When you spend your days helping others reach their full potential, you don’t often have the chance to reflect on your own success.
But The Ville Resort-Casino’s Learning and Development Coordinator, Bec Hoffensetz finally got her well-earned moment in the spotlight when she was named Queensland Vocational Education Trainer of the Year at the recent 2024 Queensland Training Awards.
“I really wasn’t expecting it. I was super amazed and shocked,” she said.
“It’s humbling. There are so many inspirational trainers that I got to network with at that event, and I just thought ‘No, these people are amazing.’ I guess sometimes you just don’t realise what impact you have yourself.”
Humility aside, Bec’s impact on The Ville team has been profound.
In a little over three years, she’s revolutionised training and development at the entertainment precinct, introducing a number of training programs that have not only made positive change for the business, but more importantly for its people.
“We introduced school-based traineeships, where we employ school-aged students to complete their Certificate III in Hospitality,”
“They get released one day a week from school and come into the workplace as a paid employee and learn the skills from our amazing team, and they get their certificate as well.
“We’ve had so much success from that. We’ve employed 100% of the students that have graduated. Honestly, there’s been some amazing employees from that program. If you ask any of the departments – they were fighting over some of the students when they graduated!”
“I also delivered the Certificate IV in Hospitality as a pathway for some of our people to become leaders, and then last year I developed the Leadership Excellence Program for some of our current and emerging leaders like shift supervisors.
“We had 29 participants in an 11-month program that was all about developing those soft skills, like values, people management, conflict management, and all of that lovely stuff.”
While some of us can take a little bit of time to find our passion, Bec says her love for training fell into place pretty early in her working life.
“I’ve loved training ever since I worked at McDonald’s when I was in high school,” she said.
“You go through a lot of training at McDonald’s, and you become crew trainer, and they really empower you to coach and develop others. I guess that started my love for it.”
Since then, she’s worked in a variety of roles and industries including Commonwealth Bank and for NEATO Employment Services helping people find work. But her dream role at The Ville came about almost by accident.
“When I moved back to Townsville from Brisbane, I got a job as a croupier in the casino to pay for my wedding,” she said.
“Because I’m a trainer and assessor, I’m qualified to deliver training in hospitality, business, and retail, and then having that experience in casino operations meant I knew how to deal all the table games and learned electronic gaming. So, it gave me a really solid foundation to step into this role when the opportunity came about.”
Bec says while the personal accolades like her award win are exciting, by far the biggest reward from her work is the impact she has on others.
“I really love watching other people grow. I have what I call ‘mother ducks’ syndrome’,” she said.
“I don’t have children – I have dogs. But I really feel like all the trainees are kind of my children.”
“When you train, and develop, and coach them in skills and then see them succeed and thrive in a workplace like this, that’s so rewarding.”
“The great thing about being here is that there’s been a real culture shift where people really want more development. They’re asking for more, so that makes the role really easy. You’re not forcing anyone into training.
“You can’t do anything without the people around you. I didn’t do any of this myself. So many of the opportunities that have been given to me have been because others allowed me to develop my career that way.
“I’m really lucky working in a place like this – the people really make it. It feels like family.”
When the settings are as dreamy as a palm-fringed resort in tropical North Queensland, or a stunning seaside hotel overlooking Port Phillip Bay, romance is bound to blossom.
For Melbourne couple, Emily McMillan and Flynn Holt, these two idyllic destinations separated by over 2,000kms have played central roles in their love story. It’s just a complete coincidence and pleasant surprise that they turned out to be connected.
The venues in question are two of the most iconic in Morris Group’s collection – The Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville and Portsea Hotel on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville
Emily first visited The Ville in 2023 as part of a group trip with her modelling agency, Neon.
Since it was to be her first trip with the agency, Emily was keen to make an impression. She was 100 per cent focussed on the job at hand.
Little did she know that in the background, her partner of three years Flynn had been scheming.
Enlisting help from the modelling agency, one of Emily’s best friends Evie, and the team at The Ville, he worked for three months to plot out the perfect surprise proposal.
“I had no idea that Flynn was coming. Like, no clue!” Emily said.
“He’d worked it out with the agency to come on the last night of the trip. He had it all planned with them – they had all these ‘deliverables’ to keep me occupied during the day that were completely made up.
“I think we were out on Magnetic Island running around on jeeps when he arrived at like 6am.”
When Flynn finally emerged on The Ville’s picturesque ocean-view lawns and got down on one knee, Emily was overwhelmed. This was the fairytale proposal she’d always dreamed of.
In the orange pink glow of a Townsville sunset, she said yes.
“It was just amazing and perfect. That location is like a work of art,” she said.
“I can’t even think of a setting in Greece that’s more beautiful than The Ville, with the ocean, and the boats, and the island, and the palm trees, and the sunset. Honestly, it’s so scrumptiously beautiful.”
“But even more so, the humans. Everybody who works there was so lovely the whole trip. They were all in on it and I had absolutely no idea. They came out with sparklers and champagne for us – it was just amazing.”
Emily and Flynn enjoying their engagement weekend at The Ville
After the whirlwind of excitement from their surprise engagement had eased, the pair turned their attention to planning the big day in November 2024.
Central to the discussion was choosing the perfect wedding venue with only one key selection criteria: it needed spectacular ocean views.
Portsea Hotel sprang immediately to mind.
It wasn’t just the legendary hotel’s panoramic views that put it straight to the top of the list. Portsea had also played a key role in the early stages of the couple’s burgeoning romance.
“We first started dating during COVID lockdowns, so we did a lot of hiking and picnics and all those things we were allowed to do at the time, but the first event that Flynn and I went to as an actual couple was at Portsea,” Emily said.
“We went to their big Christmas Eve Eve party, and it was the first time we went out together somewhere with a big group of friends.
“So, I kind of already had the idea of that venue in mind, and I always wanted to get married on like a cliff overlooking the water or something like that.
“We did all the research and ended up coming back and did a full wedding tour and I was gobsmacked.
“Having kind of the three venues in one, that amazing lawn, the sports bar, and the reception room upstairs – it’s just perfect. My entire wedding party can stay there for the whole weekend.”
Portsea Hotel on the Mornington Peninsula
Although Emily and Flynn’s Morris Group-centred love story was really just a happy coincidence, Emily says it’s no accident that they keep coming back. The pair recently spent their ‘engagement moon’ back at The Ville reliving their engagement and regularly visit Portsea on their weekends.
“The Ville and Portsea are such perfect places to curate a love story,” she said.
“There’s just something so romantic about those locations – the scenery, obviously sets the tone. But also, the humans.
