Earthwatch Volunteer Travel

Go on holiday, save some lives!: Australian Traveller looks at some of the volunteer travel options offered by Earthwatch.

The good people at Earthwatch are offering all interested persons the chance to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most fascinating – and vulnerable – creatures, all while immersing yourself in areas of the country you might never experience.

The not-for-profit environmental organisation whose mission it is to engage people in scientific field research is currently supporting more than 120 research expeditions around the globe – a dozen of which are right here on Australian shores. So if you’d like the chance to travel and work alongside some seriously dedicated field scientists and researchers, this could well be for you. So, which would you rather do: help the turtles of northwest WA, or look in on the echidnas of SA’s Kangaroo Island?

Turtles

In WA’sKimberley region, perhaps the least known ofAustralia’s turtles are the freshwater variety. And you’ll be camping out near stunning gorges, spending your days snorkelling and catching turtles, and your evenings measuring and examining them, then helping leading scientists process the data collected. The vital research you’ll be contributing to will help discover exactly how the population of this breed of turtle is managing in the wild, and whether or not measures are required to assist in their conservation.

Nights around the campfire, stunning Aboriginal rock art to contemplate, and a worthwhile cause to support. What could be better?

Echidnas

If you’re more keen to help out these spiky little fellows rather than their hard-shelled turtle cousins to the north, how does hiking aroundKangarooIsland sound?

On this expedition, Earthwatch volunteers will be continuing the work of a valuable 17-year look at the life histories and ecologies of individual echidnas on the island – so you’ll be helping to shed light on the fascinating biology of this species and how best to help protect the island ecosystem.KangarooIslandis teeming with an array of wildlife, so you’ll never be short of something interesting to get involved in there!

Costs range from $280 to $6000 to join an Earthwatch expedition, and each one lasts from two to 19 days. Your entry fee goes towards research costs, covers all lodging levies (accom, food, equipment), as well as on-the-job training – and even the costs of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from travel. You don’t need any scientific skills at all to participate – just a sense of adventure, a passion for the environment and a willingness to help out.

So if you’re between the ages of 18 and 90, call (03) 9682 6828 or check out www.earthwatch.org.au and find out how you can do your part.

Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford, the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout — Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

3. Mount Alexander Traverse

Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

4. Murmuring Walk

Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes — Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

5. La Gerche Forest Walk

Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

6. Sailors Falls Loop

Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.