Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Kiana Claims Gold Because They “Live And Breathe The Reef”

“Waking up at a different pristine reef every day, 145-kilometres offshore” is just a small part of why local business Kiana Sail and Dive won big at the 2022 Whitsunday Tourism Awards on Saturday night.

Claiming two wins and a finalist recognition at the region-wide awards, Brent Chatterton and his team at Kiana were ecstatic with the results, especially in their first year entering the esteemed competition: Gold in Ecotourism, Bronze in Unique Accommodation, and a Finalist in Adventure Tourism.

The win in Gold Ecotourism is something close to owner and master of Kiana Sail and Dive, Brent Chatterton’s heart.

“I was shocked when they called our names; I was stunned like a mullet! My team were so ecstatic for me,” Brent said.

“I’m humbled by it because we’ve done a lot of work in the Reef space – rehabilitation, work in the Whitsundays, restoration and giving our own time and money to the reef we love so much.”

A tourism company named after its vessel, Kiana specialises in unique tours out to the Reef for three and five day overnight trips, but is also a key voice and activist in reef restoration – a factor that undoubtedly played a role in its Gold win.

They have been involved in placing restoration frames as part of Project Refresh at Bait Reef, the recent Coral Nurture Program in the Whitsundays, Reef Bags as a separate project, and the Coral Reseeding Project.

“What it’s about is giving back. We give back to places so important to us as key, top tourism sites, which have economic, cultural, and social benefits and significance,” Brent said.

“We impart that to our guests too, that stewardship of the Reef. I tell the story of the Great Barrier Reef on the second night of our tours: how it was formed, the interconnectivity, the size, the fun facts.

“But I also let them know that now they’ve seen it and fallen in love with it, they must protect it.”

Alongside their Gold win, they placed Bronze in the Unique Accommodation category, which Brent attributes to their tours being “further than any other operator. You wake up every day on an exceptional and different reef.”

Kiana nabbed a finalist spot in Adventure Tourism as well, an extremely strong category in the Whitsundays, which Brent said was “fantastic to be up there with esteemed colleagues like Ocean Rafting.”

The Gold win sees the business gain direct entry into the Queensland Tourism Awards, but staying on brand, Brent said he will be unable to physically attend.

“I’ll be heading 200-kilometres out where there’s not much data on the health of the reef for a Great Reef Census,” Brent said.

“Although business is important, it’s more important that we’re out there doing stuff in those undiscovered places, even if it’s at a great cost to the business. I think it’s important to do these things because we live and breathe and love the place we work in.”

In other news