{"id":1378,"date":"2026-09-15T10:08:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T10:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/15\/kabarsula-forty-years-on-the-trail-walkabout-gourmet-adventures-celebrates-og-small-group-travel-bandar-slot-indonesia\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T10:08:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T10:08:41","slug":"kabarsula-forty-years-on-the-trail-walkabout-gourmet-adventures-celebrates-og-small-group-travel-bandar-slot-indonesia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/15\/kabarsula-forty-years-on-the-trail-walkabout-gourmet-adventures-celebrates-og-small-group-travel-bandar-slot-indonesia\/","title":{"rendered":"kabarsula Forty years on the trail: Walkabout Gourmet Adventures celebrates OG small-group travel bandar SLOT INDONESIA"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This month marks 40 years since Walkabout Gourmet Adventures began, with founders Graeme and Gabriela Clarke building a company on a simple idea: walking, nature, good food and introducing travellers to places they might otherwise struggle to experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Australian family-owned business remains founder-led today, with both Graeme and Gabriela still actively involved \u2013 Graeme continuing to develop and personally lead journeys, and Gabriela working across the business much as she has since the beginning, from shaping the culinary side of the earliest Australian trips to helping build the company\u2019s expansion into Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile Walkabout has evolved considerably over four decades, it remains guided by the same people and principles on which it was founded,\u201d Graeme said.<\/p>\n

The numbers behind the milestone are considerable: Walkabout has welcomed more than 6,000 guests across over 1,000 tours in 15 countries since 1986, and the company describes itself as one of Victoria\u2019s longest-running walking tour operators.<\/p>\n

\"September\"September
September marks 40 years since Gabriela and Graeme Clarke founded Walkabout Gourmet Adventures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A simple beginning<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walkabout\u2019s origins trace back to Graeme and Gabriela\u2019s years in Europe, where they came to love the walking regions of Germany, France and Switzerland. Returning to Australia, they set about turning that passion into a business.<\/p>\n

The idea in 1986 was remarkably low-tech. Wilsons Promontory National Park was difficult for international visitors to reach without their own transport, so the Clarkes began visiting Melbourne youth hostels on Thursday evenings, showing travellers slides of the Prom and inviting them to join a three-day trip departing the following day.<\/p>\n

Their first vehicle was a second-hand 18-seat Mazda Parkway, with the rear six seats removed to make room for luggage and supplies. From Wilsons Promontory, the program expanded into the Grampians, Great Ocean Road, Victorian High Country, Croajingolong National Park and Kosciuszko National Park \u2013 and word spread quickly enough that Walkabout was soon carrying more Australian guests than international visitors.<\/p>\n

The early tours were hands-on in every sense. Graeme and Gabriela would walk with guests during the day, then return to camp, a farmhouse or a lodge to prepare three-course dinners, breakfasts and gourmet picnic lunches themselves.<\/p>\n

\"The\"The
The early tours, such as this one in Tasmania, were hands-on in with Graeme and Gabriela walking with guests before preparing meals for everyone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That founding philosophy \u2013 highly personalised, guided small-group journeys combining beautiful natural environments with good food, distinctive accommodation and a genuine connection to place \u2013 remains at the heart of the business 40 years on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe destinations \u2013 and certainly the level of comfort \u2013 have evolved enormously, but the fundamental philosophy has changed remarkably little,\u201d Graeme said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really feels like only yesterday that we were setting up our stand at the Melbourne Travel Exhibition in 1986 to launch Walkabout Gourmet Adventures.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince then, it has been an incredible journey exploring beautiful walking destinations across Australia and around the world. While the destinations have been extraordinary, what has truly kept us going are the wonderful guests we\u2019ve had the privilege of travelling with. Many have become lifelong friends, and that has been the greatest reward of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The\"The
The Walkabout Gourmet Adventures stand at the launch of the brand at Melbourne Travel Exhibition in 1986.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From niche concept to established category<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Walkabout launched, the idea of a \u201cgourmet walking holiday\u201d was a difficult sell. Traditional bushwalkers weren\u2019t necessarily interested in the food element, and the broader travel market hadn\u2019t yet caught up to the concept of pairing walking with a more comfortable, culinary experience.<\/p>\n

Forty years on, walking and experiential travel has become a significant category in its own right, with far more operators in the market and strong growth in self-guided walking holidays. Walkabout, however, has deliberately stayed focused on guided journeys.<\/p>\n

\u201cA guide provides far more than navigation,\u201d the founders said. \u201cIt\u2019s the knowledge, stories, relationships and understanding of a region that allow guests to experience a destination more deeply \u2013 much of which can be missed when travelling independently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traveller expectations have shifted too. Walkabout\u2019s earliest Australian trips involved camping, with the Clarkes personally catering every meal; today\u2019s guests expect a greater degree of comfort, and the company now works with carefully selected hotels, restaurants and local partners \u2013 though the emphasis on personal service hasn\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n

The power of repeat business<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Perhaps the clearest measure of Walkabout\u2019s model is its guest loyalty. On many tours today, around 70 per cent of participants have travelled with the company before, and on some departures that figure reaches 100 per cent. On Graeme\u2019s upcoming From the Sea to the Summits journey, 90 per cent of guests are repeat travellers, with the remainder friends of those already booked \u2013 among them Bruce and Cathy, who first travelled with Walkabout in 1992 and are returning 34 years later.<\/p>\n

