Owner & Manager at Scamper Island Camping and Water Bikes Whitsundays
It's no wonder Sarah Vickery is at the helm of one of the region's most unique tourism businesses – she grew up in the industry, after all.
The owner of Scamper Island Camping and Water Bikes Whitsundays was always bound for boats, growing up in Hervey Bay to whale-watching parents who started one of the original Australian tours.
“Growing up in the tourism and marine industries, I have always been working on the water,” Sarah said.
“When I first started, my parents would pay me in five-cent pieces; I think I would make about $2 for a whole day’s work! But I didn’t care, I loved the work.
“That job was amazing - to be this 21-year-old, female skipper coming out of the wheelhouse of my vessel, asking the crew to untie, and seeing the faces of the passengers. Yes, this young girl is in charge of this boat.”
Sarah earned the full complement of accreditations working for her parents before moving to the Whitsundays at 21 to expand her knowledge in a new marine environment. By that time, she was a qualified skipper already and began working as a deckhand for Ocean Rafting – a career that lasted eight and half years, and led her to become a Master Reef Guide.
“The best thing that happened was meeting my husband, Tim, at Ocean Rafting where we were both skippers,” Sarah said.
When Sarah became pregnant, she and Tim thought it was time to buy their own business. They purchased Scamper in November of 2019, running the business almost entirely themselves up until the middle of 2022, and have now started a new venture, opening water bike tours from both Shingley Beach and Shute Harbour.
Sarah has seen her business, and her life flourish in the Whitsundays.
Describe your personality in three words
Quiet, caring, fun
