rose gums

ecotourism

Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat is ‘advanced’ accredited under the ECO Certification Program.  To gain Ecotourism Accreditation, our product met specific criteria addressing the principals of ecotourism:

• Natural area focus- Rose Gums is a property of 230 acres bordering the Wooroonooran National Park with views out to Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland’s highest mountain. There are kilometres of bushwalks through the rainforest for guests to enjoy, as well as a pristine rainforest creek and small waterfall to experience.
• Quality interpretation – In all treehouses is a comprehensive information folder with over 40 pages which gives up to date detail on the flora, fauna, topography and climate of Rose Gums and the surrounding area. The owner Jon Nott has expertise in birdwatching (Birds Australia North Queensland convenor for 6 years) and is happy to lead guests on a birdwatching tour around the property.
•  Environmental sustainability - The property was a degraded dairy farm when Jon & Peta Nott bought it in 1994. They busily reforested it over the next 4 years by planting of 14,000 trees. A further 6,000 trees have been planted as at 2007. All building were sited in formerly degraded areas of the property, designed to take into account the best climatic aspects and constructed of sustainably managed products. Weeds are controlled, and further reforestation projects are underway. Jon & Peta Nott monitor the water and energy usage and endeavour to reduce, reuse and recycle where possible.
• Contribution to conservation – Jon & Peta Nott support many local and national conservation groups, and researchers who monitor the regrowth of the forest for flora and fauna.
• Working with local communities – Rose Gums supports the local businesses and groups in all manner of ways such as donations to the local theatre group, kindergarten, sporting groups and buying locally for all our personal and business needs as well as participating where we can.
• Cultural component – Jon & Peta Nott acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, the Mullunburra, clan of the Ydinji nation. The elders are welcome to the property at all times and have kindly given ‘Welcome to Country’ speeches with dances for special occasions. The Mullunburra culture is featured in a book in the treehouses and we encourage guests to take the time and read about this ancient culture.
•  Client satisfaction – All guests receive a survey sheet in their breakfast hamper and we welcome ideas to improve our service and comments on the management of the land.
• Responsible marketing  - All Rose Gums marketing tools honestly display images that our guests are likely to experience eg brochure, website.

Accreditation provides industry, natural area management and consumers with an assurance that an ecotourist product is backed by a commitment to best practice environmental management and the provision of quality experiences.