Certified eco-luxury tours prove the perfect elixir for conscious travel

According to the Central Coast’s newly ECO Certified high-end, nature-based touring group, the ingredients of an ‘Elixir Journey’ are simple - a big dose of nature, plus great food and wine. Add in a generous helping of sustainable practices and you have an official ECO Certification stamp of approval, recognised by conscious travellers worldwide.

We’re excited to announce that Elixir Journeys, a tourism business that combines soft-adventure with barefoot luxury, and recent recipient of $500 funding incentive to pursue certification from WWF-Australia, has successfully achieved ECO Certification at the Ecotourism level!

This is an incredible achievement in such a short space of time, with Elixir Journeys only joining the destination’s funded program in June 2021. We proudly congratulate this local business for their commitment to sustainability on our beautiful Central Coast.

Elixir Journeys set the scene for relaxing private and small-group getaways, surrounding their guests with delicious food and wine alongside a focus on creating a low carbon impact. They value highlighting local products through their barefoot luxury experiences immersed in nature, and source locally where possible so you can explore the region not only by foot, but through taste too.

“I’ve spent the past six months exploring the area in depth, connecting with locals and partnering with them to create premium experiences with the simple formula of nature plus great food and wine.” says Founder & Guide of Elixir Journeys, Nicola Billens.

“We passionately believe that tourism is the key to changing the world for the better. We believe that by helping people to appreciate the wonders of nature, they will be more inclined to take care of it.  But being in nature doesn’t have to mean roughing it and so we aim to combine soft-adventure with barefoot luxury.

“We won’t bamboozle you with Latin names for rare plant species, but we might recommend you hug a tree (it feels great!). For us it’s about appreciating being outdoors and enjoying great food and great wine in beautiful locations.”

To feel a million miles from home without travelling more than 90 minutes from Sydney, try one of Elixir Journey's immersive nature tours:

• Bouddi Wildflower Walk (ECO Certified)
• Sundowner Stroll Nature Tour (ECO Certified)
• Bouddi & Bells (ECO Certified)
• Remedy Walk Nature Therapy (ECO Certified)
• X marks the spot secret picnic (ECO Certified)

You won’t just enjoy exploring the Central Coast when you visit either, you’ll contribute to planting trees for future koala habitat! Elixir Journeys allows every traveller to give back to community initiatives through their commitment to projects like the Koala Clancy Foundation, who will receive $5 on behalf of every guest. To explore all the Elixir Journeys experiences visit there website here.

Elixir Journeys are constantly advocating for ecotourism in their daily operations by:

• Kindly asking guests to bring their own reusable water bottle with a zero plastics policy
• Sourcing food and drink locally to highlight the Central Coast’s amazing producers
• Working with other tourism operators who show a strong commitment to eco principles.
• Refusing to offer printed brochures or marketing material that can easily be binned.

Huge kudos to Elixir Journeys for promoting sustainable tourism practices on a national scale! We expect to hear about more good practices in future as this business grows from strength to strength. Get to know more about Elixir Journeys and book one of their personalised tours by visiting their Love Central Coast listing and following them on Instagram and Facebook.

Currently the Central Coast has the largest regional cohort of certified or seeking certification businesses in Australia. Tourism operators choosing to join the intensive ecotourism certification program are supported with online tools, resources and regular online bootcamps delivered by Ecotourism Australia’s trained professionals. This is all made possible through the funded ECO Destination Certification program led by Destination Central Coast since September 2020.

Destination Central Coast is proud to support Elixir Journeys alongside 10 other nature-based operators on their ECO Certification journey, who each successfully received $500 funding from WWF-Australia to assist with their first year of the application process.

Discover more about ecotourism on the Central Coast by visiting our Ecotourism hub here.