Standard Terms and Conditions

and other general information

Age Policy
Shutterbug Walkabouts welcomes any adult on all experiences. Accompanying children aged 12+ years are welcome to join day tours however, they must be accompanied and supervised at all times by an adult other than a Shutterbug Walkabouts guide or tutor.
For children 12-15 years of age, a 10% discount applies to the per-person cost of our day tours only.

Vehicle

Shutterbug Walkabouts reserves the right to substitute the touring vehicle should the need arise.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is NOT included in the cost of your booking. We strongly recommend that you purchase an appropriate level of travel insurance to provide you with coverage for any financial loss incurred as a result of the cancellation of your booking due to unforeseen circumstances. We also recommend that you consider insurance to cover costs incurred by you for any medical expenses resulting from injury or illness, medical or ambulance transportation, damage to or loss of baggage, loss or theft of valuables (including camera gear) and delays and/or interruptions to your travel plans.

Health & Safety
By placing a booking with Shutterbug Walkabouts, you agree to the following

I and my travel companions are solely responsible for our health and safety.
I acknowledge that I and my travel companions are physically capable of participating in and completing the activities and I/we understand that some activities may involve a level of physical exertion to participate.
I acknowledge that, by informing Shutterbug Walkabouts of any medical concerns in advance of my booked tour or tuition session, it may be possible to adapt the activities to ensure my/our continued health and safety.
I also acknowledge that if I do not advise or discuss with Shutterbug Walkabouts at the time of booking or before departure about any medical or physical conditions that I or my travel companions have, I/we may need to forego participation in some of the planned activities unless a suitable alternative activity can be arranged during the tour or tuition session.

Liability waiver

Except as provided in the provisions of the Australian Trade Practices Act 1974, you release Shutterbug Walkabouts of any liability for injury, death, damage, monetary loss or loss or damage of property.

Permits, Licences, Accreditations and Insurances

Shutterbug Walkabouts maintains all the licenses, permits, accreditations and insurances required for the experiences and services offered and for the areas in which we operate.

These include but are not limited to

Commercial operations in Tasmanian national parks, reserves and conservation areas
Commercial Passenger Services registration and accreditation
Public Liability Insurance

Additionally, we work with third-party experience partners who stand by the same principles and also maintain the licenses and permits relevant to their business operations.

Weather conditions
Under no circumstances can Shutterbug Walkabouts be held responsible for poor weather conditions. Tours, tuition sessions and retreats will proceed with adaptations to suit the conditions. With sufficient notice we can assist you by amending your booking, however our standard amendments and cancellation policy will remain.

In the case of outdoor tuition sessions, we aim to proceed while adapting to the conditions – this is part of the practical learning experience – or we will recommend changing the location to somewhere more suitable. However, if conditions are inclement, and not conducive to successful tuition outcomes, we will be in touch with you to discuss the situation before making a final decision.

Guest consent for promotional use of photos and videos

Shutterbug Walkabouts may take photographs of participants during tours, tuition sessions and retreats. You consent to us using images of you taken for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium we choose, including social media. By accepting the terms and conditions when booking, you grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable licence to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes. If you do not consent to your image being used in this way, please be sure to let us know as soon as possible. Guests reserve the right to revoke this permission at any time, without any consequences for doing so.

Guidelines for photographs and video taken of Shutterbug Walkabout guides

Guests of Shutterbug Walkabouts are welcome to take photographs and/or videos of their guide/s, as long as these are not intended for commercial gain. Such media may be shared appropriately and respectfully on social media to convey the experience enjoyed with family and friends. However, if these photos or videos are to be used in broader media, express permission must be requested in advance. Guides reserve the right to request verbal or written permission at any time, without any consequences for doing so.

Guidelines for sharing guide-provided photos and video

Shutterbug Walkabouts guides may share general photographs or videos of scenery, birds, wildlife and other highlights with guests. These photos and videos, for which the guide retains copyright, are generously provided to enrich the guests' memories of their experience. While guests are welcome to share these images with family and friends, they must never be used for commercial gain. Additionally, when sharing on social media or other public photo-sharing platforms, guests must credit the tour Shutterbug Walkabouts at all times
Tags and credit lines include one or all of the following
#shutterbugwalkabouts | @shutterbugwalkabouts | www.shutterbugwalkabouts.com.au

Payments

Shutterbug Walkabouts is not registered for GST therefore GST is not charged or included in the total cost
Payments are accepted in Australian Dollars (AU$) only
Bookings are not confirmed without payment of the required deposit as below (unless stated otherwise)
Non-payment of any amounts when due, risks cancellation of your booking without any refund of prior payments made. Notification of this action will be sent to the email address provided on the booking form.

Deposit and Final Payment

Published experiences

A 20% deposit is required to confirm your booking; you have the option to pay in full at this time.
Balance is due 60 days before the booked date; you will receive a payment request by email in the lead-up to this time.
Full payment is required for all bookings made less than 60 days before the booked date.

Customised experiences

An initial $500 non-refundable itinerary planning fee applies to cover costs associated with preparing your personalised itinerary.
The $500 planning fee will be reimbursed by way of a credit toward a confirmed booking of the personalised itinerary proposed.
Specific terms and conditions for your personalised itinerary, including deposit, payments and cancellations, will be outlined in detail on your quote and booking confirmation.

Variations to these terms may be agreed upon at the discretion of management

Booking Amendments and Cancellation

Amendments

We are mindful of and understand that you may need to make changes to your travel plans, possibly at short notice. Please contact us to discuss your circumstances, allowing us to assist in whatever way we can.

We ask you to advise us of any intended change with as much notice as possible. It’s important to be aware that depending on the amount of notice provided, fees and/or additional costs may be payable for new arrangements to be confirmed. Please refer to the following table.

Cancellations

Before cancelling your booking, we encourage you to contact us to discuss the circumstances before doing so, because alternative options may be available (such as rescheduling or voucher for future use).

If you need to cancel your booking, you must provide written notification outlining your reasons for cancellation by completing our refund request form along with supporting documentation (if required). The date your notification is received in our inbox will be the effective date of cancellation unless your intention to cancel has been previously communicated to us.

Upon receipt of your fully completed form and supporting documentation, we will process your cancellation request and issue a refund (if applicable) as soon as possible.

Shutterbug Walkabouts always applies fair and reasonable discretion on a case-by-case basis.

Refund and Amendment fees

The table below outlines the relevant fees and available refunds for all bookings, except for customised experiences and charters, according to the amount of notice provided. No refunds are offered for change of mind, inadvertently booking the wrong date or time, or due to personal reasons.

For customised experiences and charters, the terms and conditions that apply will reflect the itinerary and our Experience Partners and Supplier terms. All relevant information will be clearly outlined in the initial quote and reiterated in your booking confirmation.

We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to cover you for any financial losses incurred as a result of cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. You should do this as soon as possible after making your booking.

In the majority of cases, bookings are made and confirmed by travellers well in advance. For this reason, we may not be able to fill the space resulting from cancellation or amendments at short notice, especially if notice is less than 45 days until the booked date. Depending on the experience booked, arrangements in place and the circumstances involved, waivers or easing of our standard refund policy below may be considered accordingly.