“In all the times we’ve visited either of the venues, I’ve never had one complaint. The food is amazing, the drinks are amazing, and the service is above and beyond.
“But the people really take it to another level.”
They’re the creative forces behind some of Morris Group’s celebrated kitchens, creating extraordinary food every day. Meet some of our newest chefs and find out more about their food philosophies and what really drives them.
Scattered across Australia in the kitchens of our collection of luxury lodges, hotels, and pubs, our chefs are a driving force behind Morris Group’s passion for elevating the Australian good life.
With such a diverse portfolio of restaurants each serving a unique style of cuisine, finding the right people to bring the vision to life is key.
But for Group Executive Chef, Peter Reffell, that’s come together just the way he’d planned.
“The depth of talent and experience we have in our team is amazing, and it’s a critical to the overall success of the group,” he said.
“We have such an array of chefs with diverse experiences who each bring unique skills and perspectives. That’s meant that we are creating more versatile and innovative menus than ever.
“Our chefs are highly creative, talented, and are constantly pushing the boundaries of traditional cuisine to offer something new and exciting to our customers. It’s a really exciting time for food at Morris Group.”
Meet Morris Group’s newest head chefs
Mt Mulligan Lodge, QLD
For Gianni Hendrickx, taking on the role of Head Chef at Mt Mulligan Lodge is the culmination of a lifetime spent in the kitchen.
Growing up in Belgium, Gianni recalls fondly the hours he spent cooking with his grandmother from a young age.
“I just really loved spending time with her in the kitchen,” he said.
“With all the grandkids around it was a lot, so it was fun to have some time alone with her cooking and learning all the family dishes. That’s where my love for cooking came from.”
At 13, he began training at Spermalie Hotel and Tourism School in Belgium, one of Europe’s most prestigious culinary schools.
It was here that Gianni got his first taste of the fast-paced world of running a restaurant. He says it was an eye-opening and often humbling experience for him and his peers.
“The thing you really learn is discipline. They were a really strict school but that’s what I needed because I wasn’t the easiest kid,” he said.
“There was a lot of pressure, but that pressure prepares you for real life. It really helped me out working in the restaurants that I worked in. You learn how to deal with authority and the pressure and just to push through.
“You learn that as a chef you never really know everything. You just have to keep learning and learning, so the possibilities are endless.”
Training at Spermalie laid the foundations for an esteemed career that would see him work in some of Europe’s top Michelin-star restaurants including Vrijmoed, Zilte, and ’t fornuis under the mentorship of renowned Belgian chef Johan Segers.
Since moving to Australia and finding his way to Mt Mulligan Lodge in March 2024, Gianni says he’s been given one of the greatest gifts a chef can get: the chance to play.
“You can do whatever you want here – you can experiment – so that’s what makes it fun,” he said.
“I have a classical French background, so sometimes I will go really classical. But then there’s days that I feel like ‘Oh let’s do something crazy today!’
“We change up the menu every day, so it’s nice to come in and just go to the fridge and see what we’re going to make today.”
For Gianni, part of that excitement comes from Mt Mulligan’s unique location in outback Queensland and the interesting array of fresh produce at his fingertips.
“I’ve really enjoyed learning and experimenting with the fish here in particular,” he said.
“The quality of the seafood is amazing, and all the different species of fish like coral trout and nannygai.
“It’s been great to work with things like kangaroo and emu because I’ve never worked with them in Europe, and I really wanted to use them in the menu.
“But also of course, it’s really special working in a place like this. It’s not just about cooking, but the surroundings that really makes it.”
Terasu at Ardo, QLD
There’s only one place in the world that you want to be if you’re an aspiring sushi chef, and that’s the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market in the heart of Tokyo.
That’s where Head Chef of Terasu restaurant at Ardo, Yukio Ozeki, earned his stripes; and it set him on course to head up renowned kitchens all over the world.
“When I graduated school, I was working at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo. There’s the big fish market in Tokyo called the Tsukiji Fish Market and around that market there’s over 100 sushi restaurants,” he said.
“It’s quite hard. Every day I would go into the markets to get the fish with my boss. You had to compete with the other restaurants around there to get the best fish.”
“Once we have chosen our fish and the rest of our seafood, we’d take it back to the restaurant and start preparing it.”
Apart from the obvious high level of technique required to prepare sushi correctly, much of what takes the cuisine to the next level is the quality of the produce.
Yukio says it can take some time to learn how to spot the best fish from a crowded marketplace.
“First you need to learn which fish is the best. You have to look at the colour – if it’s dark, it’s old. If it’s pink, it’s fresh. You also check the eyes. If the eyes are dark, it’s not fresh.”
After broadening his skillset into other styles of Japanese cuisine, Yukio left Japan in search of new culinary challenges.
His travels took him far and wide, working everywhere from small restaurants in South America, to a friend’s 200-head Japanese restaurant in L.A. on Santa Monica Beach.
For the last 10 years he was based in Auckland working at a celebrated modern Asian fusion restaurant in the CBD.
It was here that the DNA for Terasu was first conceived. When the opportunity came to make the move across the ditch to sunny Townsville and start something new, Yukio jumped at the chance.
“I came to Townsville over 20 years ago when I was on a working holiday where I visited Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Alice Springs,” he said.
“I remember Castle Hill and it was so beautiful. I just loved Queensland, the climate, the lifestyle. Everything.
“With Terasu’s menu, I took my knowledge of traditional Japanese cuisine and things I’ve picked up from other cuisines around the world to create something new.”
Much like his first experience in that restaurant in Tokyo all those years ago, Yukio says the Terasu menu lives and breaths on the quality of the fresh produce available.
“The quality of the seafood is really important. Before we opened, we got some samples from our supplier Red Coral Seafood and it was very fresh, so I was excited to work with it,” he said.
“The quality of the produce is very good – the fish, the Wagyu meat. It’s all very good.”
Half Moon, VIC
If there’s one trait that Aaron Brodie has in spades, it’s adaptability.
Before stepping into the Head Chef role at Half Moon, he spent seven years as Executive Chef at Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley where the food philosophy was all about sustainability and hyper-local produce.
“We had a kitchen garden that provided about 80 percent of what we were serving,” he said.
“We set some tight parameters around what we did and how we did it. It was very much that everything’s made in-house, but we took it to another level – we made absolutely everything, from bread to charcuterie, and cheese.”
But with the strict rules came opportunity for limitless creativity.
“It takes a little bit of getting used to. You have to be able to adapt and be very fluid,” he said.
“It’s very produce led. Basically, the garden tells you what you’re putting on the menu. You don’t have the luxury of looking at a supplier list and ordering whatever you want. You’re bound by what’s at your back door.
