Australian conservationist Jake Cassar is accustomed to Chinese tourists rushing through his local wilderness tours, spending just 15 to 20 minutes with him.
"They'd get me to play the didgeridoo (a traditional aboriginal wind instrument), make a fire, then jump back on the bus. Easy job, you know," he said.
More recently, however, Cassar has been hosting younger Chinese groups eager to "spend all day" immersing themselves in his bushcraft classes, which explore the Australian outback and its unique flora and fauna.
The visitors also learn survival skills, such as extracting drinking water from tree roots and collecting local medicinal plants to treat minor injuries.
"They even stay for part of the night. They can sometimes take a little bit of time to warm up to me as I look like I've just walked out of the bush — and I did," he said.
"But when they do, they're really nice. They give me small souvenirs from their home and make an effort to keep in touch."
Spending a day, sometimes two, together with the young Chinese visitors often builds a real friendship, he said.
Cassar is a senior ranger at Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary in Calga, New South Wales. About an hour's drive from Sydney, the sanctuary provides a haven for rescued wildlife and endangered species, including Australian icons such as kangaroos and koalas.
His stories reminded me that much of Australia's appeal lies beyond its cities, a draw also reflected in recent travel trends as Chinese visitors become an increasingly important market.
China's weeklong National Day holiday, which began on Oct 1, saw many travelers planning earlier departures and longer trips, with strong demand for popular destinations such as Australia and "nature escapes", according to major online travel agency Trip.com.
Industry stakeholders also say Chinese tourists are opting for smaller groups and more personalized experiences, a trend that businesses in rural, regional and remote areas hope to tap.
I've always sought to escape the trappings of urban life and rejuvenate in nature. Even before moving to Sydney, I spent as many weekends and breaks as possible driving beyond Beijing's outer ring roads into the expansive northern grasslands for their therapeutic effects on both mind and body.
Faced with a daily deluge of rapidly improving, AI-enabled virtual travel experiences on my phone, I now find the authenticity of time spent outdoors even more priceless.
In Australia, for all of its vastness, there is also the added attraction of meeting locals who care deeply about their environment and heritage — with a similar passion to share them.
Colin Liddell, an Australian tour operator with 20 years of experience, runs small group trips of up to 10 people to Sydney's surrounding regions. He told me he is banking on the Chinese market with personalized itineraries, beyond the usual city stops like malls and museums.
His offerings include the wildlife sanctuary in Calga and boat cruises on the pristine Hawkesbury River with its verdant shorelines. His business partner, veteran tour guide John Pastor, said the cruises give visitors "a feel of what Sydney was like when the first European settlers sailed in".
"We've taken many Chinese groups to various locations, and this will be something unique, close to Sydney and fascinating to anyone who's interested in another country's place and culture," Liddell said.
"A lot of tech-savvy, young people are coming now. They're becoming more interested in different aspects of our country and getting up close to its environment," he said.
Cassar, the ranger, said the most important takeaway for Chinese visitors to the sanctuary is "a really strong sense of Australian culture".
"You have people working here who care deeply about this country and the conservation of our koalas and all the endangered species," he said.
Standing among the gum trees, with birdsong filling the crisp air, I began to understand why Cassar said the place had literally changed his life for the better.
"If you want to go somewhere to get the real Aussie experience with people who love this country and want to share as much as they can, this is it," he said.
"If I have a group that I really like and want to give the best experience, I'll take them to a waterfall up the road, some aboriginal sites … I'll always end up at the Walkabout park around a campfire."
The author is a China Daily correspondent based in Sydney.
