Tasmanian Ecotourism Pioneers mark 30 years of operations

Pioneers of pack free multi-day hikes, Tasmania’s Freycinet Experience Walk have marked 30 years of operations - representing more operational decades than any other Australian walking company of its kind.

Founded by Joan Masterman in 1992, Freycinet Experience Walk has maintained a sound environmental focus over its three decades of operations.

Across the four-day walk, guests walk the entirety of Freycinet Peninsula including Wineglass Bay. On the trail they are immersed in indigenous stories - the area having once a rich food bowl for local tribes - while, back at the Friendly Beaches Lodge, a menu highlights the ‘bush tucker’ influence of the surrounding landscape.

The Lodge sets a high standard for sustainable tourism - tucked into the landscape, from Friendly Beaches it is unseen by those not led by guides.

Commenting on Freycinet Experience Walk’s achievements, Delia Nicholls, the former Manager of Destination Promotion at Tourism Tasmania, states “I think what strikes people is that simple structure sitting lightly in the landscape. And that you can walk a pristine white beach and just see animals and birds and shells. You can't find that in many places in the world anymore.”

For her work, Masterman was awarded an Order of Australia for her contribution to tourism in Tasmania in 2019 and her commitment to protecting and preserving the environment.

Her grandson Isaac continues to be actively involved with the business, along with other Masterman family members who share q passion for wild Tasmania.

Former Friendly Beaches Lodge host, Dan McMahon notes “Joan's legacy is that the quality of ecotourism can be expressed through architecture, culture, and long-lasting relationships. In Freycinet Experience Walk, there's a deep passion and care for Tasmania and for the experience that we have of Tasmania.”

Always adapting and evolving, in 2023 the Freycinet Experience Walk will launch an Artists in Residence Program with artists housed in a space separate from the walkers.

For more information visit www.freycinet.com.au