interNATIONAL PARKtours - Group Walking Tours to National Parks and Natural places in Australia and Overseas. Enjoy walking tours and holidays with experienced andknowledgeable guides.

ONLY FOUR SPACES LEFT!

Each park on this 19 day tour offers scenery so special that it would be worth making the trans- Pacific journey just for one of them.  Put them all together and you have a collection of places and experiences that will long remain in your memory. The tour begins in San Francisco, “everyone’s favourite city” and a great introduction to life in the USA.  After two days of city excitement, the road leads east and enters Yosemite National Park, preserving a granite wonderland of glacier-sculptured peaks and domes. Waterfalls, in full flow at this time of year, tumble down shining cliff faces from hanging valleys. Groves of pine, fir and oak give a park-like appearance to the valley floor. We will have a suggested group walk each day, but there are many other ways of enjoying this park – laze in sunshine by the crystal green waters of the Merced River, spot climbers high on the face of El Capitan, stroll through a gallery or have coffee at the historic Ahwahnee Lodge. We leave the high country after crossing the 3000m Tioga Pass and travel south to the austere beauty of Death Valley. Just across the border in Nevada the glitz of Las Vegas provides surreal contrast to the drama of the desert. The Grand Canyon in Arizona needs little introducation and, with accommodation on the quieter North Rim, there is time to take in its rugged depths. Utah’s Zion National Park is a grand and spectacular gorge of dramatic shapes and cliff lines, and walking through Bryce Canyon’s curiously eroded pinnacles and spires is a rare experience. From Bryce Canyon we drive north to Salt Lake City for two nights before continuing on to Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park. This grand journey can easily be followed by the Canadian Rockies extension (11-21 July 2012).

Vibrant cities, volcanic landscapes, coastal coves, Roman ruins and historic battlefields are some of the wonders of central and western Turkey. Istanbul is the gateway to two continents where east meets west. Walk to an Ottoman fort, visit the renowned Hagia Sophia, cruise on the Bosphorus and explore massive Topkapi Palace. In central Turkey, Cappadocia features curious volcanic landscapes, steadily carved by nature and its human inhabitants. Based here for four nights, we visit Goreme Open Air Museum and the underground cities. Day walks explore villages, canyons and lesser visited valleys.

After visiting Konya, home of the whirling dervishes, we cross the Taurus Mountains to Antalya and stay four nights in the coastal town of Kas. Walk in Olympos National Park and enjoy a day on the Lycian way following aqueducts to the old city of Patara. A half day Gulet cruise to Kekova Islands provides time for walks, viewing the sunken city of Simena and visiting Myra the ancient capital of Lycia. On another day, we visit the nearby Greek island of Kastellorizo. In western Turkey, we explore the archaeological sites of Ephesus, Pergamon and Troy. Before returning to Istanbul, we walk on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and visit the military museum and memorials in Helles.

Evolving in isolation for 165 million years, Madagascar has some of the world's most unique flora and fauna including lemurs, chameleons, orchids and towering baobab trees. Our journey begins in the bustling capital of Antananarivo. To the east, Andasibe is our base for excursions into the lowland and mid-altitude rainforest of Analamazaotra-Mantadia National Park. We enjoy night and morning walks to spot lemurs, eastern ring-tailed mongoose, frogs and chameleons. 

Travelling through terraced farmlands, we arrive in Antsirabe, a highland urban oasis surrounded by volcanic lakes. After lakeside walks and visits to artisan workshops, we continue to Ranomafana National Park. This montane rainforest is home to carnivorous pitcher plants, 12 species of lemur and chameleon and almost half of Madagascar’s bird species. For contrast, Andringitra National Park is a walker’s paradise with prairies and open grassland below lunar-like granite massifs.

After visiting the paper-making village of Ambalavao, we walk in the canyons and riparian rainforests of Ranohira Isalo National Park. To the south, forests of spiny ‘octopus’ trees contrast with avenues of baobabs. At Ifaty and Anakao, we snorkel on coral reefs and visit a nearby island protecting the red tailed tropic bird. Our final wildlife encounter is at Tsimanampesotse National Park before we return to the capital.

TOUR FULLY BOOKED - 2013 dates coming soon.

Experience the people, pathways, culture and cuisine of Southern Italy. The Amalfi coast, Aeolian Islands and Sicily provide a true taste of Italian life and you will be able to experience it through local eyes.

The mountain village of Agerola is your base to explore the Amalfi coast. Ten nights at a family-run hotel mean you can truly unpack your bags and become a part of Italian village life. From this lofty base, follow local trails and stairways to the seaside villages of Positano, Praiano and Amalfi. On non-hiking days discover the ruins of Pompei, visit the Isle of Capri, explore Naples and peer into the crater of Mt Vesuvio. There’s time to taste Agerola’s hand-made cheeses and lemon liqueur or explore the extravagant rooms of Caserta Palace.

