Wildcat Mackay rides the awards wave
The brand-new adventure day tour Wildcat Mackay is located in the stunning Cumberland Islands, at the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.
Wildcat Mackay offers an immersive experience like no other! Blending technology and practicality, this new one-of-a-kind custom-built vessel aims to give guests of all ages the smoothest and fastest ride possible, making the most of local conditions.
Guests can explore unspoilt breathtaking beaches, marvel at colourful coral reefs, learn to paddleboard and enjoy the unique roof-top viewing platform as the boat travels through the islands. Their goal is for all guests to have 'the experience of a lifetime!'
Wildcat Mackay took home gold at the 2022 Queensland Tourism Awards under the New Tourism Business category, so we delved into how they’re going and what they have planned for 2023.
What progress or major milestone are you most proud of?
Wildcat's dedication to providing an exceptional customer experience is one of the business's greatest strengths and its most important goal. We have received 5 reviews on Google since we launched the business, which is testament to the tour's itinerary, our friendly crew, and the amazing experience the guests have when they travel with us.
We are fortunate to employ local, passionate Mackay crew members who are enthusiastic about their job and eager to grow with the company. We still employ crew members from our first departure day.
Wildcat was designed with the highest environmental credentials in place and over delivered on performance expectations:
- Wildcat is fuel efficient, using up to 47 per cent less fuel than smaller-sized boats.
- The industry-leading hull design can handle five metre seas, but manoeuvre in shallow reefs with only 600 millimetres of boat in-water.
- Wheelchair tie-downs and ramp for accessible travellers.
- Licenced bar that runs on solar.
- Single seating (maximum two people side-by-side).
- Smooth and comfortable ride for guests.
- Solar runs batteries that cover all fridges/cool-rooms.
- Lots of space to move around, with six metre boat-width.
- Roof-top viewing platform providing a 360-degree view of the island and waters. Fold-down rails also allow corporate customers to play eco-golf (fish food golf balls) off the roof!
- Electronic stairs at the front and back for ease and comfort of beach landings.
- Specialised foam ceiling to keep the vessel cool without needing air-conditioning.
What kind of support has the department provided and how has it impacted your business?
We applied for the Queensland Growing Tourism Infrastructure Grant and received $950,000 towards the project, helping give us the confidence to build Wildcat during tough times through COVID. We are incredibly grateful to the department, as this new project would never have happened without the partial funding for the boat build.
What’s on the horizon for Wildcat Mackay in 2023?
We recently launched sunset cruises around the Mackay Marina and the community have really supported this new tour.
We are focusing this year on offering immersive learning experiences for school groups so we can teach and educate the future generation on their environmental responsibilities.
We have also partnered with the local marine training facility to deliver Coxswains (skipper) courses to year 11 students utilising the Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) program. Currently we have 55 students from Mackay and Whitsundays enrolled in this program.
Any final words?
We entered the Queensland Tourism Awards for the best New Tourism Business to benchmark ourselves against other operators and to showcase Wildcat Mackay. We were extremely proud to win gold for this category and it was great recognition for all the hard work and dedication from the Wildcat staff.
Find out more about Wildcat Mackay.
Check out all the winners from the 2022 Queensland Tourism Awards.