“It means you can’t be set in your ways. You might have made something years ago, but you don’t have the same resources available, so you have to adapt.”
For Aaron, moving from a boutique winery to a bustling pub in the heart of Brighton means adapting again to a totally new way of thinking.
“I guess the goal is to be able to do a little bit of that, but to do it in a way that’s more approachable,” he said.
“The audience is a bit broader because a pub is something to everyone. When people come into a pub – especially somewhere like Half Moon that has such a reputation – and they’ve got a preconceived idea of what they’re going to get.
“What I’m trying to do is use a lot of old-world techniques, but just presented in something that’s a little brighter, and a little fresher.
“It’s food that people can relate to, but at the same time something that’s a little bit different. We’re not trying to scare them.”
Aaron’s deft ability to adapt and stay cool under pressure is no accident.
It’s a muscle he’s strengthened through an illustrious career working in some of the world’s most renowned kitchens.
Having kicked off his career in Perth working at the iconic venues such as the Subiaco Hotel, Aaron made the move to London to immerse himself in the ‘intense’ food scene.
The five years that followed saw him on board at a series of one and two Michelin-star restaurants including Gordon Ramsay’s Maze working under Jason Atherton.
For Aaron, that kind of experience has been pivotal in making him the chef he is today.
“You just become very goal-orientated, and you learn,” he said.
“I always had a thirst to learn. You really need to learn, and you need to learn quickly. You get a couple of chances but by the third chance, they’re probably not so nice about it.”
“There’s a lot of repetition but that’s how you become better. I guess it’s a bit like sport in that sense. If you’re training for something, there’s a lot of repetition and incremental gains.
“I really like that competitive nature of the kitchen. There’s no such thing as perfection, but the goal is just to make today better than the day before.”
O’Connell’s, VIC
It’s not that much of a stretch to say that Iker Garcia seems destined to be a chef.
Born in Basque Country and growing up in Spain’s coastal Catalonia region, Iker was immersed in the chef life from a very young age.
“My dad used to be a chef, and worked on boats all around the world,” he said.
“I travelled a lot. On school holidays I would go with my parents on the boat, so I was really lucky to visit a lot of countries.
“I spent so many hours in the kitchen, watching my dad cooking. I think that’s when I fell in love with it. I started cooking when I was 12 and had my first job when I was 14 working with my dad for about 10 years.
“Working with my dad really gave me my work ethic. He taught me so much about being consistent and having discipline.
“I wasn’t the best student so my dad would say ‘If you’re not going to study then you have to at least be good with your hands.’”
Since then, his career has been one filled with globetrotting, working in fine dining kitchens all over Spain, France, Italy, and Korea before he found his way to Australia 10 years ago.
“Learning English was the main priority for coming to Australia at first,” he said.
“I was supposed to come only for six months and then I extended my Visa for another year, and another year, and another year, and now here we are ten years later.”
While he’s well and truly settled into the Australian way of life, Iker says travel remains one of his biggest inspirations in the kitchen.
“Knowledge comes from travelling around the world,” he said.
“I feel very grateful for all the places I’ve been able to travel and go to really good restaurants and see what they do.
“I just want to explore as much as I can, surround myself with the best people, and learn from the best.”
A peruse through the menu at South Melbourne neighbourhood favourite, O’Connell’s, is a nod to Iker’s upbringing, with a definite shift towards a lighter, Mediterranean inspired fare.
“I used to live in a fishing village, and I was really lucky to have friends who worked on boats so I could get the fish from them and take it home and cook it for that night. You can’t beat that,” he said.
“Obviously coming from the Mediterranean it’s all about seafood – I really love cooking fish especially on charcoal. I just love seafood. If I had to pick one ingredient, my favourite thing would be seafood every time.
“My main thing with cooking is always to treat the ingredients and produce well and do the least possible with it and showcase it because if it’s good, you don’t have to do anything to it. Less is more.”
Beechmont Estate, QLD
While their paths towards the chef life were pretty different, husband-and-wife team Chris and Alex Norman say they were both sucked in by the same thing.
“For me I think it’s the camaraderie, the banter between the chefs, and the lifestyle,” Chris said.
“I remember walking into my first kitchen at 14 or 15 years old and just going ‘This is so cool. This is an environment I want to be part of.’
“I just was drawn to the idea of being part of a team – especially at a young age. They really took me in.
“It’s a lot like going into the military or something. You’re in a team and it’s got a strict hierarchy, and you’ve got your leader at the front driving the team. And sometimes going into service is a lot like going into battle.”
The story was much the same for Alex.
“I always worked in big places with like 40 or 50 chefs. You were doing big hours, but you were all in it together,” she said.
“The bonds that you make – they’re friends for life because you just go through all this stuff together.”
Having cut his teeth working in a pub kitchen throughout high school, Chris had no doubts about his direction post-graduation and began his chef apprenticeship.
It wasn’t long before he sensed a big change. Suddenly it wasn’t just the team dynamic driving him. His passion for food and the craft had been ignited.
“I was working in a fairly good place, but it wasn’t the best of the best,” he said.
“I just had this realisation that if I’m going to do this I may as well do it properly. From there I started what we call ‘chasing stars’, which is looking for work at any restaurants with a Michelin star.
“I put myself through 10 years of working at the best places that I could, trying to learn and soak up as much as I could like a sponge.”
The decision to become a chef was a pretty clear one for Alex. Clear enough for her to follow her gut take her career advisor’s words of warning with a grain of salt.
“My career advisor at school really didn’t want me to be a chef. She was like ‘You’ll just waste your career!’ But I think that kind of I was like ‘Well, I’m just going to go and do it now,’” she said.
And with that, at the age of 16 she landed a scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Culinary Arts: one of the UK’s most prestigious culinary schools.
“Only 30 people a year get to do this scholarship, so I was very lucky,” she said.
“You essentially do three months full time at the University of Bournemouth and then you go to London for a year and you’re just a chef in the kitchen.
“So, I was a 16-year-old living in London, and I just had the best time! It was pretty clear then. I was like, ‘Yep, this is this is what I want to do.’”
As her skills in the kitchen grew, so did her fascination with the pastry kitchen.
“I think I was attracted by the science behind it. It’s a little bit more academic in some ways,” she said.
“There are really clear rules. Like, there are reasons that things will work in a certain way – a sponge will rise in different ways depending on how you make it. I really enjoyed that part of it.
“I also enjoy that you can do a some more crazy things with pastry and push the boundaries. You can do some mad stuff!”
The pair met when their careers both led them to working at The Ritz in London, and they’ve been working together ever since.