An overnight boat journey brings you to the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano. Climb to viewpoints, hike to crater rims or combine sulphur and mud baths with swims in the sea. Our final destination is Taormina on Sicily’s east coast where we spend five nights. There is time to walk to medieval villages and walk on the flanks of Mt Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano.

Zanzibar, Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Mt Kilimanjaro and the Masai Mara – discover East Africa’s iconic destinations.  From Dar es Salaam, we travel to the “Spice Island” of Zanzibar. Fringed by coral reefs, Zanzibar’s cultural heart is Stone Town, a labyrinth of grand 19^th century houses, mosques and bustling bazaars.

We journey to the Tanzanian national park of Arusha (home to 400 bird species). Nearby we take in the view of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro (5892m) and the vastness of the Ngorongoro Crater east of the massive Serengeti National Park. From Nairobi, Kenya we travel to the lands of the Masai Mara. The gently undulating grasslands ensure easy sightings of the abundant animal populations. We aim to witness the great migration of zebras, gazelles and wildebeest.

Passing through the tea plantation region of Sotik, we search for crocodiles and hippos on Lake Baringo. Nearby Lake Bogoria has Africa’s largest concentration of hot springs and geysers. From here we travel to Samburu National Reserve, home to lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffe and zebra. Returning south, we walk in the foothills of Mt Kenya before the tour concludes in Nairobi. Alternatively you can join an optional 6 day extension to Bwindi National Park to see gorillas in the wild.

Stretching 1000km from southern Peru to northern Chile, the Atacama is the driest desert on earth. From the oasis of San Pedro, watch the colours change over bizarre formations in the Valleys of Mars and the Moon. To the south, the world's second largest salt flat, Salar de Atacama contrasts with a backdrop of snow-capped Andean volcanoes. Your first week concludes with sunrise at El Tatio geysers, baths in thermal hot springs and visits to small Altiplano villages, clifftop fortresses and petroglyphs.

Across the Andes in north west Argentina, the Diaguitas and Calchaquis people have long inhabited the desert regions. Trace ancient trade routes to the Humahuaca Valley, visit the Purmamarca handicrafts market and Pucara de Tilcara, a pre-Hispanic fortress. After two nights in the quiet mountain village of Iruya we continue to Salta, rich in Spanish folklore, music and handcrafts.

South of Salta, we take several days to explore historical places such as Quilmes ruins and Cachi Anthropological museum. Walk in Las Conchas Gorge, the Red River Valley and search for cactus hummingbirds, guanacos and condors in Los Cardones National Park. This tour can be linked to the 8 day Iguazu and North East Argentina tour.

Discover the heart of Polynesia, 3000km north east of Auckland. From the majestic peaks of Rarotonga to the untouched rainforests of Atiu and the breathtaking lagoon of Aitutaki - the beauty and charm of these South Pacific islands is matched only by the warm hospitality of its friendly people. Your local guide will introduce you to the culture, people and natural beauty over two weeks.

On the main island of Rarotonga, we visit the colourful weekly market, walk through pristine rainforest to The Needle (a legendary rock pinnacle) and join local guides into a conservation area and on a tour around the island. We soak up the spirit of the famous Cook Island dancers at a legendary island night.

There are few places left in the world like the island of Atiu. Explore the native jungle, the Kopeka caves (home to rare birdlife), visit a coffee plantation and arts studio, then spend a day with local guide Birdman George. Our time of Atiu ends with an umukai, a traditional Polynesian feast.

On Aitutaki we contract a day cruise on the beautiful lagoon, and a safari & history tour to Paengariki Marae. With the tour ex Rarotonga, flights and extensions can be arranged direct from Australia or via New Zealand.

ONE SPACE LEFT - single female twin share only.

This is a journey of red earth, white-barked eucalypts, sandstone gorges, remote coastlines, wildflowers and wildlife. Over 16 days, travel from south to north through the best of Western Australia’s wilderness areas.

Two hours from Perth, photograph the bizarre limestone pillars as they rise from the shifting sands at the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park. At Kalbarri National Park, the Murchison River enters the sea through a series of sandstone gorges. Explore the river gorges and sea cliffs and admire the floral beauty of the surrounding sand plains.

At Monkey Mia, we cruise to spot dugongs and marine wildlife. North of Monkey Mia, Francois Peron National Park, a former pastoral station, provides a refuge for rare and endangered flora and fauna.

World Heritage listed Shark Bay is home to a profusion of marine life including dolphins, dugongs, turtles, rays, sharks, other fish and ancient Stromatolites. A walk over ancient fossil reefs at Cape Range National Park contrasts with the weightlessness of snorkeling at nearby Ningaloo Marine Park, the largest fringing coral reef in Australia.

The tour finale is 3 days enjoying the gorges and side chasms up to 100m deep in Karijini National Park. Your journey ends with a flight from Paraburdoo back to Perth.