Kate Webster Saltwater Eco Tours is sharing Queensland’s Sunshine Coast’s rich Indigenous heritage and spectacular coastline with the launch of a new Indigenous tour.
In the Year of Indigenous Tourism, the tour celebrates the Sunshine Coast’s Indigenous heritage and marine beauty, departing from Mooloolaba in a century-old historic timber sailing vessel, Spray of the Coral Coast.
Each tour will have an Indigenous story-teller on board to share the stories, traditions and culture of the Sunshine Coast’s original Indigenous inhabitants and first eco custodians, the Kabi Kabi people (who were originally known as the ‘Saltwater People’).
Saltwater Eco Tours is the brainchild of Simon Thornalley, a young Indigenous man of Torres Strait Island descent. Simon spent his life sailing through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Straits as a child, honing his skills before gaining his Commercial Master Class 5 licence, which took him across many oceans, including six cruises to Antarctica as First Officer on a charter vessel.
Tours
There are 3 types of tours on offer with Saltwater Eco Tours. These are:
Cultural Tour – the signature cruise takes passengers to sites of cultural significance and places where Dreamtime stories and songs originated. Large numbers of sea birds, turtles, and dolphins can be spotted along the way. During the two hour cruise there will be storytelling, didgeridoo and entertainment provided by Indigenous guides, along with delicious bush-tucker inspired catering, accompanied by a refreshing local craft beer or sparkling wine. Operating three times daily each weekend, adult tickets cost $120, children (5-16) $79.
Sunset Acoustic Tour – the two-hour cruise operates on Saturday and Sunday evenings, combines a dramatic sunset, soft acoustic music, a selection of grazing platters and a local craft beer as the vessel cruises the waterways, taking in nocturnal wildlife, fishing vessels and the setting sun. Adult prices are $55 per person.
Private Charters – available for exclusive hire for cruises of 2 to 4 hours, Salwater Eco Tours can accommodate a wide range of requirements including custom catering, live music and story-telling.
The historic Spray of the Coral Coast is a beautifully-restored, classic 58ft gaff-rigged Huon-pine ketch with a fascinating history of its own. The vessel has the same design as the Spray, which Joshua Slocum skippered in the late 19th century to become the first person to circumnavigate the world singlehanded.
The vessel can cater for 35 passengers but is restricting numbers to 20 currently, to adhere to its Covid-safety plan.
Simon Thornalley, who was appointed as a Young Indigenous Tourism Leader, said “I am honoured and proud to launch a business that encompasses my passion for culture, as well as maritime history and sailing. Sustainable tourism plays a crucial role in today’s society and in the year of Indigenous tourism I am excited to launch Saltwater Eco Tours on the Sunshine Coast.”
