Ecotourism

Our ecotourism and environmental aims and objectives are based on the general philosophy…Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort team is proudly Ecotourism Australia Certified. By demonstrating best practice, our resort is recognised as having exemplary operations in terms of ecological sustainability, natural area management and provision of authentic cultural experiences. With a sustainable ethos and our location at the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, we passionately blend good times and good ethics to offer the perfect escape for all ages!

As an Ecotourism Australia operator based within the Great Barrier Reef region, we understand the importance of preserving and protecting the area’s ecosystems and natural resources, and to inform our guests of potential impacts and how they can make a difference.

We are lucky to be located in a region in which the environment is held in high regard and as such, the people in the area are very environmentally conscious. All our staff are very motivated about our environmental policy which has made training very easy and widely accepted.

Who Gives A Crap

We do!! We are proud to say that we now stock all of our cabins with Who Gives A Crap Premium 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper!

These most elegant 100% bamboo toilet rolls are, as quoted by Who Gives A Crap, “as soft and strong as a unicorn’s mane (minus the split ends)!” Unlike most paper products, this toilet paper is made without trees. Did you know that 27,000 trees are cut down daily to make toilet paper?

Who Gives a Crap donates 50% of their profits to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet within our lifetime, to date donating over AUD$10 million! It’s pretty hard to imagine, but right now, 2.3 billion people don’t have access to a toilet. That’s 1 in 3 people. What’s even nuttier is that more people in the world have a mobile phone than a toilet!

For more information, or to purchase your own supply and help change the world just by conducting your daily necessities, visit https://au.whogivesacrap.org.au

Containers For Change

In addition to the many recycling bins positioned throughout the resort, did you also know that we also have 12 specially designed Containers For Change bins for our guests to place their empty cans and eligible containers for recycling?

Not only do we recycle nearly 3,000 containers per month through Containers for Change, but we also donate all funds to six local organisations, including Whitsunday Fauna Rescue, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, RSPCA Mackay, Proserpine Scouts, Proserpine Community Centre and the Cannonvalley Pony Club.

Containers saved from landfill

139932

Donated to a good cause

$13993

Orana

A traditional ‘welcome’. All cabins within our resort are supplied with refillable Orana shampoo, conditioner and bodywash. The ORANA collection’s unique blend of native botanical oils is designed to refresh and revive your body, mind and spirit using Australian essential oils, including Tasmanian pepper berry, lemongrass and mandarin. Orana Bottle

Formulations are free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oils and are never tested on animals. Orana also uses an Eco Pure organic plastic additive that helps aid in plastic packaging becoming biodegradable.

Sun Bum

To keep our guests safe from the sun and our reefs safe from pollution, we proudly stock a range of Sun Bum products for sale. Their “Reef Friendly” sunscreen products are both Oxybenzone free and Octinoxate free, therefore limiting the impact of sunscreen on coral reefs. That’s why we choose Sun Bum!

Whitsunday Healthy Heart Program

We understand that protecting the reef is not just important, but critical to the future of our local environment. As a result, WAHI is proud to be committed to the Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project which strives to protect the natural wonders of the Whitsundays—such as the reef—from the ever-growing threat of climate change.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort’s environmental aims and objectives are based on the general philosophy … Reduce – Reuse – Recycle. Our aim is to provide accommodation for both domestic and environmental conscious tourists staying in cabins or camping. To achieve this, we have designed our cabins and operation in compliance with all building regulations and environmental policies. Over the 29 years of operation, prior to any developments, we have always identified all the possible environmental risks associated with the project during its development and operation. These impacts have been catered for as best as possible through mitigation methods, construction materials and methods, environmental initiatives and design initiatives.

Our environmental aims and objectives:

Ensure compliance with all environmental legislation and requirements.

Identify and minimise all possible environmental risks associated with the operation of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort.

Ensure there are no long term environmental or cultural impacts from the operation of BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort.

Minimise the consumption of energy.

Minimise the consumption of water.

Minimise the generation of waste.

Reduce contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience and adaptation to climate change.

Educate our guests and tourists travelling to the Whitsundays on how to reduce their impact by developing their appreciation and understanding.

Support our local tourism partners in contributing to the conservation objectives of the Whitsunday Islands Marine Park.

To source products locally where possible.

To continue to employ local staff.

To partake in local environmental initiatives, including local recycling programs.

To support local flora and fauna.

To monitor and assess environmental opportunities, risks and impacts regularly.

To continue to improve the environmental performance of our operation.

BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort is located 5km from Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays, the heart of the Great Barrier Reef and home to the 74 Whitsunday Islands. Set on 26 acres, our gardens add that extra special something to the holiday experience with thousands of plants used to create an enchanting tropical wonderland. Cabins range from simple studio style rooms, through to 3-bedroom Poolview Condos, whilst enormous outdoor balconies allow space to soak up the balmy outdoors and garden surrounds. Caravan sites are adored for the serenity and privacy of the individually landscaped gardens surrounding each site.

Flora: The resort’s on-site nursery propagates every plant used throughout the park including rare palms, gingers, haliconias and bromeliads. Neem trees have been planted as a native deterrent for sandflies as well as numerous flowering tropical trees and shrubs to attract native butterflies and birdflife.

Fauna: The resort has quite a few beautiful green tree frogs which can usually be spotted at night time and are very important to the local environment. The resident ducks and possums are gorgeous and so friendly, but guests are discouraged from feeding them. Wallabies, bandicoots, scrub turkeys and native birdlife also call the resort home. Whilst snakes are very rare there are some sightings during summer. They are usually harmless tree snakes (green or brown). Dogs or other pets are not allowed to be brought into the resort by guests to ensure the resort’s native animals and bird life is not affected.