Behind The Experience Aquaduck Gold Coast
By ChloeWelcome to our brand new ‘Behind the Experience’ series where we’ll take you behind the scenes to meet the friendly faces behind all our extraordinary experiences across Australia and New Zealand.
I think we can all agree that 2020 has gotten off to a bit of a shaky start. However, we are here to help you focus on the positives and remind you that the world is still a beautiful place to live and travel in.
Hopefully, we can inspire you to start dreaming of exotic getaways and extraordinary experiences as a way to boost your spirits during this uncertain time. Whether you are currently travelling now or are preparing to pack your bags and travel again in the near future, these friendly faces behind Australian and New Zealand tourism businesses will be ready to welcome you.
In this feature, we are on the Gold Coast chatting to Sarah Colgate, General Manager and Managing Director of Aquaduck. Sarah kindly gave us a sneak peek into her role at Aquaduck and shares with us her favourite family hotspots and hidden gems on the Gold Coast.
1. Please tell us about yourself and what you love most about your job?
My name is Sarah Colgate and I am the General Manager & Managing Director of Aquaduck Gold Coast & Airlie Beach. I have 20 years’ experience in tourism, travel and hospitality. In July 2018, my business partners and I bought Aquaduck. It’s my dream job. I love business development, product creation, building teams and marketing. As the General Manager and Managing Director, this job provides these in spades. We have a great team at Aquaduck and we have had amazing success growing the business.
2. What can visitors expect when they take a ride on the Aquaduck?
We provide our customers with a fun and informative look at the Gold Coast’s top sights by road and water. We encourage kids to sit in the captain’s seat, drive the duck while it’s on the water and give them a certificate a souvenir. Kids love it!
We have live commentary on board sharing information on geography, history, pop culture, celebrities and we even throw in a few Dad jokes along the way. We want to provide visitors and locals with something easy and enjoyable to do while they take in the beauty of the Gold Coast.
3. When you aren’t busy welcoming visitors, what is your favourite place to holiday in Australia and why?
This is easy, it’s Airlie Beach. It’s the perfect spot for a family holiday. The natural beauty (Reef & Rainforest) is sensational but the town itself is small enough to walk around, has great cafes & restaurants, friendly locals and is super family-friendly with a massive swimming lagoon, esplanade and playground that my kids spend hours at.
We usually stay at BIG 4 Adventure Whitsundays Resort (not a paid plug!) as it has a waterpark, pools, petting zoo/farm, go-karts and 20 other things for families to enjoy. We love Airlie Beach so much we decided to open a business there.
4. What is your favourite hidden gem in the Gold Coast?
There are so many and we are still discovering parts of the Gold Coast each weekend. I would have to say South Stradbroke Island and Tipplers. It’s so close to the coast but feels a million miles from anywhere. A day trip by water taxi will get you there quickly, the food is good, it’s a great space for kids and even better during the week as opposed to weekends.
5. Why must Australians experience the Aquaduck at least once in their lifetime?
Aquaduck is the first amphibious tour in Australia having operated now for nearly 24 years. It’s one of the Gold Coast’s most unique and iconic experiences but best of all it’s an experience to connect families and create memories.
At Christmas, we had a family on the Aquaduck that had 4 generations taking the tour together. Generation 1, 2 and 3 had all been on the duck before, now generation 4 were being introduced to the experience. It was so beautiful to see. There isn’t a lot of experiences out there that can provide that.
The Aquaduck is a great way to experience the Gold Coast by land and sea without ever having to leave your seat. Bring the whole family along and take a ride through the heart of Surfers Paradise with views of the Gold Coast beaches, waterfront homes and Broadwater. Click here to find out more and book your Aquaduck tickets online here.
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