While most people would find it difficult working in such a high pressure environment with their significant other, Alex and Chris say they’ve found a way to make it work seamlessly.
“We like to be under the pump we like to be under pressure,” Chris said.
“We’ve had some steep learning curves. It was very tough earlier on,” Alex said.
“There are times when you bring work home, but now we are used to working each other. We kind of know and understand each other and what we do so it’s easy.”
In 2011 they made the move to Australia and found their way to Southeast Queensland – a place that holds a special place in their hearts.
For them, that stunning location was a huge part of the appeal of joining the team at Beechmont Estate to lead its celebrated chef-hatted restaurant, The Paddock, into a new era.
“It’s a beautiful area and we’ve worked already with the local suppliers for years. So, coming here was very easy for us,” Chris said.
“For us, having full creative autonomy is a big factor. We want it to be a destination where people know they can come and have a really good meal, but not necessarily just for special occasions.
“One of the biggest things for us is that we want to get the best quality ingredients and cook them with respect – it does matter whether it’s a piece of Wagyu or some coral trout or some vegetables from a local farm.
“We don’t want to change anything. We don’t want to take ingredients and dehydrate it, mix it with a load of chemicals and turn it into something else. We’ll keep it as it is.
“We’re classically trained, and we’ve worked in restaurants that have kept to that kind of philosophy, but we do it with a more modern Australian spin.
“We like to think our food is unpretentious and approachable but still really high quality.”
The kitchen at The Vincent has been brought back to life as Morris Hospitality’s production kitchen and butchery.
Under the direction of Head Production Chef, Dan Greenwood, one of the kitchen’s main responsibilities is preparing the array of premium meats for the group’s collection of Victorian pubs from the bulk deliveries from suppliers.
Dan says that apart from the obvious cost benefits, there are other big advantages to the concept.
“Skilled labour is always hard to find, so pulling this kind of labour out of the kitchens and letting the chefs focus on the thing they do best which is service makes a lot of sense,” he said.
“I can spend a bit of time continuing to build the strong relationship with suppliers like Flinders & Co, and it just gives us a bit of quality control over the product that ends up making it into the restaurant kitchens and onto the plates of our guests. I can make sure we’re getting the consistent level of excellence we’re looking for.
“Centralising also means we can make the most of any trim and wastage and have it all in one place to repurpose and value-add to it rather than it just being used for staff meal or chucked into a stock. We can actually repurpose it in a way that is more thoughtful, so it doesn’t get wasted.”
Before joining the Morris Hospitality team six months ago, Dan was working in product development for LaManna gourmet supermarkets, where he’d also been head chef for their ready-meals production kitchen.
“I started out in restaurants and then transitioned into production kitchens after that,” he said.
“The hours are a little bit more family-friendly and I found it really interesting. I did some time in airline catering before that, and I’ve just kept growing in that side of hospitality. I just really enjoy it.”
Sure, you might have had a beer or two in your time. But have you ever had an ‘epiphany beer’?
CBCo Brewing’s Head Brewer Ash Hazell has, and he credits it with setting him off on his path to brewing enlightenment. One single pint launched his 20-year quest to find the magic formula for the greatest tasting beer imaginable.
“There’s a term that brewers use called epiphany beers,” Ash says.
“It’s like the first beer they picked up where it’s changed everything, from being just a beer to get me drunk to something much bigger. This epiphany beer is a life-changing moment.”
For Ash, the pint in question was served up at Western Australia’s Little Creatures brewery where he celebrated his 18th birthday.
Up to that point he’d been brewing some admittedly pretty nasty beer – mostly as a way to get around his problem of being underage with a social calendar full of uni parties to attend.
“I was brewing horrifically bad beer and when I tried the Little Creatures Pale Ale, in that moment I was like, ‘I have to learn how to make beer this good’. That one beer sort of set my whole career path,” he says.
“I was studying chemistry at the time and was doing some boring mining-related chemistry units. So, I dropped out of all of them and instead I picked up some biochemistry and microbiology units to learn how to make that beer.
“And 20 years later I’m a tragically obsessed brewer, still trying to make the best beer I can.”
The shift from casual hobby brewer to full-time fanatic was swift.
“I was just obsessed. Absolutely obsessed. Every waking hour I was researching brewing,” he says.
“I’d built a semi-automated, fully stainless steel brewhouse in my back shed, using kegs I’d ‘borrowed’ from the back of pubs.
“I found a local welder to weld it all up for me and found all the parts online from across the world. At the time you just didn’t have access to homebrew equipment like there is now. You had to piece it together yourself.”
As it turns out, the efforts to upgrade his set-up clearly paid off. From that point Ash entered and won a couple of home brewing awards including one major national one.
As time went on, brewing became increasingly ingrained in his life and his studies. When his classmates were doing their final year research projects on crystal formation, Ash opted for his own beer-centric topic.
It was such a step outside the norm, that even his uni lecturer had no idea what he was talking about, so he was to enlist the help of an expert to verify his research.
Little did he know that this would be the beginning of his big break in the industry.
“On a whim I reached out to the head brewer at Little Creatures to verify my research and he agreed,” Ash says.
“I got questionable but somewhat useful results, but more importantly he offered me a job as a keg cleaner, cleaning kegs by hand while I finished my degree.
“And by the time I finished my degree I worked there full-time and have been a brewer ever since.
“There were probably only about 50 craft brewers in the country at that time. It was such a tiny industry, so just to get your foot in the door was huge.”
From there he began his slow rise through the ranks, jumping on new opportunities as they presented themselves.
“Little Creatures was growing really fast in those days. It wasn’t the easiest industry to work in at the time – the hours were long. It was a hard slog,” he says.
“But just by persevering through it, and being absolutely obsessed with it, I ended up getting lots of opportunities.
“My career goal was always to become the quality control manager of a significant Australian craft brewery, and I’d achieved that by the time I turned 25.”
When Little Creatures was bought out by global beverage giant, Lion, Ash found himself at a crossroads.
Wanting to stay fiercely independent and not work for ‘the man’ he took it as a sign to move on and started his own brewery with Little Creatures’ ex-CEO, called Barrow Boys.
Despite a few strong years in Melbourne, Barrow Boys eventually closed down leaving him looking for a new opportunity.
And that opportunity came at CBCo.
“I came here and chatted to (Managing Director) Lawrence (Dowd) about contract brewing,” he says.
“But I also knew he was looking for a head brewer at the time. So, I was half coming to suss out contract brewing for my old business, and half coming into suss out opportunities in case I lost faith that I could make that work.”
One thing led to another, and before he knew it he was head brewer at CBCo Brewing and the rest is history.