One story stands out for the founders: a guest who joined Walkabout\u2019s easiest program, the Snail Trail, in 2010, then kept returning over the following years, gradually taking on more difficult journeys. Eventually she joined a Swiss tour and walked to the Faulhorn in the high Swiss Alps \u2013 the highest point reached on any Walkabout tour \u2013 becoming emotional near the summit as she reflected on how far she\u2019d come from having little confidence in her walking ability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose moments are enormously rewarding for us as guides,\u201d the founders said. \u201cThe destination matters, of course, but seeing what travel can give somebody personally is really what stays with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WGA_Alps_Walking_Tour\"\"WGA_Alps_Walking_Tour\"
Many guests are repeat travellers returning year after year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other guests have stayed in Walkabout\u2019s memory for different reasons. In 1996, a family travelled on the Sea to the Summits journey with their two children, then aged seven and 13 \u2013 a reminder, the company says, that meaningful travel isn\u2019t bound by age. Elsewhere, a group who first met on a Walkabout tour more than 25 years ago still holds regular reunions today.<\/p>\n

One experience that particularly stands out involved a guest who first joined their easiest walking program, the Snail Trail, in 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of that journey was quite literally to travel at a snail\u2019s pace,\u201d Graeme said.<\/p>\n

She completed it successfully and returned to travel with us over subsequent years, gradually increasing the difficulty of the journeys she undertook.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually she joined one of our Swiss tours and walked to the Faulhorn in the high Swiss Alps, the highest point reached on any of our walking tours. As she approached the summit, she became emotional as she realised how far she had come \u2014 from having very little confidence in her walking ability to literally climbing a mountain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose moments are enormously rewarding for us as guides.\u201d<\/p>\n

That loyalty has also reshaped the trade side of the business. Travel agents were crucial in the early years, when Walkabout was completely unknown, but as repeat business and word of mouth grew \u2013 aided by early guests who went on to complete more than 10 journeys each and brought along groups of friends \u2013 the company became considerably less reliant on agents to generate bookings. Direct relationships with guests are now a major part of the business, though Walkabout continues to value the trade\u2019s role in connecting travellers with specialist operators.<\/p>\n

Weathering the pandemic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Like the rest of the travel industry, Walkabout\u2019s toughest test came during COVID-19, when closed international borders paused its overseas tours for almost three years. Rather than stand still, the company used the downtime to develop new Australian walking holidays, and when travel resumed in 2023 it expanded its domestic collection across multiple states while continuing to run its established European program.<\/p>\n

\"During\"During
During COVID-19, rather than stand still, Walkabout Gourmet Adventures developed new Australian walking holidays.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Growing the portfolio<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walkabout\u2019s 40-plus journeys now span Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, a portfolio built through a mix of organic growth, guest suggestions and broader travel trends. The company\u2019s first European tours \u2013 the European Triangle through Alsace, the Black Forest and Swiss Alps, and the Romantic Path through Bavaria, Austria and the Dolomites \u2013 launched as early as 1988.<\/p>\n

More recent additions, such as Provence, Tuscany and Iceland, reflect wider travel trends, though the founders stress a destination is only added when it fits the Walkabout philosophy.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s Walkabout Stays accommodation offering, anchored by La R\u00e9sidence Saint Mary in Provence, began in 2000 and grew out of the company\u2019s long-standing connection to the region. Guests often stay at the property before or after a Walkabout journey, while the accommodation and touring sides of the business have always complemented one another.<\/p>\n

New journeys are also in development to mark the milestone, including 15-day trips to Tasmania, a Rwanda and Uganda gorilla safari, and a South Korea walking tour, alongside an on-demand Iceland Explorer itinerary for private groups of six or more.<\/p>\n

\"EtoshaNP_Safari_Africa\"\"EtoshaNP_Safari_Africa\"
Walkabout\u2019s 40-plus journeys now span as far as Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Community and what comes next<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sustainability and community impact remain central to the Walkabout model, largely through small group sizes and long-term relationships with local accommodation, restaurant and guide partners. In Rundu, Namibia, the company has supported a local primary school through donations and supplies and organises guest visits to build a more personal connection with the community.<\/p>\n

For the anniversary itself, Walkabout is considering a gathering for long-time travellers rather than a blanket discount \u2013 similar to a guest reunion held in Victoria for the company\u2019s 25th anniversary \u2013 potentially combining a walk with a hosted lunch or dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel the anniversary should recognise the people who have helped make those 40 years possible,\u201d Graeme said.<\/p>\n

\"Walkabout\"Walkabout
Walkabout is considering a gathering for long-time travellers to celebrate the anniversary.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking ahead, Graeme and Gabriela Clarke see nature-based travel becoming increasingly important, pointing to Walkabout\u2019s first African safari in 2014 as a turning point in understanding how guests respond to wildlife experiences. With the couple now based back in Australia, after roughly 30 years predominantly in Europe, the company also plans to renew its focus on Australian touring alongside its international program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t see the next decade as being about becoming bigger for the sake of growth,\u201d Graeme said. \u201cIt\u2019s about continuing to find exceptional places, refining the journeys we already offer and developing new ones where we believe Walkabout can bring something distinctive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMoving forward, we still have plenty of ideas for new destinations and hope to continue welcoming many more guests into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forty years on, they say, the aim remains the same as it was in 1986: to take people somewhere worth discovering, walk through it rather than simply pass through it, eat well along the way, and make the experience personal.<\/p>\n

\"Experiences\"Experiences
Experiences such as this Norway Walking tour are particularly rewarding for guests as well as guides.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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