23 Feb 2024
Media release
G’day Group to acquire Triple J Tours and Kununurra Cruises, bolstering Kimberley tourism portfolio
Australia’s leading regional tourism company, G’day Group, is expanding its portfolio of tourism experiences in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region after reaching an agreement to purchase Kununurra-based Triple J Tours and Kununurra Cruises.
It marks G’day Group’s first acquisition of a dedicated touring operation as it looks to build on its offering in one of Australia’s most sought-after regional destinations. The Group is already one of the largest tourism operators in Australia’s north-west, with Discovery Parks properties in Kununurra and Broome, Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle and the world-famous El Questro.
The Group also runs the Kimberley Durack cruise out of Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle, providing immediate opportunities following the acquisition of Triple J Tours and Kununurra Cruises.
Founded more than 35 years ago, Triple J Tours runs daily cruises along the Ord River between Kununurra and Lake Argyle in the Kimberley. Complementing this, Kununurra Cruises, which was added to the Triple J portfolio in 2014, offers sunset cruises on Lake Kununurra.
Between them, the businesses operate five tour boats and six buses and offer a variety of half-day and full-day tours and sunset cruises out of Kununurra, with coach transfers from accommodation.
G’day Group Chief Executive Officer Grant Wilckens said the acquisition offered synergies with existing operations and would enable an expanded river touring offering for visitors to the Kimberley.
“Triple J Tours and Kununurra Cruises are an established and reputable operator in the Kimberley, and their strong relationships with local tourism bodies and trade operators bring a significant volume of tourists to the region,” Grant said.
“We think there’s a great opportunity to develop a more comprehensive cruising offering by leveraging our breadth of existing accommodation and hospitality offerings in the region.
“Practically, this could include stopping off at Discovery Resorts - Lake Argyle for lunch or a swim in the incredible infinity pool or packaging up tours with overnight accommodation at our Discovery properties or El Questro.
“We’re also thrilled to be retaining key management in acquisition, which will help ensure a seamless transition and enable us to build on the businesses’ established relationships to grow our customer base.”
Triple J Tours Operations Manager Dylan Lodge said that the acquisition would provide more opportunities to enhance the visitor experience in the Kimberley.
“We are excited to see the ongoing positive impact Triple J Tours and Kununurra Cruises will have on the Kimberley Region,” Dylan said.
“It’s great to be joining G’day Group to embark on the next phase of growth and to unlock new opportunities in the region.”
As part of the acquisition, all Triple J and Kununurra Cruises staff will be offered ongoing employment, including Operations Manager Dylan Lodge, who will oversee day to day running of the business, and co-founder Jeff Hayley, who will continue to skipper boats on a contract basis.
The acquisition is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.
For more information contact: Myles Wallace, G’day Group Communications Manager, 0432 866 094 or mwallace@discoveryparks.com.au
About G’day Group
Founded by Grant Wilckens in 2004 with three caravan parks in WA, G’day Group is now Australia’s leader in regional accommodation experiences with more than 300 properties across the country.
G’day Group is home to Discovery, a network of more than 85 owned and operated holiday parks and resorts, with properties in iconic regional destinations, including Kings Canyon, Rottnest Island and the world famous El Questro. The company also owns G’day Parks, a network of 220+ independently owned licensed parks and more than 200,000 G’day Rewards members, and Australia’s number one regional travel community, Wikicamps.
After becoming a $1 billion company in 2020, G’day Group is now valued at more than $1.5 billion and has ambitions to double in size in the next five years. The company is majority owned by Australian Retirement Trust and founder and CEO Grant Wilckens is the Chair of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and a Board Director of the South Australian Tourism Commission.
