Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island played a starring role in MasterChef Australia last night, with Executive Chef Karl Wulf showcasing local seafood in a beachside MasterClass.

As part of the show’s WA Week, contestants spent a day learning from the pros; judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan along with Chef Karl Wulf, who has put Discovery Resorts - Rottnest Island’s relaxed family restaurant ‘Pinky’s Beach Club’ on the map for foodies across the world.

Karl cooked and plated up Rottnest’s signature fresh crayfish as the sun set over Pinky Beach in what is one of the island’s most idyllic settings.

Karl said it was a terrific experience to be involved in the popular TV show, which is broadcast to more than 120 countries across the globe.

“Deciding what dish to cook was a tough decision as we are spoilt for choice in WA when it comes to local produce,” said Karl.

“The charcoal grilled crayfish dish I decided upon was caught off a paddleboard earlier that day, just metres from Pinky’s Beach Club,” said Karl.

“With Discovery Resorts – Rottnest Island being an eco-property, my focus for Pinky’s Beach Club has been on local and sustainable ingredients and this dish speaks to that ethos. The Beach Club is becoming known for simple and authentic dishes where the flavours speak for themselves,” he said.

“In the crayfish dish, like many of the dishes on our menu, local flavours such as sandfire and saltbush are used to tell the story of Rottnest Island, and pay homage to its hunter gatherer history.”

“It was great to see Rottnest’s natural beauty as the backdrop to last night’s show and I’m sure it will inspire more people from around Australia and the world to experience the island for themselves,” he said.

Opening its doors on 1 March 2019, Discovery Resorts – Rottnest Island provides a family glamping experience in an enviable location on the coast behind the dunes of iconic Pinky Beach.

Pinky’s Beach Club provides a casual dining experience for breakfast, lunch and dinner, signature cocktails and WA beer and wine, and the menu reflects Karl’s commitment to celebrating fresh local produce and cooking over fire and coal.

Originally from New Zealand, Karl’s 21-year career has seen him work at many prestigious resorts and restaurants across New Zealand and Australia’s east coast including MONA (Hobart), Levantine Hill (Yarra Valley), Peppers Beach Club (Port Douglas), Hamilton Island Resort (Queensland), Couran

Island Resort (Surfers Paradise), and The Hermitage, New Zealand before the lure of Rottnest Island drew him and his family West.

Media enquiries: Brittany Harmer, Corporate Communications Manager | 0415 655 191, brittany.harmer@discoveryparks.com.au.

About G’day Group

Founded in 2004 with three caravan parks in WA, G’day Group is now Australia’s leader in regional accommodation experiences with more than 340 properties across the country.

G’day Group operates more than 90 holiday parks and resorts under the Discovery Parks and Resorts brand, with properties in iconic regional destinations, including Kings Canyon, Rottnest Island and the world famous El Questro. The Group is also home to G’day Parks, a network of 240+ independently owned, licensed parks and the G’day Rewards loyalty program, which has 260,000 paid members.

Beyond holiday parks and resorts, the Group owns Wikicamps, Australia’s largest regional travel community and the #1 paid app in the App Store with more than 300k monthly active users, as well as Bookeasy, a specialist provider of booking management systems and technology solutions to leading destination management authorities in Australia and New Zealand (operating as BookIt).

G’day Group has property assets valued at $2 billion and is on track to become a $2.5 billion business by 2026. The company is majority owned by Australian Retirement Trust and founder and CEO Grant Wilckens is a Board Director of the South Australian Tourism Commission and former Chair of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.