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Booking Terms & Conditions

1. THE AGREEMENT

All bookings are made with Australian Wildlife Adventures Pty Ltd ABN: 59 61111 6664, trading as Untamed Escapes. By booking a tour with us, you agree to have read and accept these Terms and Conditions.

2. VALIDITY

Departure dates, itineraries and rates are valid from the 1st of July 2024 until the 31st of March 2026. All prices are in Australian Dollars and include GST. Rates and conditions are subject to change without notice.

3. DEPOSIT REQUIREMENT

Day tours need to be paid in full at the time of booking to be confirmed. All other tours require a 40% deposit per person for your booking to be confirmed. The balance is due 14 days before departure. If your booking is made within 30 days of the departure date, then the full amount is payable at the time of booking.

Please note group bookings and charters have different deposit requirements.

4. ACCEPTANCE OF BOOKING AND FINAL PAYMENTS

If we accept your booking, we will issue a confirmation invoice. A contract will exist between us from the date we issue the confirmation invoice, or if you book within 14 days of departure, the contract will exist when we accept your payment. Please refer to your booking confirmation invoice for details regarding final payments. If this balance is not paid on or before the due date, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled.

5. FIT FOR TRAVEL DECLARATION & ONLINE CHECK-IN

All passengers must complete an online check-in which includes a ‘Fit for Travel’ self-declaration to confirm they are free from illness. Seven days before your scheduled departure, you will be emailed a link to complete the online check-in for your tour. The online check-in is mandatory for all passengers and must be completed at the latest 24 hours before departure. It includes standard questions such as “do you currently have any flu-like symptoms”.   

Our staff and passengers’ safety are paramount, so customers answering YES to this question will be requested not to participate in the tour. In this case, we will transfer your booking to a date in the future and hold the money paid on file as a credit.

6. FLEXIBLE CANCELLATION POLICY

A cancellation will only be effective when we receive written confirmation of the cancellation. Please be aware different cancellation conditions apply when booking through third-party travel agents. If you cancel a tour, the following conditions apply:

Extended Tours

  • Cancellations 31 days or more before departure there are two options. We can provide a 100% travel credit with a validity of three years from the purchase date. Or we can provide a 100% refund minus any unrecoverable third-party costs that have already been paid.
  • Cancellations between 15 and 30 days before departure: we will provide a 100% travel credit with a validity of three years from the purchase date.
  • Cancellations between 4 and 14 days before departure: we will provide a 50% travel credit with a validity of three years from the purchase date.
  • Cancellations within 3 days before departure or failure to board the tour will incur a 100% cancellation fee.
  • If you join the tour after departure or leave before completion, no refunds will be made.

Day Tours

  • Day tours can be cancelled for free more than 7 days before departure.
  • Cancellations between 3 and 6 days before departure will receive a 100% travel credit with a validity of three years from the purchase.
  • Cancellations within 48 hours before departure or failure to board the tour will incur a 100% cancellation fee.

7. CANCELLATION BY US

Our tours are confirmed to depart once the minimum group size is met, as outlined in the “Know Before You Book” section of each itinerary.

We may cancel a tour up to one day before departure for Day Tours and 14 days before departure for Extended Tours. In some cases, we may also cancel a tour prior to departure if unforeseen external circumstances make it unfeasible to operate the planned itinerary.

If we cancel your tour (excluding cancellations due to a Force Majeure Event), you will have the option to transfer your payment to another departure date or receive a full refund. In cases where the tour is cancelled due to insufficient numbers, we will refund your tour price in full.

It is important to note that we are not liable to reimburse you for any other losses or costs incurred due to the cancellation, such as for flights or accommodation. We recommend travel insurance with cancellation protection to cover such circumstances.

Please note that if you choose to leave the tour after it has commenced, refunds for unused services cannot be provided.

Cancellation due to Force Majeure

If a tour is cancelled due to a Force Majeure Event, we can offer you a choice of:

 (a) a 100% credit of monies paid for your trip; or

 (b) a refund minus unrecoverable costs.

If the cancellation due to a Force Majeure Event occurs after a trip has commenced, we can offer you a choice of a pro-rata:

 (a) 100% credit for the days that remain on your trip or

 (b) refund minus unrecoverable costs of the days that remain on your trip.

Any credit resulting from cancellation under the Force Majeure clause is valid for three years and may be applied towards any other available tour offered by us. The credit is not redeemable for cash and excludes third-party operators as they will have their own booking conditions.

In such circumstances, there will be no claim for damages by either party against the other, and we are not responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking, including but not limited to visas, vaccinations, travel insurance excess or non-refundable flights.

If you are unable to continue travelling with us due to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, we can offer you a travel credit for the unused days of your trip.

8. PRICES & SURCHARGES

Our tour prices are set each year; however, they can occasionally be subject to variation for promotional purposes, which is standard practice within the travel industry. This means our rates may vary at any time in accordance with demand, market conditions and availability. It is possible that different passengers on the same tour have been charged different prices. Any reduced pricing or discounts that may become available after you have paid your deposit will not apply. If you wish to cancel your booking to take advantage of a lower price, full cancellation conditions apply. The most up-to-date pricing is available on our website.

9. BOOKING AMENDMENTS

The following amendment charges may apply due to the complexity, staff time, and working with third-party operators.

One change of departure date is allowed with no fee. However, if you wish to transfer from one tour to another or transfer your booking to another person, you must notify us at least 31 days before the proposed departure date.

