Our right to travel is back 😊

Dear adventurers, walkers and friends,

As we write this Travel Update, those of us in Victoria are getting excited! Regional and Melbourne residents will be able to reunite and Melbourne will finally come out of the world’s longest “lockdown”! What a time we have all had especially those of us in the tourism and hospitality business. Of course, it’s the front-line workers who have really bore the brunt during the last 18 months. We shall certainly never take our “right to travel” for granted again. Loved ones and families all over Australia have been separated since the beginning of the epidemic with border closures and travel restrictions both domestically and internationally. Let’s hope now with our high vaccination levels that this will be a thing of the past and by Christmas we can all be together again.

Mallacoota & Croajingolong

At Walkabout we are excited that in 3 weeks we shall be finally on tour again. Having postponed our new Mallacoota and Croajingolong National Park tour in September and again in October it looks likes third time lucky with our 20th November departure ready to go. We still have a few spaces available for this 6-day tour to this true hidden gem in Eastern Victoria. Stay in one of our favourite lodges nestled on the banks of Mallacoota Inlet and spend the day exploring the wilderness of beautiful Croajingolong National Park. At night enjoy a pre dinner drink in front of the open fire in the cosy lounge and savour a delicious dinner in the dining room with your fellow travelling companions. Please ask us for further details about our 20th November and 5th March departures.

	Mallacoota & Croajingolong 6-day Walking tour in Mallacoota and Croajingolong National Parks, Victoria, Australia
	November 20 \| Melbourne VIC, Australia
	05 March \| Melbourne VIC, Australia

Lake Mallacoota

Historic Karbeethong Lodge

South coastal trails of NZ

Hopefully it will also be thrid time lucky for our South Island of New Zealand tour scheduled for the 6th February next year. This is a perfect time to enjoy the world-renowned coastal trails taking you deep into the National Parks of the mountainous South Island. From snow-capped mountains and glaciers to turquoise lakes and rivers, the views will leave you speechless. For those who are unable to join us in February we also have a departure planned for April. We would be delighted if you could join us on our first “overseas” holiday in 2 years!

	New Zealand Gateway 16-day Walking tour through Abel Tasman NP, Franz Josef / Waiau Glacier, Queenstown, Routeburn Track, Mt Cook NP
	06 February \| Christchurch, NZ
	11 April \| Christchurch, NZ

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks

Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef

Flinders' Best kept secrets

We are also very excited about our new tour to Flinders Island scheduled for May next year. Like Mallacoota and Croajingolong National Park, Flinders Island is another one of those "best kept secrets". It's certainly not one of the easiest places to travel to but this has probably helped it to be such an unspoilt destination. It is home to pristine beaches, rugged mountain scenery and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet on a holiday. On this tour we have teamed up with Flinders Island Gourmet Retreat. This boutique and cosy lodge will be home for our 7 days stay on Flinders Island. During the day we shall explore all the corners of this magical island and in the evening, we shall return and allow Wendy to spoil us with her delicious dinners. At night relax in the charming rooms of this very special retreat.

	Flinders Island 7-day Walking tour on Flinders Island, Bass Strait, Tasmania, Australia
	27 May \| Whitemark, Tasmania, Australia

Morning tea at Mt Stzelecki

Cooma House Gourmet Retreat

Lamington, the rainforest's jewel

Later in the year when the temperatures are beginning to cool in the southern parts of Australia, we have organised a new tour to Queensland at Lamington National Park. We shall base ourselves at the gorgeous O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Each day we shall explore a new section of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage National Park. In the late afternoon we shall return to the comfort of our wonderful retreat for some delicious dinners and other treats. Trip notes will be available soon.

	Lamington National Park 5-day Walking tour in the Lamington National Park, Gold Coast Hinterland, Queensland, Australia
	23 June \| Melbourne VIC, Australia

Lamington National Park

O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat

A few seats left for Japan!

During May we also have our Spirit of Japan walking holiday scheduled – there are still some spaces available. This comprehensive 16-day tour takes us from the bustling capital of Tokyo all the way to Hiroshima in the west of the country. In between we experience the beauty of the Japanese Alps with their pristine lakes, rivers and forests. We walk a section of the famous Nakasendo Trail, discover the history of the ancient capital Kyoto, visit the beautiful island of Myajima, enjoy the amazing culinary delights of Osaka and explore the historical city of Hiroshima where we conclude our tour. We stay in a combination of both Western and Japanese style hotels – all with ensuite facilities. Please contact us to obtain more details about our day-by-day itinerary.

	The Spritit of Japan 16-day Walking Tour of discovery from Tokyo to Hiroshima, Japan
	10 May \| Tokyo, Japan
	26 October \| Tokyo, Japan

Matsumoto Castle in Nagano

Yoroduya Yudanaka onsen

Welcoming you "Covid-ready"

While we were all in "lockdown" we were busy gaining our accreditation as a Covid Ready Tour Operator. We are now recognised by the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Our "Safe Travel" stamp has been issued by these governing bodies to recognise businesses which adopt standardised health and hygiene protocols to encourage travellers to book recognised businesses with confidence. As a part of the requirements, a proof of Covid19 vaccination or medical exemption will be required for all guests wishing to join our tours.

2022 European Summer season

In terms of our 2022 calendar, we are now getting close to the middle of the year which means summer in Europe. We are planning to commence our European season and we are confident that our summer and autumn tours will be able to run.

Our guides in Europe and our other overseas destinations are hoping that you will be able to join us on one of our overseas trips in 2022. Everyone in the Walkabout team is very keen to catch up with all our loyal customers and friends again and to have you all back walking with us soon.

Discover our European Tours

Some of you may have listened to a recent podcast or read the book by Jono Lineen called Perfect Motion where he discusses all the positive aspects of walking other than the obvious benefit of just getting fit. As he states in his book “the simple act of walking changed my life”. After introducing our guests to the pleasures of walking for the last 35 years, we can certainly endorse Jono’s philosophy that walking can indeed be life changing.

We do hope that you are all well and looking forward to getting out into the great outdoors again. For all the information about our up-and-coming tours please look at our website and contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Gabriela, Graeme and the Walkabout Team

Faulhorn, Bernese, Switzerland

Black Forest, Germany

Giglio Island, Italy

Hotel Laxa in Myvatn, Iceland