Conjola Tours
March 2024
“Easy, laid back and informative walk by lake Conjola. Melinda was very knowledgeable and a great guide in this beautiful setting.”
September 2023
This is a great tour, the area is beautiful.
Guides Melinda and Joe are knowledgeable, friendly and professional. The day was sunny and it was a great way to enjoy the morning.
May 2023
We loved this guided walk with Melinda and Hohepa - it was so interesting and we learned heaps. It is such a beautiful area and it was great to have firsthand input from locals about the fires and also the work done by local environmental groups. We learned about trees, middens, fish, snakes...and lots more! This was besides traversing interesting conversations about Australian culture and some of the parallels between and differences from New Zealand. Their previous experience in the national museum of NZ showed, along with much learning and wisdom. They were on time and good communicators - in fact Melinda put on a tour specially so we could go on one before we left the area.
April 2021
Absolutely fantastic walk around with Melinda and Joe. We had a wonderful time listening to their stories of recent and older history on the area, and great information on local wildlife! They had tonnes of tips on the local area, and we can't wait to go back and explore all the amazing places they told us about.
June 2021
An easy walk, discovering the beauty and bio diversity of the Lake Conjola area. Spectacular scenery combined with the combined eco, flora and fauna knowledge of Melinda and Joe made the walk very enjoyable.
November 2020
We took this tour during our honeymoon and Melinda really made the experience memorable. We were fortunate enough to be in company of her beautiful friends from New Zealand who sang the most beautiful Māori song for us. Thank you.
October 2020
Such a beautiful place and such lovely tour guides to show us around. They were so friendly and warm and shared so many stories about the local wildlife, history and the bushfires and looming threat of climate change. Would highly recommend to others.
July 2020
A really wonderful insight into the local ecosystem. A well thought out tour with two warm and friendly guides with many years of experience in the tourism industry and who bring real passion to their tour. Highly recommended for any visitor who wants a deeper understanding of this special coastline at a fantastic price.
March 2020
I had a great time with Melinda and Joe. I was privileged to have both of them on my own - and they are both passionate and knowledgeable about the area and it’s cultural and natural environment. I highly recommend them and hope to bring my family here sometime to visit. Scenery is varied and breath taking views , lakeside, bush and seashore makes it well worth doing.
March 2020
Absolutely fantastic walk around with Melinda and Joe. We had a wonderful time listening to their stories of recent and older history on the area, and great information on local wildlife! They had tonnes of tips on the local area, and we can't wait to go back and explore all the amazing places they told us about.
February 2020
Our organisation wanted to give back to the communities affected by the awful fires that occurred in early 2020. What better way than joining Conjola Tours to explore this corner of paradise and learn about both the local history and ecology of the area. They were so accommodating, keeping not only a group of adults interested but engaging with three children in the party, one of who had a disability. If you are after a leisurely stroll and want to learn a bit more about this area this is a great option.
December 2019
Thank you Melinda and Joe for taking us through some beautiful areas near Lake Conjola. Your care for the local environment was lovely to see and we wouldn't have been able to find these areas without your help.
Fishermans Paradise Eco-Walks
July 2023
Melinda was a great guide, very knowledgeable with a passion for protecting the environment. We enjoyed the walk and learned about the local village community.
April 2023
Melinda and Joe were wonderful guides, knowledgeable about the area fauna and flora and very committed to improving the environment. We were a group of 5 and absolutely loved the bush walk, the stories and the passion for what they do.
April 2021
Melinda and Joe are knowledgeable, kind and helpful hosts for our amazing Eco walks - highly recommended !
April 2021
Thank you Melinda and Joe for a wonderful walk and insightful stories of the area.
November 2020
Once again, a really enriching experience. After taking Melinda and Hohepa's Lake Conjola Eco-walk last year, we had to try this one. They are such humble, generous and thoughtful guides and so knowledgeable about the local area and environment which they care deeply about. They went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. We learned so much and came away with a real appreciation of the local bush and how the community is coming together to manage recovery efforts after the bushfires. So glad these tours are available - thank you!
September 2020
Mel has an impressive knowledge of the area's history and it was comforting to walk through the regenerating bush after the devastating fires in January 2020. I found it engaging, just the right length and dotted with excellent examples of edible plants, local stories and fascinating anecdotes. I have been to the South Coast many times but learned many new snippets about this beautiful part of Australia. Thank you.
March 2020
Do yourself a favour and do this eco tour. The knowledge and story telling was brilliant. Their connection and passion for the land and wildlife was very evident. It was awesome, both my husband and I enjoyed it so much we did both tours.
March 2020
This was a great walk through the village with lots of background stories about the bushfires and how the community fought together. We saw some interesting birds and Melinda pointed out their unique behaviour. She was very entertaining and lovely, we had a great time.
March 2020
Melinda and Hohepa are both passionate locals and experienced guides, with plenty of stories about the natural environment and the recent devastation wrought by the bushfires.
It's encouraging to see nature respond with new growth, and to hear about the community actions in support of regenerating the area.
There are still plenty of photo opportunities - birds and beautiful river scenes - and things to learn while taking this informative tour in such a tranquil location.
May 2019
We are very glad we decided to do the Eco tour with Mel (and Joe). Not only was it very informative, we also had fun and found out some interesting facts. It was a very enjoyable experience, and Mel and Joe were absolutely lovely.
March 2019
The Eco Walk along Conjola Creek and through the village of Fisherman's Paradise with Melinda and Joe was both informative and delightful. Their knowledge of the history and natural environment of the area showed their passion and keenness for people to understand the importance of preserving and caring for these places. The walk itself was easy - mostly flat, with one short climb up some broad steps. The best part was walking through the tranquil casuarina forest.
Teacher testimonials
Find out more about our education and school holiday programs
Read more about our Māori and Aboriginal education programs in our blog post – Six reasons teachers should book a program with us.
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