Defining move for travel : Echidna Walkabout joins Australian Geographic Travel

Birgit Bourne (AGT) & Roger Smith (EWNT) – defining move for travel

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Empowering travellers : Australian Geographic Travel acquires Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours creating Australia’s first end-to-end Conservation Travel, Citizen Science & Wildlife Touring Agency.

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Message from Roger Smith : Echidna Walkabout

First fully dedicated conservation travel agency in Australia empowers travellers

Dear friends, guests, supporters and industry colleagues.

I’m thrilled to announce an exciting merger between Australian Geographic Travel (AGT) and Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours (EWNT).

This is a defining move for Conservation Travel in Australia. It’s also a massive boost for both companies allowing us to share alternative and ethical travel ideas and resources to our clients.

We are the first fully dedicated conservation travel, citizen science and wildlife touring service in Australia.

Read more about Conservation Travel: Five ways conservation travel empowers you and helps save animals

Echidna Walkabout continues to operate

Echidna Walkabout continues to operate high quality wildlife conservation tours. Plus, our expert team will provide advice and support to AGT especially in the area of Conservation Travel, Citizen Science and Climate Action.

As a founding member of Australian Wildlife Journeys we’ll continue to design, plan and operate wildlife tours — in the wild — across Australia.

You can still book our tours using our existing website, telephone number and email OR you can book with AGT.

Find out how to book and read more about the benefits of the merger here.

Background : strong historical links

Over many years we have had a trusted working relationship with Birgit Bourne, Managing Director of Insight Travel Australia.

During Covid, Birgit forged a relationship with Australian Geographic to create Australian Geographic Travel and sought Echidna Walkabout’s help to arrange tours within Australia for Australians.

After a very successful start-up, it became obvious that the two businesses had so much in common that a merger was the best way to proceed. That merger was signed off just before Christmas and Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours is now a very happy subsidiary of AGT.

Platypus + Echidna : a unique merger

Serendipitously the merger also created a link between two famous Australian animal icons: the Platypus and the Echidna that are incorporated in our logos. Both species are historically closely related (“monotremes”) and are the only creatures of their kind in the world.

They are uniquely Australian, like Echidna Walkabout and Australian Geographic Travel.

Director Conservation Travel : new ambassador role with AGT

For my part, I am dedicated to ensuring that Echidna Walkabout’s retains and expands its leading role in ethical wildlife tours and conservation travel in Australia. Birgit and her team at AGT are totally behind ensuring the future of Echidna Walkabout.

I’m thrilled that AGT has appointed me as Director of Conservation Travel. This provides me with a tremendous opportunity to be an ambassador for protection of wildlife and biodiversity and to promote climate action within the travel industry in Australia.

Also, as General Manager, I will continue to work with my remarkable Echidna Walkabout team.

I invite you to join me — and the combined Echidna Walkabout and Australian Geographic Travel team — on this defining journey. I have no doubt that it will change the face of tourism in Australia.

Roger Smith

General Manager – Echidna Walkabout nature Tours
Director Conservation Travel – Australian Geographic Travel

Questions? If you’d like to know more please contact me:
tel: +61 427 808 745
e: roger@echidnawalkabout.com.au

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Where’s Janine?

Janine Duffy is now working full-time with her great passion: the Koala Clancy Foundation. She dedicated 30 years to successfully taking Echidna Walkabout to the world. We know that many of you miss her (and she misses you too!). Janine is now dedicated 100% to the Koala Clancy Foundation.

With full support of Echidna Walkabout, Janine founded KCF —a independent registered Australian Charity — in 2015. The progress she has made to date is nothing short of incredible and she is determined to continue this vital work.

Australian Geographic Travel supports KCF with donations from its tours

You can help support Koala Clancy Foundation plant 300,000 trees for koalas

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Echidna Walkabout is a Founding Member of Australian Wildlife Journeys.
We also create, guide and operate tours for Australian Geographic Travel