Tours in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

Australia and Pacific Island Chains

Included areas

Australian,  the islands of the  Southern Pacific Ocean including Papua New Guinea, West Papua, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomons,  Cook Islands,  larger island chains such as the Hawain Island chain and Islands to the west of   the South American mainland e.g. the Gallapagos and Easter Island.

Australian Geohistory Tours

Geohistory tourism in Australia is just beginning.  The Ecotourism component of Geohistory tours is better developed than the Geological (or Geotourism) component and the cultural tourism concept is usually handled by historical societies and locally in major cities through a greeter organisation. Options for this tourism in Australia are  outlined in Geohistory tourism in Australia   Cultural tourism is developed in Europe based on many thousands of years on human history and culture and this is reflected in these countries by a .

Queensland Geotourism 

Google map ,Queensland

Queensland has the potential to create a thriving industry in geohistory tourism based on its climate, world heritage regions, local development and natural resources. The ways that these tours could operate would include:

1.. Traditional tour with guide and brochure and commentary and a set agenda for the travel.  This would suit larger tour groups and particularly those from overseas with limited English and time to visit the State.

2. self guided tour using brochures, printouts,  Thus would link to the grey nomads who have both enough time and are not very computer literate and like to travel the main highways of the country seeking out interesting places to visit along their travels.

3.Self/tour  guided tour using phone apps or websites would  link best with tech savvy tourist who enjoys the constant use of   smart phone apps to locate all their  items of interest  .   This concept of using a hone app to highlight the building stones of the city of Brisbane was first showcased in the International Geological Congress (IGC in 2012) as the Geotourism Brisbane app  This has been upgraded and used in the 2017 World Science Fair  (e.g. Konect Tourism).  The concept includes creating digital postcards in front of sites of interest. Regions included and shown on the following slide. The Konect App could be a model for self -guided Global Geohistory Tourism. The most northerly area covers the Etheridge shire and has been complied with the purpose of creating Australia’s first geopark. Other areas completed include Eungella National park and the Brisbane CBD. Work is continuing on North Stradbroke Island and the Redcliffe Peninsular.
Changes in the movement of people to overseas destinations this year (2020) due to the covid-19 pandemic form a great opportunity to promote options 2 and 3 for self guided tours combined with local directories of services so that self guiding tours can avail themselves of routine and emergy services as needed.

South east Queensland Geohistory Tours

Brisbane CBD, Southbank, Captain Cook Bridge and Kangaroo Point Cliffs

(Downloadable PDF for Brisbane CBD self guided tour ),

CURRENT TOURISM FOCUS:

An interest in global geohistory tourism has focused initially on creating sites for the Konect Tourism phone App.  The major goal is   to continue to document how  geology and geological processes can be applied to global tourism   applications.

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND – KoNECT TOURISM – LOCAL BRISBANE CITY AND ENVIRONS

Compilation of site data and documentation of geological, ecological and human history information about regions of Queensland focusing initially on the Brisbane CBD, North Island, the geohistory of the water storages (Somerset, Wiventoe and North Pine Dams)  and the Redcliffe peninsular north of Brisbane.

Compilation of site data and documentation of geological, ecological and human history information about regions of Queensland focusing initially on the Brisbane CBD, North Stradbroke Island, the geohistory of the water storages (Somerset, Wiventoe and North Pine Dams)  and the Redcliffe peninsular north of Brisbane.

Local areas that are suitable for Geohistory tours includes almost all the coastline, the islands of Moreton Bay, adjacent hinterland including the regions around the water supplies for Brisbane city, the scenic rim and the Darling Downs linking geological landscapes to human history.

Ipswich area – coal mining and local history tourism 

The Ipswich area with its coal resources and colonial human history links is a fertile ground for geohistory tourism. The documenting of information in the Blackstone  Hill area is a recent addition to the human history of this area.

DARLING DOWNS AND MID SOUTHWEST

Field excursions in the region showed the major developments of the coal seam gas resource of the Surat basin and its necessary infrastructureThis would be a great area for regional tourism with the capacity to show how human development needs resources generated by geological processes. The area has a rich history being the largest cattle sales in the southern hemisphere and the first area to find oil in Queensland.  

 PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The islands of Papua New Guinea are a region of major potential for geotourism.  The reefs, volcanoes, pristine islands, and mountain trekking  and are all major areas for Geotourism.

Areas with major geotourism potential include New Britain (particularly Rabaul, New Ireland, Tufi, Sogeri, and the Sepik river. New Ireland and the Feni Islands.

CAPE YORK

Work in Cape York in 2008 showed there was significant potential for geological resource-style geohistory tourism and scope for landscape-human history tourism in remote areas including Cape York Peninsula. Travel along the old telegraph line and visits to Bamaga and the most northerly point are memorable experiences.

HONG KONG and SOUTHERN CHINA

Work included  Geological field excursions covering aspects of geological process creating landscapes were  undertaken in the Zaoquing area of southern China and in Hong Kong.

For any additional information and details of experience contact RING ME ON – 0498259376.