Everyone has heard of eco travel and ‘voluntourism’, but do you know what pitfalls to look out for and how to make an informed decision? Hear first-hand...

Natural Footsteps: Ethical Travel

Location:

Level 2, 400 George Street
2000 NSW
Australia

Venue:
Vivid Ideas Exchange - Telstra Customer Insight Centre
Speakers of Natural Footsteps: Ethical Travel
Speakers of Natural Footsteps: Ethical Travel

Featuring

Anthony Ham

Anthony Ham

Anthony Ham is one of Australia's most experienced nature and travel writers. For more than two decades, he has been travelling to the earth's wild places in search of stories, to Africa, the Amazon, the Arctic, and Outback Australia. His work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, BBC Travel, The Age and elsewhere.

Bri Lee

Bri Lee

Bri Lee is an award-winning author, academic, and activist. Her books include Who Gets to be SmartBeauty, and Eggshell Skull. She is the columnist for T Magazine Australia, writes regularly for The Saturday Paper, and runs a weekly Substack called News & Reviews. Bri's advocacy saw consent laws in Queensland referred to the Law Reform Commission, and she founded the 'Freadom Inside' initiative which gets books to women in prisons in New South Wales. She's a PhD candidate and lecturer at the University of Sydney. 

Tara Winkler

Tara Winkler

Tara Winkler is the co-founder of Cambodian Children's Trust (CCT), which she established in 2007 with Pon Jedtha to help 14 children escape an abusive orphanage. Over the last 15 years, she has led CCT through several organisational changes. In 2012, CCT became the first organisation in Cambodia to transform its orphanage into a family-based care model and led the way in Cambodia’s care reform movement. In 2019, CCT began another major transformation to address the root cause of the orphanage crisis with the launch of its Village Hive Project. The Village Hive Project is transferring CCT’s programs and services into the public sector to build a universal social protection system that is delivered sustainably by the local community. Winkler’s story has been featured on ABC's Australian Story, 60 Minutes Australia and many other international media platforms and academic journals. Her TED Talk ‘Why we need to end the era of orphanages’ has received over 1.2 million views. She also testified at the Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Modern Slavery in 2017, alongside CCT ambassador Sinet Chan, which resulted in orphanage trafficking being formally recognised for the first time in history. Winkler’s book 'How (NOT) to Start an Orphanage' was published by Allen & Unwin in 2016. She is currently working on developing her book into a feature film produced by Sunstar Entertainment and is executive producing a documentary on decolonising development.

Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater is an award-winning travel and food writer with more than 20 years’ experience in the media. He’s a columnist and regular contributor to the travel pages of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, the host of the acclaimed travel podcast Flight of Fancy, and the author of five travel and food books. He has twice been named the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ “Travel Writer of the Year”.

Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck

Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck

With thirty years tourism experience, Jenny-Lee has worked with most sectors of the industry, including a decade as Tourism Manager in Local Government. NSW National parks, YHA of NSW, BridgeClimb, IMAX, ACCOR, Powerhouse & Australian Museums are a few of Jenny-Lee’s employers. Jenny-Lee also headed up the marketing and tourism development team for the Kingdom of Tonga focused on delivering an empowered local team. She has paddled rivers and oceans around the world in kayaks and outrigger canoes. Devastated by the impact of plastic and litter Jenny-Lee joined the Take 3 team in 2018 to help shift the tide on litter and plastics ending up in our oceans.

Access and Inclusion

  • Auslan Interpreted - Auslan interpreted events are for audiences who are Deaf and use Australian Sign Language (Auslan) as their primary means of communication. Experienced Auslan theatre interpreters stand to the side of the stage and translate what the speakers are saying or Auslan signing the text and dialogue live. Audiences requiring this service are seated in the section closest to the interpreter to ensure good sightlines.
  • Companion Card Acceptance - The Companion Card is for people with a significant permanent disability, who always need a companion to provide attendant care type support in order to participate at most available community venues and activities.
  • Hearing Loop - A hearing loop (sometimes called an audio induction loop) is a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids. The hearing loop provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by the hearing aid when it is set to 'T' (Telecoil) setting. Many venues have an induction hearing loop system. Check if your venue has this system.
  • Wheelchair Accessible - Access to the venue is suitable for wheelchairs (toilets, ramps/lifts etc.) and designated wheelchair spaces are available.

Event Details

Everyone has heard of eco travel and ‘voluntourism’, but do you know what pitfalls to look out for and how to make an informed decision?

Hear first-hand from travel writers, journalists and industry advocates about what we can all do better to help reduce our footprint and make for more meaningful adventures.

Tara Winkler has a fascinating story of volunteering at a Cambodian orphanage only to learn that her actions were causing more harm than good, inspiring her to start charity Cambodian Children’s Trust. She will share her experience and how she is now working with the travel industry to tackle the downside of voluntourism and create different models of community engagement.

Anthony Ham and Bri Lee are both travel and nature writers who have to juggle the dilemma of writing about remote and pristine places while also wishing they remain untouched. Anthony’s adventures have taken him around the world and recently to the deepest parts of the Amazon where nature, politics and tourism collide – ayahuasca retreats anyone? Bri Lee leads boutique learning-driven travel tours and will share her approach to travel and some of her recent experiences to places like Antarctica and Turkey.

And with more than 20 years across the travel industry, Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck will share her insights into how the industry is changing to address problems like waste and plastic pollution through programs such as Ground Swell by Take 3 for the Sea.

Together with veteran travel journalist Ben Groundwater, they’ll discuss the challenges and opportunities of ethical travel, and what you can do to ensure your next adventure engages cultures, communities and ecosystems without harming them.

This event is part of Vivid Ideas' Human Nature series. Challenge the 'natural' ways of thinking, and explore the emerging new normals across sex, relationships, body politics, travel and more.

Personalise MyVivid

Want the site to get more relevant to your tastes? Tap a few taste bubbles.

Want the site to get more relevant to your tastes? Sign up for a MyVivid Account.

Access and Inclusion

  • Auslan Interpreted - Auslan interpreted events are for audiences who are Deaf and use Australian Sign Language (Auslan) as their primary means of communication. Experienced Auslan theatre interpreters stand to the side of the stage and translate what the speakers are saying or Auslan signing the text and dialogue live. Audiences requiring this service are seated in the section closest to the interpreter to ensure good sightlines.
  • Companion Card Acceptance - The Companion Card is for people with a significant permanent disability, who always need a companion to provide attendant care type support in order to participate at most available community venues and activities.
  • Hearing Loop - A hearing loop (sometimes called an audio induction loop) is a special type of sound system for use by people with hearing aids. The hearing loop provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by the hearing aid when it is set to 'T' (Telecoil) setting. Many venues have an induction hearing loop system. Check if your venue has this system.
  • Wheelchair Accessible - Access to the venue is suitable for wheelchairs (toilets, ramps/lifts etc.) and designated wheelchair spaces are available.