to work in the tourism industry. In 1986 he and Gabriela established Walkabout Gourmet Adventures, one of the first walking tour companies in Victoria. Gabriela and Graeme, together with their two children, live in Provence from where they operate their European office.

Trish Ozard is the office manager in Australia and guide. She has been working and guiding for Walkabout Gourmet Adventures since 1993 - both in Australia and Europe.

Most European Tours are still led by either Graeme or Gabriela and in recent years also by Gilles Boivin. He is an enthusiastic professional guide with many years experience in leading groups. Having travelled extensively, Gilles' passion for different cultures, adventure and wild places will inspire any who travel with him.

Some other tours are guided by our small team of enthusiastic European guides. The tour leaders are with you during the entire holiday and are experienced, open-minded and cheerful. They are there to look after all the details while you walk, relax and enjoy your holiday ! We are always delighted to hear positive feedback from our guests about our guides. Top


Quality practices

Walkabout Gourmet Adventures is licensed by Parks Victoria, Tasmania and Sydney National Parks.

Parks Victoria is committed to maintaining the health of the natural environment of their parks and reserves while providing a range of excellent visitor services – so that all Victorians can visit them to relax or exercise their bodies and minds – Healthy Parks, Healthy People.

If you wish for more information please visit:
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au




Committed to the highest quality practices and professionalism, Walkabout Gourmet Adventures complies with the National Tourism Accreditation Program.

What’s in it for you?
Professional standards in customer service
Consistency and reliability in delivering the service
Compliance with relevant business licenses
Adherence to sound environmental practices
Attention to customer safety and comfort
Dedication to continuous improvement

If you wish for more information please visit:
www.tourismaccreditation.com.au

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