Like all Australian walking tour operators, COVID 19 hit Auswalk hard but with some smart thinking and a push on self-guided walks they're ready for 2020 and beyond.
Auswalk takes five with Great Walks.
What has your company been doing during lockdown?
Autumn is a busy period for us so a whole host of walkers who were due to go out on trips that had to be cancelled. So the first few months for us was really about managing this the best we could.
The good news is that we have been using the extra time since then busying ourselves with creating new trips on existing destinations and improving the old ones. We’ve also spent a lot of time fine tuning our internal systems so that we can deliver the trips more seamlessly and provide an even better service. There’s a positive vibe around so we’ve also been busy booking new trips for people.
Now that people are free to travel again, what destinations are you focussing on and do you have anything new?
Auswalk has the most comprehensive catalogue of walks in Australia, in the sense that we cover just about all the country, and all the walks are created, curated and delivered by Auswalk. It is all we have been doing for the last 28 years, that’s walking in Australia. The new destinations that we’re looking at weren’t really on our immediate agenda, given that it was impossible for us to go out and research and walk the national parks concerned. What we have done is to broaden the offer on our existing destinations so that people who have less holiday time or want to enjoy more luxury have greater choice. We do have a few destinations that we will do some more research on, once we get the all-clear to travel interstate. New trips take as long as 12 months to launch and a solid 2 months work on and off the track so in November we hope to be ready for launch.
What we are doing is to concentrate heavily on our self-guided offer. The beauty of these trips is that we can easily fit within the most stringent of lockdown protocols as the trips naturally fit with the social distancing and assembly rules.
How will you be dealing with issues like social distancing, hygiene etc to guarantee clients safety?
We will be putting client safety first by dealing with the issues of social distancing and hygiene by complying with Victorian government protocols for tour operators. We are fortunate that our product allows us to social distance in any case. All our suppliers and accommodations can’t wait to have us back, so they are all doing their utmost to make things as hygienic and safe as humanly possible.
What would you say to a Great Walks reader who is considering going on a walking tour like yours?
There’s no doubt that Covid-19 has changed travel, at least in the short to medium term. Obviously, self-guided walking holidays are a very good option as it offers a more independent walking experience. Because Auswalk has been doing this for 28 years, we have built up a huge level of expertise with respect to self-guided walking holidays. The self-guided offering is complex, particularly in Australia, as safety and the lack of accommodation in the right place make for a lot of moving parts. We have developed very sophisticated safety protocols and systems to make sure that the walkers remain safe when they’re doing walks unaccompanied, as in a self-guided walk. This is where having 28 years of experience matters. What’s more, it is a great time to walk many destinations as there are no overseas visitors, making the walks even less busy, if that is possible. If you are eager to get out walking again, you should have a chat with us. We look forward to seeing you on the track again sometime soon.
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