Southern Australia

OceaniaActive Wellness
Written By Norman Howe

The Classic Aussie “Bush walk”

The Arkaba walk is a classic bush walk experience in an iconic Australian setting 60,000 acres of privately-owned and carefully protected outback. You’ll see and hear the results of active conservation as you walk through the landscape and meet the wildlife in the company of passionate field guides. If sleeping under the stars from a gloriously remote walking camps isn’t your thing, you can also check out the lodge-based walk out of the Homestead basecamp.

Local Colour: Large numbers of Red and Western Grey kangaroos, wallaroos and emus are regular sightings along the walk, and the country is littered with the stories, and often heroic failures, of early pioneers who tried to make a living from the harsh but beautiful country.

Details: 7D/6N | Apr - Nov | from $4,950usd/person

Itinerary: Adelaide | Arkaba | Adelaide

 

Trip Ingredients

 
 

Favourite Hotel: Arkaba Homestead, Southern Australia.

 

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Norman Howe

Norman is an Oxford-educated lawyer and itinerant wordsmith who stuck with law long enough to prove that he was tough enough to handle the pressure, but not long enough to be stupid about it (about 3 years, for the record).

He then made the fatal mistake of guiding for Butterfield & Robinson (B&R), the world’s best luxury travel company, during the supposedly brief interregnum prior to taking up a career in academia. Shortly thereafter, he abandoned all pretence of responsibility and embraced the peripatetic pursuit of pleasure on behalf of B&R.

After a decade of nomadic explorations and travel innovation, having exhausted the possibilities for trying out new roles within B&R, he took a seven-year sabbatical during which time he bought, reinvented and sold Horizon & Co, one of Canada’s oldest and most storied travel companies. Along the way, he also managed to marry an awesome wife (Emily) and produce three delightful offspring – Grace, Max & Oscar.

Norman eventually returned to B&R as President & CEO, where he found the company in a downward spiral and was able to turn it around, doubling revenue and travellers and returning it to profitability. Most importantly, he did it without sacrificing the culture of creativity or the commitment to excellence (NPS increased by 20% and B&R won the coveted #1 spot on the T+L list of world’s best travel outfitters).

After a successful 8-year run, the inevitability of a founder-driven, family-business dynamic kicked in and Norman left B&R in 2019. He now spends his time advising and working with entrepreneurs and luxury travel brands to help them grow and innovate.

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