For Ash, the best thing about working at CBCo is that he gets the freedom to play with flavours, and for him that’s the magic of brewing. That’s what keeps his obsession going, even after more than two decades in the industry.
“When you work for one of the big guys, you have resources – and resources are great. But you also have many different gateways to pass between the idea and delivering the idea,” he says.
“The whole reason I love working in craft beer is that I love craft beer and I want to play with flavours, and I don’t want to work for a company that just wants to make boring beer.
“There’s nothing better than brewing a beer and having that first pint off tap and being like ‘Yeah, this is delicious; we’ve nailed this. That’s still what I strive for every day.”
We all lead such busy lives; juggling work, family commitments, personal relationships, hobbies. Sometimes our health and wellbeing can start to slip down the priority list. We spoke to team members from across Morris Group to find out how they look after their physical and mental wellness.
General Manager – The Albert Park Hotel
Morris Hospitality
“Wellbeing to me is about being healthy and happy, maintaining a good work life balance, and taking the time to do things that I enjoy.
I try to get out for a run at least a couple of times a week and go to the gym as well. I used to run a lot and have done quite a few ultra marathons, but these days it’s more important to me just to get out and have a bit of fun. When I get the chance, I still really enjoy trail running. Being out in the bush all on your own is the best form of meditation and a good reset if I’m feeling overwhelmed.
For me, running seems to be a good all-round exercise. It keeps you fit, motivates you to get out into the bush, and is a really good way to clear your mind. I also find that the more I run the more I need to stretch. We have a little yoga space set up at home and I really enjoy taking some time to stretch and relax. Looking after your physical health tends to keep your mental health in good shape as well.
Feeling well rested and having a consistently high energy level is important especially when you are dealing with people every day in your job like I am. Hospitality obviously isn’t known to be a particularly healthy industry. It can be quite stressful at times with long hours and late nights, and there can be a tendency towards unhealthy eating and drinking.
I think that when you are taking care of yourself, exercising and being conscious of your thoughts, you are better prepared to do a quite demanding job. I try to be a good role model for people who are just starting in the industry. I want to have a positive impact on people rather than encourage some of the negative behaviour that the industry is known for.
When it comes to wellbeing, I’m a big believer in consistency and balance. My wife is a pilates and yoga instructor, and that is definitely helpful for me to have such a balancing influence in my life. We spend a lot of our spare time outdoors, going for a hike or swim. I think when you find ways to be active that are fun, it makes it a lot easier to get out the door.
I went through a stage when I was a bit fanatical about the fitness side of wellbeing. I would try to run or get to the gym every day. Now, I tend to do things because I enjoy them. Going for a run is more about getting outside than trying to set a record. I do need to remind myself to be consistent and not make excuses for putting things off. Even if it’s just taking the dog for a walk, I always feel better for getting out and doing something.”
Reservations Agent / Ground Crew
Nautilus Aviation – Port Douglas
“I would say wellbeing is a combination of my mental and emotional state, physical health and social health all intertwined into one. Since having kids, it’s definitely not something at the forefront of my mind but I do think it’s important for everyone to take the time to think about.
I’m lucky that in my role I have a balance of office time doing reservations, as well as outdoor time interacting with guests while ground crewing. Sunshine and fresh air are a big thing for me to help reset. I’m also fortunate to have my office in a 5-star resort with stunning pools that back onto Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas. On lunch breaks I can unwind with a walk on the beach or lay by the pool. Checking in and catching up with friends and family is also super important for my mental health on the weekends.
I’m very much a water baby so I often swim after work to keep fit and if the winds are under 10 knots I’ll try get out to the reef for a cheeky dive or snorkel. I am lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world with rainforests, beaches and waterfalls. So going on adventures with my family and friends does tend to tick most boxes in the wellbeing department.
Looking after my health and wellbeing helps me keep a positive mindset. I try to stay positive where possible. When you are positive and happy, it tends to have a flow-on effect to the people around you in both your work and personal life.
We are a small team here in Port Douglas, so if one or more of us become sick it can throw the whole operation out for the day. I wouldn’t say it’s a physically demanding job, but you need a lot of patience and flexibility in aviation which can become mentally demanding at times. But having a strong support base in our team, we all work together to keep each other going both mentally and emotionally.”
Senior Brewer
CBCo Brewing – Port Melbourne
“For me wellbeing is about a good mental and physical balance in my life, understanding and listening to your body, and doing what you know helps. It’s also important to understand that your wellbeing needs change overtime. What I thought my wellbeing needs or priorities were in my 20s are hugely different now.
These days I find the best way to take care of my wellbeing is focusing on regular exercise, trying to cook healthy and eating well, having regular catch ups with mates, getting into the garden, and having some down time by watching cartoons or reading. I’ve discovered that growing my own food when I can, such as herbs, tomatoes and such, and reaping the rewards of getting your hands dirty is really satisfying.
For me, running is a great way to just unload and forget about the day. I also have a regular Saturday ride with friends. A ride and a coffee ends up being a good group debrief about the week and helps everyone put their week into perspective and talk through some solutions to problems. Even a simple after work walk is great to clear the head.
Making the time to be social is really important, especially for mental health. I do a fortnightly beer, chat and dinner with some mates. Everyone is responsible for a course on the night, so it’s a nice to make and share food with mates. It’s a relaxing way to catch up and just chat about stuff.
I think that the biggest benefit of taking care of my health and wellbeing is being able to have the energy and physical capacity to do what I want. Brewing can be a very physical job with moving hoses around or lifting bags of malt, and we tend to spend most of our day as brewers on our feet, so simply taking care of myself allows me to do my job as best I can.
Having an improved headspace makes it easier to turn off after you’ve had a bad day. I always feel great after exercise, and not so great if I don’t get to exercise. I think the most important thing is learning to listen to your body.”
Senior Assistant Front Office Manager
The Ville Resort-Casino
“To me, wellbeing is about a balanced lifestyle aiming for harmony in both physical and mental wellbeing. The way I look after my physical and mental health is by maintaining proper eating habits, practicing yoga and meditation. I find yoga to be the most effective way to stay fit, healthy and well.
I think taking care of my wellbeing has helped improve my self-confidence and means I’m able to prioritise the day-to-day tasks with a smile. It makes me more productive and allows me to perform at my best and deliver the best customer service.
It can be challenging to stay motivated sometimes, but I find that rewarding myself when I achieve small milestones helps me stay on track. I’ve made wellbeing part of my daily routine which really helps me focus on what I do in my day-to-day life.”
For food lovers the arrival of winter can only mean one thing. Truffle season is upon us and it’s hitting menus across Morris Group venues for a month-long celebration of the seasonal delicacy.
