About Us
At Vision Walks, we transcend the traditional boundaries of tour companies, bearing the torch for the preservation of our planet, the enrichment of local communities, and the celebration of unique natural landscapes.
At Vision Walks, we transcend the traditional boundaries of tour companies, bearing the torch for the preservation of our planet, the enrichment of local communities, and the celebration of unique natural landscapes.
Wendy Bithell
Founder and eco-tour guide
Wendy, the founder of Vision Walks- Eco Tours, is an eco-tour guide with a background in environmental science and advanced learning technologies. Wendy's diverse career includes teaching tourism, eco-tourism, and tech courses at local colleges and working with the BBC's online education unit. For 16 years, Wendy has shared her deep Byron Bay insights through engaging tours blending humour, passion, and historical context.
Delta Kay
Local indigenous tour guide
Delta Kay, an Arakwal Bundjalung woman. She was brought up on country but lived in Melbourne for a while, where she was involved in early childhood education. She is now back on country and is passionate about sharing her knowledge of local Aboriginal culture.
Tom Driftwood
Eco-tour guide
Tom loves bushwalking with an emphasis on birds and wildlife. He loves the diversity of the far north coast with its ancient connections to Gondwana (the supercontinent), and the mighty Tweed shield volcano. Tom studied environmental science at Griffith University in Brisbane in the nineties and has been a passionate defender of our wild places, active in many campaigns to protect forests and wildlife and shift us towards a more sustainable future.
Gary Opit
Wildlife expert and font of knowledge
Gary Opit is the man you want walking by your side if you’re in a national park. He prides himself on identifying wildlife. The chances of him not knowing what he sees are very slim.Gary has been delivering a weekly wildlife segment on the ABC North Coast radio for the past 20+ years. In this program he often identifies species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and spiders from listener descriptions.
As an environmental scientist, he has assisted Australian Governments in all areas of conservation and is highly regarded in the Australian cryptozoology circles as an authority. Gary studied environmental sciences at Griffith University in the mid-seventies. He spent a couple of years in Papua New Guinea studying the wildlife. He worked with the Bishop Museum of Honolulu doing three month expeditions into the wilderness to collect wildlife.
Gary lives on the far north coast of NSW and he loves it. He has sure has seen a lot but never stops wanting to see more.“The Northern Rivers is one of the biodiversity hot spots in Australia…it’s a fascinating area as we have mountains close to the sea so within a few kilometres you can be on the beach and drive up to high mountain ranges covered in sub-tropical rainforest and even temperate rainforest at the highest altitudes.” Gary Opit
We are a multi-award winning business, who have the highest level of Eco-tourism accreditation possible in Australia. We are the only business with this level in the NSW Northern Rivers Region. One of 4 with it in NSW and one of 19 with it in the whole of Australia.
ADVANCED ECO TOURISM
What does it mean to have advanced ecotourism accreditation? It
means we are among Australia’s leading ecotourism companies. We are leading the way with the most innovative ecotourism products that operate with minimal impact on the environment and provide opportunities to learn about the environment with operators who are committed to achieving best practice, using resources wisely, contributing to conserving the environment and helping local communities. For more information about our eco tourism accreditation, check out the Eco Tourism Australia Website.
It’s our promise to you that we do everything we can to take care of the wildlife, natural places and communities where we operate.
CLIMATE ACTION BUSINESS
Climate Action Certification is designed for all sectors of the tourism industry including hotels, attractions, tours, transport, restaurants, travel agents, tourism commissions and industry bodies. The Climate Action Certification program is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and assuring travellers that certified products are backed by a commitment to sustainable practices related to addressing climate change.
Last year our net position was -4636kg CO2.
RESPECTING OUR CULTURE
ROC certified tourism operators are committed to protecting cultural authenticity and integrity, developing sound business practices, environmental protection and acknowledging Indigenous peoples spiritual connection to the land and water.
2023 Gold - Tour Operator of the Year - NSW Tourism Awards
2023 Silver- Eco Tourism -NSW Tourism Awards
2023 Gold -Tourism & Visitor Experience-Regional Bus Awards
2023 Gold - Tour Operator of the Year - Regional Tourism Awards
2023 Gold -Tourism & Visitor Experience -Byron Business Awards
2023 Gold - Sustainability - Byron Business Awards
2022 Silver- Eco Tourism -NSW Tourism Awards
2021 Silver- Eco Tourism -NSW Tourism Awards
2019 Gold - Eco Tourism- Regional Tourism Awards
Due to our high level of eco tourism accreditation, we are one of the few businesses in NSW with a 10 year "Parks Eco Pass" permit. This permit allows us to operate in most of the National Parks in the region. We also have a permit to operate in some of the National Parks in South East Queensland.
We conduct our tours on Bundjalung country and like to pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we operate and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. When you visit this country, please treat it with respect. Please take the time to learn about the local history, customs and culture of Bundjalung country and respect sacred sites by observing that you may not enter some of them. Wollumbin (Mount Warning) is sacred to the Bundjalung people. Out of respect for their wishes, we do not offer walks here.
