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Background on Business
INALA-Bruny Island Pty. Ltd. (trading as INALA Nature Tours) is a family owned and operated company that specializes in designing and organizing personalized wildlife tours for groups such as birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. We cater for a range of group sizes, from single individuals and small groups (FITs), to larger coach groups. Emphasis is placed on providing an ecologically friendly and educational experience of a high standard, using specialist guides with a high level of knowledge who have the ability to present the information in an interesting manner. 
Priority is placed on maximizing the clients' tour experience. Itineraries are mostly designed for Tasmanian tours, but we also regularly organize logistics and specialist nature-based tours to other areas of Australia, and have developed a wide network of reliable operators of an excellent standard, both throughout Tasmania and other Australian destinations. Prices for the services we offer vary according to the location and duration of the tour, activities included and group size. Most of our reservations are booked directly with us by the client, although we also work with a number of other international tour companies and organizations who offer group tours to a number of destinations around Australia.
The headquarters of the company is based at "INALA", a "Land for Wildlife" property on Bruny Island, south of Hobart. The business has been operating since 1994. Prior to this Dr Tonia Cochran, the founder of the company, worked as a professional biologist on a wide range of projects on Australian fauna and flora.
 There are three main facets to the business:
A licensed travel agency which specializes in designing and organizing personalized tours; Requirements for travel bookings vary from organizing accommodation-only stays and perhaps a hire car for those clients wishing to "do their own thing", to arranging and booking an all-inclusive tour that is personally designed for each client-and just about anything in between. We are experienced at organizing the logistical arrangements for group tours arranged by a number of international agencies. We can also make bookings for hire vehicles throughout Australia at competitive rates. We can also offer a "multi-hire rental" for people who require rental vehicles in several different parts of Australia, and the longer cumulative rental period is available at discounted daily rates.
Guided nature tours of Bruny Island and other destinations around Tasmania;
INALA Nature Tours offers personalized guided tours of Bruny Island and other destinations around Tasmania. Tours operate on demand for group sizes ranging from single individuals to groups of 20+ passengers traveling in a luxury coach. A selection of tours ranging from half day to three days duration (including night excursions) are offered on Bruny Island; personalized tours around Tasmania range from approximately three - fifteen days or longer, and are designed according to each individual group's requirements and interests, and to maximize their experience.
Cottage accommodation at "INALA" on Bruny Island. We now offer a choice of 2 accommodation types on our property here at Inala- the original three bedroom cottage (INALA cottage) and a new one bedroom spa unit (NAIRANA cottage). These cottages are often used as a base for Bruny Island tours of smaller group size.
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 Tonia Cochran, the owner/manager of the company, is also the main specialist guide for the company. She also acts as a specialist guide for other inbound tour operators on a regular basis.
 Tonia moved to Tasmania from Melbourne, Victoria in 1988, where she took up residence at "INALA" on Bruny Island. Tonia has a wide range of experience in south-eastern Australian marine and terrestrial fauna and flora, and has led a varied professional biological career. She has a Bachelor of Science degree (with a double major in Zoology and Botany), a BSc (Honors) degree and a PhD in Zoology from the University of Melbourne. During this time, she has also gained extensive teaching experience (including a lecturing position in one of the top Universities in Victoria), and has worked in close association with the Invertebrate Zoology Department at the Museum of Victoria. She was involved in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic research from 1985 to 1996, and has undertaken consulting and contract work for the Australian Antarctic Division in Tasmania since 1990, including participation in several Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) Marine Science voyages to several sub-Antarctic and Antarctic localities.
Tonia regularly acts as guest speaker at a number of venues around Australia and overseas, and topics range in subject from Antarctica to ecotourism and guiding, threatened species conservation and ornithology. She has been guest speaker at various Wildlife Tourism workshops and conferences in Tasmania, and overseas Travel Conferences. She has also participated in a documentary for the Discovery Channel, and has appeared on the National television travel series "Getaway". Tonia is also a regular contributor of articles to various magazines and the subject of numerous newspaper articles.
 Tonia is heavily involved with the conservation of threatened species. She works as an environmental consultant on a number of projects, ranging from advice on University postgraduate projects to conservation management plans. She is a founding member of the Bruny Island Protection group and an advocate for the South Bruny National Park. She is also a member of the National Recovery team for two endangered birds, the Forty-spotted pardalote and the Wedge-tailed eagle, and a participant in the Swift parrot Recovery program. Tonia has worked diligently to combine nature conservation practices with sustainable agriculture on her property "INALA", where priority is given to protecting critical wildlife habitat. The property is now used as a research base for a number of University projects, an educational venue for schools and environmental groups and the headquarters for her ecotourism enterprise.
Tonia's professional career is now becoming increasingly involved with her ecotourism enterprise. Her wide-ranging academic and teaching background, and her passion for conservation have formed an invaluable basis on which to build her career in the Tourism industry. She is committed to promoting a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable and educational, and has been active in establishing such a venture in Tasmania, and promoting this philosophy in her position as Chair of the organization Wildlife Tourism Australia.
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INALA The Property
 “INALA”, an aboriginal word meaning "a peaceful place", is a 205 hectare (500 acre property) located north of Cloudy Lagoon and in close proximity to the South Bruny National Park on south Bruny Island in Tasmania. It is home to 90 bird species (including all of the Tasmanian endemic species), almost 40 species of native terrestrial orchids, an amazing diversity of plant species and several species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
 The property also proudly boasts four endangered bird species (one of the largest known colony of Forty-spotted pardalotes, Tasmanian subspecies of Wedge-tailed eagle, white morph of the Grey goshawk and Swift parrot), four rare orchids and several other rare and threatened plants.  Approximately 80% of the property is native vegetation, which ranges from tall wet eucalypt forest with some rainforest species, to wetlands and heathlands. The balance is pasture, which provides habitat for additional native species such as the Tasmanian native hen, Swamp harrier, and Bennett’s wallaby. A number of conservation projects such as tree planting, fencing sensitive remnant vegetation and waterholes also provide important wildlife habitat.
Two accommodation options are available at INALA- the original but renovated three bedroom farm cottage (INALA Cottage), and a new one bedroom spa unit (NAIRANA Cottage). Nairana is the Tasmanian aboriginal name for Wedge-tailed eagle and was chosen as an apt name for the new cottage on the property.
The cleared area of the property also operates as a working farm, with the main primary production ventures being Poll Hereford beef cattle and a native Australian crop called Brown boronia, which is grown as an essential oil crop. Priority is given to maintaining a balance between retaining wildlife habitat and sustainable agriculture.
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