__
What is it about truffles that gets chefs and diners so excited? Surely the hype is just one of those trendy foodie things that fills our social media feeds for a brief moment before moving out of the way for the next big thing.
If you ask Morris Group Executive Chef Peter Reffell, the love for truffles is much more than just a flash in the pan craze. It all comes down to their scarcity.
Truffles are a form of mushroom that grow underground at the base of either oak or hazelnut trees. Often taking up to four years to mature, the truffle farming process is complex. Specially trained dogs or pigs are needed to sniff the treasures out under the soil.
“Truffles are one of natures truly sought-after ingredients,” Reffell says.
“Chefs and food lovers are drawn to them not just because they are a true delicacy in every sense of the word, but also because of their unique aroma and flavour.”
With the season now officially underway, Reffell and his team of chefs across Victoria and Queensland are about to put truffles in the spotlight with special menus to give diners the chance to experience the flavour sensation for themselves.
Morris Group’s Melbourne-based pub group is bringing working alongside supplier Friends & Burrell to bring Victorian black truffles to the menu at three of its iconic venues.
Producer Oak Hill Truffles is a family-run operation located just 95km north-west of Melbourne. They’ve been farming truffles for 17 years with the help of their trusty labrador Peggy.
Here’s what diners can expect from Truffle Season at Morris Hospitality.
O’Connell’s
Over its 140 years in South Melbourne, O’Connell’s has been at the forefront of modern Australian pub dining. Having recently undergone a minor facelift and released a new, more refined menu, the local favourite is perfectly placed to showcase the seasonal delicacy in all its glory.
What’s on the menu:
The Albert Park Hotel
Albert Park’s restaurant Happy Valley has become well-known for its signature take on modern Chinese cuisine. True to form, the team of chefs have put their unique spin on Truffle Season with some inventive dishes to bring the flavour to life.
What’s on the menu:
Half Moon
Brighton’s much-loved local watering hole is known as the place to gather, drink and dine no matter the occasion. Its existing menu of refined pub classics and seasonal dishes is the ideal launching off pad for a celebration of all things truffles.
What’s on the menu:
Morris Hospitality’s Truffle Season runs until Sunday 14 July.
Townsville’s newest luxury hotel has made its mark on the region’s food scene since opening in December. Its signature fine dining steak and seafood restaurant, Marmor, and modern Japanese cuisine at Terasu have fast become favourites amongst visitors and locals alike.
The culinary team is working with suppliers Friends & Burrell to bring New South Wales black truffles to the menu for Truffle Season. Their truffles come courtesy of Wylie Creek Truffles, located 750km north of Sydney.
What’s on the menu:
Marmor
Terasu
Ardo’s Truffle Season runs until Sunday 30 June.
As Deputy Head Housekeeper of Pennsylvania Castle Estate, Keanna Pearce is key to keeping the property running like clockwork. Keanna shares her story and gives us some insight into what it’s like working in an historical castle on the UK’s Jurassic Coast.
__
I’ve worked at Pennsylvania Castle Estate for nearly two years now. I joined the team as a Deputy Head Housekeeper, but I’ve also worked in The Hayloft Café and The Castle Bar for events. It’s great to be able to support so many different areas across the estate.
My family owned a hotel, so growing up I was able to help with housekeeping and I always found it to be something I really enjoyed. Before I joined this team, I was a Head Housekeeper at a hotel in Bridport. It was a lot smaller than The Penn Estate so I really have enjoyed the change, working somewhere with so much variety.
I love the estate as a whole. It’s such a beautiful location and I feel so lucky to be here every day. I love the beaches and the views. It’s such a lovely area. You can really understand why people choose to take their holidays here.
Everyone at the property is also so welcoming and helpful. Probably the best thing about working here is how friendly everyone is. We all get along so well and if you every need help, you get the support straight away.
The properties on the estate are so beautiful and I enjoy being able to support maintaining such high cleaning standards. There is such a variety of different types of accommodation, and each one requires a different level of housekeeping and different needs.
At the castle, we pay attention to different little details and have extra cleaning requirements such as the pool and bar area. The Clifftops Lodges are luxury and require great attention to detail to maintain a high standard for guests. Our vans and pods are smaller and much easier to clean. It’s interesting that everyone in the team has a different favourite area they like to clean.
I am really passionate about providing the best standards of cleaning at work, and I even find some of the processes creeping in at home. Little things like how we make the beds to make them perfectly flat and the way we fold the corners, I do the same at home without even realising.
It’s a very fast-paced job and keeping up to date with all the little changes or extras can be challenging, but that’s what I love. No day is ever the same!
There are those of us who really ‘know’ their wine, and those who just know they like it. But the wine experts across Morris Group are making it their mission to close the wine gap and make better quality wines more accessible to more people, without the pretentiousness.
Great wine has always been part of Morris Group’s dining philosophy.
When a guest steps into one of Morris Hospitality’s pubs, a Morris Escapes luxury lodge, or one of the North Queensland hotels, there’s the unspoken promise of a quality drop.
In fact, many of its venues have been hailed for their wine lists, recognised by the industry as being amongst the country’s best.
But, after years of being an important supporting character to exceptional food and service, wine is having its big moment in the spotlight.
Morris Hospitality CEO Tim Fitzgerald is one of the driving forces behind what could be described as Morris Group’s ‘better wine project’, a series of initiatives happening across the group that are bringing good wine front and centre.
“There’s a cohesion between what we’re doing in our retail offering, our new wine club, and our series of wine events that really speaks to the idea that wine doesn’t have to be an exclusive thing that no one really understands,” Tim says.
“We really want more people to enjoy better wine.”
Levelling up
Central to this ambition is Morris Hospitality’s Wine Club.
The idea is pretty simple. By signing up to the club, members have access to discounted wine at Morris Hospitality venues.
“It allows people to enjoy more premium wines so where they might have probably bought an $80 bottle of wine, they might instead opt for one that’s usually $120,” Tim says.
“Not only is that a win for them, but it’s also win for us because it means our venues build an even stronger reputation around really exceptional wine along to go with the high standard of food and service.”
For Tim, cementing Morris Hospitality’s reputation as a leader in wine is key. He and his team have spent the last few years refining the group’s offering, buying and selling venues, rethinking menus, and unveiling a new brand identity earlier this year.
With the Wine Club now live across the venues, the vision is now coming to life.
“There’s no coincidence that we launched the Wine Club very soon after rebranding the group,” he says.
“I saw it as being a really clear and important part of our story that our venues are able to offer great wine at a more affordable price.