A fee of $100 may apply for any additional changes. If you notify us less than 31 days before the proposed departure date, the refund policy applicable to cancellations may apply. This fee is in addition to any charges levied by hotels, ground operators or airlines. No amendments are permitted to your booking within 14 days of departure.

10. YOUR DETAILS

For us to confirm travel arrangements, passengers must provide all requested details with the balance of the tour price. Necessary details vary by tour; they include but are not limited to full name, date of birth, nationality and any pre-existing medical conditions that may affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements.

12. RECONFIRMING BOOKINGS

All bookings need to be reconfirmed by calling +61 8 8687 0455 two days before departure. At this time, the pick-up point and time for the tour will be confirmed, and we will check that you have completed your Online Check-in and ‘Fit for Travel’ self-declaration (See point 5).

12. CHANGE OF ITINERARY

Untamed Escapes reserves the right to amend tour times, itineraries, and fares for its products as circumstances, time of year, and operational reasons occur. There will be no refunds in these circumstances nor for delays incurred due to mechanical failure, accident, weather or any other unforeseen circumstances. We cannot guarantee exact pick-up and drop-off times and will accept no responsibility in the event of cancellation fees from other connecting services. No compensation will be considered for additional driving or time lost due to such changes.

13. ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

Australia has many dangerous creatures, extreme weather conditions and often varying terrain. Safety is our number one priority, and all guides are highly trained to ensure passenger safety at all times. All passengers participating in our tours do so at their own risk, and no responsibility can be accepted by Untamed Escapes for any loss, injury or accident. Passengers are responsible for any additional costs involved should such instances occur. All passengers will be required to sign a liability waiver before departure.

14. CHILD POLICY

Passengers under the age of 18 years old need to be accompanied by an adult or caregiver. While all care is taken, the responsibility of children on tour rests entirely with the parent or caregiver. Please note that we accept children of all ages travelling on our private charter tours.

It is recommended that children under 12 years old do not travel on the Adventures to Awaken swag camping tours due to the adventure-based activities in the itineraries. Passengers on our Retreats Reimagined need to be 15 years or above.

Passengers 12 years and under at the time of departure are charged at 80% of the adult rate.

15. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

We contract with a network of companies and individuals to assist in operating our tours. Untamed Escapes works with the best operators available but takes no responsibility for any act of neglect by any operator whose services are used as part of your tour. Our suppliers make every effort to safeguard clients, and we cannot be held responsible for personal injury or sickness to any customer beyond our control. We can also reserve the right to refuse to carry or continue to carry any passengers, luggage or goods.

16. MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION

Please note that our tours operate in remote regions, and medical facilities may be difficult to access. Therefore, if passengers have any medical conditions or take any medication, they must provide full details and the nature of the condition when booking, including details of medication taken before the tour departs.

We have no upper age limit, but we remind you that some of our trips can be physically demanding, and passengers must ensure they are suitably fit to allow full participation. In addition, we are not medical experts; therefore, you must ensure you have obtained proper medical advice at least two months before departure.

17. TOUR SAFETY

We carry a satellite phone on all of our remote/overland tours to be used by our guide in an emergency. All guides are First Aid trained and certified.

18. TRAVEL INSURANCE

We highly recommend Travel Insurance and advise it covers cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects.

You are strongly advised to take out cancellation insurance at the time of booking to cover cancellation fees. If you leave a tour for any reason after it has commenced, we are not obliged to make any refunds for unused services. Likewise, no refund will be made if you fail to join a tour, join it after departure, or leave it before its completion. The above cancellation fees are in addition to fees that may be levied by accommodation providers, travel agents or third-party tour and transport operator fees.

19. FLIGHTS

Some of our tours have flights included. These flights are operated by Rex, which has a 15kg luggage restriction per person plus one 7kg carry-on. However, upon presenting a valid itinerary or ticket, passengers with international connections are permitted 20kg. For more details on Rex Baggage Allowance, please visit their website. We highly recommend that passengers, where possible, leave some luggage at their hotels in Adelaide. 

20. AUTHORITY ON TOUR

Our tours are run by a qualified guide. Their decision is final on all matters likely to affect the safety or well-being of any traveller or staff member participating in the trip. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a guide or interfere with the well-being or mobility of the group, they may direct you to leave the tour immediately, with no right to refund. We may also elect not to carry you on any future trips booked. You must at all times comply with the laws and customs of Australia, and you also agree to travel in accordance with our responsible travel guidelines.

21. GROUPS & CHARTERS

Bookings of ten or more people are considered a group, and different deposit and cancellation policies are applied. Our Groups & Charters Manager will outline these upon inquiry.

22. SEVERABILITY

If any term or condition contained in these Booking Conditions is unenforceable or void by operation of law or as being against public policy or for any other reason than such term or condition shall be deemed to be severed from this contract or amended accordingly only to such extent necessary to allow all remaining terms and conditions to survive and continue as binding.

23. PRIVACY POLICY

Any personal information that we collect about you will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and may be used for any purpose associated with the operation of a tour. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons such as our service providers to enable us to operate the trip or, if permitted by any relevant Spam laws, to send you marketing material in relation to our events and special offers.

You are responsible for reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically and informing yourself of any changes to this Privacy Policy.

24. APPLICABLE LAW

The laws of South Australia govern these Booking Conditions to the fullest extent allowable. Any disputes in connection with a trip or these Booking Conditions must be initiated in the courts of South Australia.