Adventure Activities
Victoria’s world class parks, reserves and forests provide numerous opportunities for adventure and nature based activities.
Historically, recreation on public land consisted of activities like walking, hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing, nature appreciation and horse riding.
These activities remain popular, but people are now pursuing a much broader range of activities in the name of recreation, relaxation, thrill seeking and sport. Mountain biking, four wheel driving, rock climbing, caving, rafting, kayaking, trail bike riding, hang gliding, skiing, snowboarding and surfing are just some of the activities people are undertaking on Victoria’s public land and water. Many of these activities are considered ‘adventure activities’ as they incorporate elements of adventure, excitement and danger.
Some of these activities can have a substantial impact on the environment and may pose a risk to the safety of the participants or other users of public land. For this reason, some of these activities are restricted to certain locations or environments. Before undertaking any of these activities, always check with the land manager that the activity is allowed in that park, reserve or forest.
Recreational Clubs and Commercial Providers
If you are new to one of these adventure activities, a good way to gain competence is to seek training, supervision and support from experts. Two simple ways to do this are by joining a club or by employing a commercial provider.
Recreational clubs generally exist for most adventure activities and sports. Clubs bring together people with similar interests and are often run by volunteers in their spare time.
Commercial providers are businesses that:
- service the adventure tourism and recreation market
- offer a wide range of adventure activities and some tours include transport, accommodation and food
- usually provide equipment and offer safe supervision from trained and qualified instructors
- are also required to hold a licence from the land manager. To learn more about the licensing requirements for commercial providers, go to www.dse.vic.gov.au/licencereforms
To find about all the activities available in Victoria’s parks, including guided tours offered by commercial providers, go to Parks Victoria’s website www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Adventure Activity Standards
The Adventure Activity Standards (AAS) are minimum standards for organisations conducting outdoor recreation activities for dependant groups (where participants have a level of dependence upon the leader(s)).
They were developed in order to help people undertake adventure activities in a manner that is safe for both participants and providers, protect providers against legal liability claims and assist providers in obtaining insurance cover.
The AAS were developed during 2003 – 2005 by the Outdoor Recreation Centre, with support and funding from four government agencies: Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV), Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Parks Victoria (PV) and Tourism Victoria (TV).
AAS are currently available for the following activities:
1. Abseiling
2. Artificial Climbing Structures
3. Bushwalking
4. Canoeing & Kayaking
5. Challenge Ropes Courses
6. Four Wheel Driving
7. Horse Trail Riding
8. Mountain Biking
9. Recreational Angling
10. Recreational Caving
11. River Rafting
12. Rock Climbing
13. Snorkelling, SCUBA Diving & Wildlife Swims
14. Surfing Sessions
15. Trail Bike Touring
Further information about the AAS project, and copies of completed Standards are available from Victoria ’s Outdoor Recreation Centre at www.orc.org.au
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