“We’ve put a lot of effort and time into resetting our portfolio of venues, the style of service, and the product that we deliver.
“I think there are plenty of pubs out there that can say they have credibility around serving great wine, but what we’ve created is an experience and style of service for wine that you’d usually see in restaurants not pubs.”
“Every venue has its own wine rep there, and the level of knowledge that we have across the group even just in our management teams is really extensive now.
“Because of that, we’re attracting more people into the group with that passion for wine, which is exactly what we’re aiming for.”
But Wine Club is just the beginning. The team is also leaning in on their increasingly popular wine dinners – they have 16 of them planned across the venues this year alone.
Tim says part of that experience is about exposing diners to wines they might not otherwise drink and expanding their wine knowledge in a down-to-earth and accessible way.
“We try to make those events fun and a little bit less stuffy than the typical wine event that’s purely for the wine nerds,” he says.
“It’s really about letting people enjoy wine from a region and getting a little bit of knowledge, rather than sitting down for a lecture about Burgundy for two hours before finally being able to drink some wine.”
Nerd mode activated
Self-confessed wine nerd, Brad Hammond is central to the business’ wine story.
As Morris Group’s General Manager of Wine, he’s responsible for developing and overseeing the wine lists for every pub, restaurant, hotel, resort, luxury lodge, and superyacht in the company’s expansive tourism and hospitality portfolios.
It’s a big job, so it’s probably a good thing wine is more of an obsession for him than just a job.
“There’s just an infinite amount to know about wine. You can never know it all,” Brad says.
“First there’s all the different grape varietals, and all the different areas they could be grown in. There’s the soil types, and the history of the land. And then there’s all the ways the wine can be made.
“There’s just such a level of depth to it that I find really, really interesting because you can never stop learning.”
Brad’s passion for wine was first sparked when he started working in fine dining restaurants early in his hospitality career.
He says there was just something about wine that caught his attention. Any chance to soak up some knowledge from those in the know was taken with both hands.
“I’m completely self-taught. Everything I know is just from my own experience and love of wine,” he says.
“I teach myself in my own time, I buy books, I read things on the internet, I go to tastings, I talk to people in the industry.”
Now, a big part of his role involves passing on that knowledge and cultivating the same kind of passion for wine in the teams working in the venues.
“Our venue staff are key, so we have to empower them with a level of knowledge that makes them confident enough to go to a table and explain the differences between certain styles or varieties,” Brad says.
“I love that side of the job. It can be difficult with such big venues spread between Victoria and Queensland, but I find the best way to do that kind of training is just spending a lot of time in the dining room during a lunch or dinner service and training people on the job.”
He’s making a list…
For Brad, working such a diversity of venues is like being set free in a great big playground. Sure, he could work at one of those small, boutique wine bars, but where’s the fun in that?
“It’s great because I get so many different lists to play around with,” he says.
“There’s everything from Splash Bar and Quarterdeck at The Ville in Townsville which both have very simple and small offerings; right up to places like Albert Park Hotel or The Railway Club Hotel that are known for their wines and have very specific cuisines to pair with.
“Albert Park has a Cantonese kitchen, and The Railway Club is a steakhouse, so immediately there’s going to be some clear differences.
“We can’t get enough big Aussie Shiraz at Railway Club, whereas at Albert Park everybody wants to drink Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and those lighter, white, aromatic wines that work so well with the food.”
So, what is the key to creating a wine list that’s not just good, but exceptional?
“I would say that what sets our wine lists apart from others is the access we have to really premium products that smaller businesses wouldn’t,” Brad says.
“We’re lucky as a big group to have buying power that means we can get premium wines from France and across the globe that others can’t.
“If you look at another venue’s list, it might have 100 wines on there but all of them are 2020 or 2021 because they’re the ones that are currently being released.
“We have a central cellar here with wines going back to the late 19th century which is pretty incredible when you think about it. Having access to those just takes a list to the next level.”
The keeper of the cellar
If there’s someone who knows their way around a wine cellar, it’s Pete Marr.
For people in wine industry circles, he is an undisputed legend. You don’t work in an industry for 40 years without building some serious credibility.
He even has a regular talkback radio spot on Melbourne’s 3AW with renowned chef Adrian Richardson covering all things food and wine.
Pete spent a decade running specialty wine stores around Melbourne before moving into wholesaling and then into marketing and selling directly to private clients.
For the last 15 years he’s been one of Morris Group’s secret weapons, continuing to sell premium wines direct to clients whilst also lending his expertise to the business as it grew its hospitality and tourism portfolio.
A major part of his role has been managing the all-important cellar. And for a wine aficionado like Pete, this cellar is truly special.
“The cellar wines mostly came from our (former) Western Australian businesses that had exceptional cellars,” Pete says.
“Actually, my first job when I joined Morris Group was to assess the cellar at Raffles which was quite extensive. It was a great opportunity for us because these were wines that you can’t access readily.
“Then we opened Print Hall in Perth, which was a big project at the height of the mining boom. It was a very high-end venue with a top sommelier from Sydney. He put together an incredible wine list.”
Tim says having access to this kind of quality and range of product is a major drawcard for Wine Club.
“Because we bought it so long ago and have taken care of it quite well, no one can sell it as cheap as we can,” Tim says.
“We’re talking about wines that are between 10 and 15 years old already. For those people who really know wine, they’ll see this stuff, particularly our European wines that have sat nicely for a long time and realise that it’s extraordinary value that we’re offering.
“There’s going to be a real depth of offer through the Wine Club that creates a situation where it makes sense for people to trade up from the basic house wine to something really nice.”
The full circle
The final but important piece of the puzzle is one that must feel like a bit of a full circle moment for Pete: a new wine store and bar at The Vincent Hotel in Albert Park due to open this winter.
The concept is something that the group has been thinking about for a little while, but the timing hasn’t been quite right. Until now.
“We’ll be able to use the power we have as a group in terms of our wine buying to offer really lovely, premium wines that are well priced,” Pete says.
“It’s going to add another layer to the whole wine story we’re trying to tell. It’ll be more relaxed opportunity for people to come down and explore.
“We’ll have wines opened down there all the time for people to come and taste. There will always be someone in the store that’s got great knowledge that can talk to you and give you some guidance.
“My theory on wine is that it’s there to make you feel better and happier. You don’t need to know a lot about wine to enjoy it, but the more you know the more you will enjoy it.”
Find out more about Morris Hospitality Wine Club
Starting off with just one aircraft and only the vaguest idea of what he was getting himself into, Aaron Finn has built Nautilus Aviation into Northern Australia’s biggest helicopter operator. And it all started with a beer and a handshake at Townsville’s Seaview Hotel.
