Eco-friendly Travel
Low-impact islands, eco-lodges and travel that gives back
Australia's most fragile places are also its most famous, so how you visit matters. Lady Elliot and Heron Islands run on the reef's terms; Lord Howe caps visitor numbers at 400; Kangaroo Island rebuilt its tourism around regeneration after the 2019–20 fires. Look for Ecotourism Australia certification, choose reef operators in Green Zones, and put money into Aboriginal-owned experiences where you can.
Mirrors Tourism Australia's own theme Eco-friendly travel in Australia.
The states and territories this theme is strongest in — tap through to the full state guide.
Queensland
The Great Barrier Reef, rainforest and endless beaches
New South Wales
Sydney Harbour, surf coast, vineyards and the Blue Mountains
Western Australia
Ningaloo, the Kimberley and a third of a continent
South Australia
Wine regions, wildlife islands and the Flinders Ranges
Tasmania
Wilderness, wild food and the cleanest air in the world
Best bases for this
Gateway hubs that put the most of this theme within reach.
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Whitsundays and surrounds Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island — the sailing capital of the reef, and the way to Whitehaven Beach. - Coming soon Hobart and surrounds Mount Wellington above, Salamanca and MONA below, and Bruny Island a ferry ride away.
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Coming soon Adelaide and surrounds A festival city ringed by parkland, within an hour of the Barossa, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
Other ways to travel
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Aboriginal Australia The world's oldest continuing culture, shared on Country -
Beaches & Islands More than 10,000 beaches and 8,000 islands -
Nature & National Parks Reef, rainforest, gorge country and the Outback -
Wildlife Animals you will not see anywhere else -
Food & Drink 65 wine regions, world-class coffee and native ingredients -
Road Trips & Drives The Great Ocean Road, the Gibb River Road and everything between -
Walks & Hikes Great Walks, coastal tracks and city-edge escapes -
Adventure & Sports Dive, surf, sail, climb and sandboard -
Arts & Culture Galleries, laneways, festivals and convict history -
Luxury Wilderness lodges, private islands and long-distance trains -
Health & Wellness Hot springs, retreats and slow coastal days -
Family Travel Wildlife parks, theme parks and safe swimming
Photography
Images on this page are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licences (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA) and are photographs of the places named. Author, licence and source for each:
- Lady Elliot Island — Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA · CC BY 2.0
- Heron Island — LBM1948 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lord Howe Island — Toby Hudson · CC BY-SA 2.5 au
- Monkey Mia — W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kangaroo Island — Dualiti Photos from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0
- Tasmania's Wild West Coast — Magic lyrebird · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Whitsundays — Cherrie Hughes · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Adelaide — Lasse B. from Deutschland · CC BY-SA 2.0