Gold Coast's Tours & Attractions Group, which runs Aquaduck Gold Coast, buys Southern Cross 4WD Tours from Darran and Stephanie Wallace

An award-winning Gold Coast tourism business has been acquired by one of the city's top tourism operators. FIND OUT MORE.

ONE of the Gold Coast’s top tourism operators has added Southern Cross 4WD Tours to its stable of offerings in a move that has returned five people to full-time work.

The Tours & Attractions Group, which runs Aquaduck Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, bought the award-winning family business from owners Darran and Stephanie Wallace.

Attractions Group managing director Sarah Colgate said expanding the businesses portfolio meant she could return five people currently working part-time back to full-time.

“We’ve only had two full-timers since Covid and now to get everyone back to full-time work is great news,” she said.

“Aquaduck is still down 30 per cent but we’ve changed our business model to be more flexible in regards to staffing and being responsive to demand in order to save costs during the pandemic.”

Managing director of the Tours & Attractions Group Owner Sarah Colgate from the popular tourist attraction Aquaduck. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Southern Cross provides all-inclusive day and night tours as well as trips to see glow worms in the Gold Coast Hinterland. The tours include the breathtaking views and wildlife of Mt Tamborine, Springbrook, Lamington National Park, O’Reilly’s and other majestic scenes across the southeast.

“One point of difference is the private and group tours with a set maximum of 16 people, so tours are quite personal,” Ms Colgate said.

“This allows guests to stop and take in the sights, unlike a busy bus tour with up to 100 people clambering to see the same view.”

Ms Colgate said Southern Cross had been around for about 25 years and she had worked closely with the operators since 2010, and in the past they had travelled to China ­together.

“They’ve done an amazing job in the international market and now we’re going to rework the offering to ensure it also meets the different standards required by domestic tourists,” she said.

“And we’re in the best position to do that because we have recently pivoted our other businesses in such a way.”

Southern Cross 4WD Tours has been operating as family run business for 25 years.

Southern Cross businesses includes Southern Cross 4WD Tours, Southern Cross Day Tours and Brisbane Day Tours.

The Wallace's said they thought Southern Cross being part of Tours & Attractions Group was a win/win also.

“Our goal from the day we started was to provide exciting one-of-a-kind tours. From when we pick them until when we drop them back to their accommodation - our guests can relax, see the sights and have an experience unlike any other," they said.

"For us, it’s the little things that have the most impact and are most memorable.

"Aquaduck is a major Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast tourism experience that serves thousands of people a year. They’re also businesses with similar cultures, ethics and goals as us.

"So with the businesses’ becoming part of the Tours and Attractions Group it's inspiring to say the least. We can’t wait to see what Sarah and the team can do.”

Qld Premier criticised for ‘hanging out with celebrities’

May 25, 2020 

A TOP Gold Coast tourism operator is accusing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of “single-handedly killing tourism in Queensland” by persisting with border closures.

Aquaduck general manager Sarah Colgate, furious at the tourism sector being largely snubbed by Ms Palaszczuk who visited the Coast on Saturday, said the Premier’s decision to keep Queensland isolated from the rest of Australia showed she was “massively out of touch”.

$10K BUSINESS GRANTS ALL SNAPPED UP IN FIVE DAYS

“The border situation is outrageous, absolutely outrageous. Annastacia Palaszczuk is single-handedly killing tourism in Queensland,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk attended a media event at Southport Yacht Club with film director Baz Luhrmann, but failed to meet operators struggling to stay afloat because of strict border restrictions.

FESTIVAL TO CONTINUE DESPITE CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS

Owner Sarah Colgate from the popular tourist attraction Aquaduck has fired up over the continued state border closures. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“I want the Premier to have a chat, we’ll show her what it’s like,” Ms Colgate said. “She should take a walk through Surfers Paradise, there’s nothing open, and Mariner’s Cove is so dead. She needs to now turnaround and support the businesses in Queensland, and the majority of those are tourism businesses.”

Jet Ski Safari’s manager Jed Ashon-Hill said staying open wasn’t making them any money but was helping the mental health of staff.

“She’s trying to look after our health and wellbeing but isn’t mental health of tourism operators just as important? People are going to go bankrupt and jump off a bridge, it was a problem before COVID-19 and just going to get worse.”

MORE NEWS

Alleged tower murder filmed on mobile phone

Olympian allegedly caught up in plot to ditch $176m worth of coke

Virgin bidder wants to make flying fun again

Ms Palaszczuk has stuck to the advice of the state’s top medical advisor to keep the border block in place.

A July reopening has been dubbed reliant on everything going “perfectly” while a September reopening was called “more realistic” last week – with no guarantee the border might be open by then.

During the weekend, Queensland Health reported three new confirmed cases of coronavirus, none of them on the Gold Coast. Two new cases on Saturday were diagnosed interstate and not acquired in Queensland.

PRESSURE ON PALASZCZUK OVER BORDER CLOSURE

One new case yesterday was linked to Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. The Gold Coast has had 195 cases in total, including two active cases.

On Saturday, Ms Palaszczuk promised at some stage this week she would meet Gold Coast tourism industry representatives and Mayor Tom Tate. She has said the border closure would be reviewed monthly.

“We’ve accepted their invitation to come down and have a chat and we intend to do that,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Saturday.

Jet Ski Safaris, at Mariner’s Cove are not making any money this winter season but are staying open to help the mental health of Gold Coast staff members. Picture: Emily Toxward

Not everyone has a border beef. Get Wet Surf owner Kerri Jekyll says she “took her hat off” to Ms Palaszczuk and feared another virus wave if borders opened early.

“For our business model we are fine, but I do feel for my fellow tourism operators who need bigger numbers to open and survive.”

Originally published as Gold Coast's Tours & Attractions Group, which runs Aquaduck Gold Coast, buys Southern Cross 4WD Tours from Darran and Stephanie Wallace