Tourism giant snaps up award-winning Red Cat, Wildcat

A major tourism operator is extending its reach to the tropical Greater Whitsundays by buying three award-winning businesses famous for their Coral Sea offshore experiences.

Wildcat Mackay is a tourism experience by the multi-national award-winning company, Red Cat Adventures.

A major tourism operator is extending its reach in North Queensland by snapping up three award-winning businesses famous for their Coral Sea ocean experiences.

Asher and Julie Telford – the husband and wife team behind Whitsundays-based Red Cat Adventures and Whitsunday Jet Ski Tours as well as Mackay-based Wildcat – have sold their businesses to SeaLink Marine and Tourism.

But the Telfords will remain at the helm with a promise it will be “business as usual” for their customers, agents and 75 staff.

“Red Cat Adventures has been part of our family and supported by the Whitsunday community and tourism industry for almost a decade and that has been the most rewarding years of our lives,” Mrs Telford said.

Red Cat Adventures directors Asher and Julie Telford officially launched sales of their Wildcat adventure tours to Mackay Islands on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at the Mackay Marina. Picture: Heidi Petith

“We knew when the time was right, we could only move to this next chapter with people we can trust and whose values align to ours, to build on Red Cat’s bold brands, iconic experiences and impeccable customer service levels we’ve worked so hard to create.”

Mrs Telford added it was “significant” that SeaLink was also a “homegrown Australian success story” with strong ties to the community.

Thundercat Day Tour – Red Cat Adventures.

Mr Telford said joining the Sea Link family felt like “coming full circle” having regularly caught their ferry in Adelaide while studying his Master IV.

“While bigger companies have approached us before, we’ve never felt they were the right fit for our culture,” he said.

Mr Telford added they were grateful to the “thousands of incredible” staff whose “passion and dedication” had ensured guests had an “adventure of a lifetime”.

Asher and Julie Telford won gold for Red Cat Adventures at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. Picture: Contributed

“Our staff have been instrumental in our success … now, through the multifaceted opportunities and global avenues within SeaLink, their career pathways have just evolved exponentially,” Mr Telford said.

Wildcat Mackay is a tourism experience by the multinational award-winning company, Red Cat Adventures.

SeaLink Marine and Tourism COE Donna Gauci said she was thrilled about the “exciting opportunity” to highlight the finest of the Whitsundays and create “brilliant, unforgettable” experiences for guests.

SeaLink now owns Red Cat’s three custom-designed Thundercats plus the sailing vessel Tongarra, the specially-built Wildcat catamaran which relaunched tours to Mackay’s Cumberland Islands group in late 2021 and later on a sunset cruise along Mackay’s shorefront, and a fleet of jetskis.

Red Cat Adventures fleet.

Red Cat Adventures Group also runs school-based Coxswain courses and eco and edu-tourism tours which are designed to foster stewardship of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Telfords have twice been inducted into Queensland Tourism’s Hall of Fame including for Best Major Tour and Transport Operator and Adventure Tourism business.

Red Cat Adventures also won Gold for four consecutive years at Qantas’ National Tourism Awards.

“We’ve shared the emotional highs of building custom-built boats and winning national awards but also the lows of clinging on through Covid,” Mrs Telford said.

“We’ve constantly innovated, pushed, challenged the market, built strong successful brands, and we still love what we do every day.”

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Rick Hamilton said he had no doubt the partnership would “result in more unforgettable experiences for guests from around the world”.