Aaron Finn knows more than most about building something from scratch.
Long before he had even learned how to fly a helicopter, the Nautilus Aviation CEO was building houses.
“I started out as a carpenter. I’d left school when I was 15 and nine months. The teachers sort of said I was better suited to a trade than causing disruptions at school,” he laughs.
“I was living in a small town in country Victoria with about 5,000 people called Kyabram and got a job with one of the local builders as an apprentice chippy. And that’s where everything started with my building career.”
Even all these years and a whole career change later, his love for building things has never completely left him. He’s still a registered builder and even led the construction of Morris Escapes’ luxury outback retreat Mt Mulligan Lodge.
When the Nautilus base in Cairns was damaged by the floods at the end of 2023, Aaron put his skills to work to get things back up and running again.
But despite this enduring love for his trade, when the idea for a change in direction presented itself he was all in.
The winds of change
“It all started with a joy flight in a helicopter with my dad over Kakadu,” he said.
“It’s hard to describe what it was exactly, but when you take off there’s just that feeling you get as you’re flying away. I just thought it was pretty cool at the time.”
Whatever that feeling was, Aaron was certain that flying helicopters was something he wanted to do. He just needed a bit of time and an extra nudge to make it happen.
Fast forward ten years or so to 2007, when Aaron was working on a building site in Port Douglas. Now in his mid-30s and at a major crossroads in his personal life, he was looking to make a drastic change.
“I was actually building (Flight Centre co-founder) Geoff Harris’ house in Port Douglas. I remember driving out the gate one day and there’s a helicopter landing on the helipads nearby,” he said.
“And as it landed, I don’t know why but I just thought, ‘That’s what I’m going to be. What have I got to lose?’ and I booked in to do my license the next day.”
A pilot’s life
What followed was 12 months of training which Aaron says came with many challenges.
“I was about 34, so I was a late starter compared to most pilots who’re starting when they’re in their early 20s,” he said.
“The practical training is challenging. You need to have good hand-eye coordination. One of the hardest aspects is hovering.
“You do 105 hours of flight time, and there’s also seven subjects and then exams that you have to complete. I failed some of the exams and I won’t lie, a lot of that was due to me being busy working at the same time.
“You had to book your exams in advance, and I’d set a reminder and then the day before I’d get a Outlook alert for an aviation exam tomorrow. So, I’d get the books out that night and try and do a whole subject in a night and try and sit the exams. I don’t recommend it.”
But in the end, it was worth the stress for the pay-off of being able to fly.
“I remember the first time I flew. Funnily enough the guy who was supervising is one of our pilots (at Nautilus) still to this day!” he said.
“We took off and went up over Barron Gorge and Kuranda and not long after we were airborne he gave me the cyclic and said ‘You’ve now got control of this thing’. It’s pretty daunting at the time, but exciting.
“You do about 20 hours of training before you go solo. That first time when you’re flying and you look at the empty seat beside you, it’s that’s probably the biggest moment in any pilot’s career.”
Perhaps another moment from his career as a pilot that Aaron won’t forget too soon was the time he ended up giving some tourists an unexpected diving trip.
“I’ve only crashed once, and that’s one time too many,” he says.
“In 2011, I had some Chinese tourists returning from a day on the reef, and I had an engine failure and had to ditch.
“We were only up 400 feet, so it was a matter of five or six seconds between the engine stopping and us hitting the water. I went for a swim that day, but everyone was fine except the helicopter.”
The incident serves as a testament to Aaron’s calmness under pressure – a trait he says is crucial to being a good pilot.
“I think the best pilots are the ones that are calm and easy going when you get into an emergency situation,” he said.
“If you come across a highly strung pilot that panics when you get to an emergency situation, you want somebody that’s calm and going to be able to manage it.”
New horizons
With a few solid years of flying under his belt, Aaron’s next challenge was just around the corner.
Unlike his former career as a builder, this new venture didn’t come with a blueprint. There was no clear plan. Just a vague idea to build something great. And it was all signed, sealed and delivered with a beer and a handshake at Townsville’s legendary Seaview Hotel.
That, according to Aaron, is a pretty accurate summary of first meeting Morris Group Founder and Executive Chairman, Chris Morris.
In 2011, Nautilus Aviation consisted of one helicopter and one pilot. The North Queensland region had just been battered by Cyclone Yasi, and Aaron found himself in the thick of it helping to transport people and equipment between Cairns and Townsville.
After a chance encounter with the then Nautilus pilot, Aaron found himself stepping in to assist some passengers heading to Hinchinbrook Island.
“The passengers were giving him a hard time because they had all this gear and they had to take with them, but he couldn’t fit it in. Luckily, three of my passengers didn’t turn up so I just went over and offered to take the gear over,” Aaron said.
“After that we got talking and I said, ‘If you ever need a hand flying, give me a call’, so we kept talking after the cyclone was all over, and he ended up getting me to come and fill in for him at one stage.
“It started off with a flight every couple of days, and then, as Orpheus Island got busier and busier I started doing two flights a day. I may as well be working full-time.
“Chris ended up calling me from the UK and just thanked me for helping out and offered to meet at the Seaview. So, we just had a chat there over a steak and a couple of beers that night and shook hands, and that’s just where it started.”
And with that, Aaron’s new career trajectory leading Nautilus Aviation had begun.
From little things, big things grow
Although the whole business consisted of himself, one helicopter, and a schedule full of transfers to Orpheus Island, it wasn’t long before Aaron could see a world of untapped potential.
“I just said to Chris, ‘We can do more than just island transfers. I want to go and have a crack at getting some other work.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, go for it!’
“He’s been supportive the whole way through and supporting my direction and the things that I wanted to go after with the business, and it’s worked really well.”
From there what followed was steady but consistent growth. A new helicopter here; another base there; acquiring the competition over here.
Today, Nautilus Aviation has over 120 staff members across eight bases in Cairns, Townsville, Port Douglas, Horn Island, Darwin, and Kakadu; and a fleet of more than 40 aircraft.
But despite the undoubted success, it hasn’t always been clear skies.
“Hands down COVID was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through from both a business and personal perspective,” Aaron said.
“Having to personally tell over 80 employees that they no longer have a job is probably one of the most taxing things I’ve been through.
“But being able to pivot the business through that period to being more commercial focused gave us the opportunity to recover faster and rebuild our workforce again.”
Aaron chalks most of the business’ success to being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself.
“To be honest it’s all a bit of a blur, but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved,” he said.
“There was never a plan to be the biggest operator or anything like that. I just wanted to always do a good job, and to provide the best customer service that we could.
“I think what initially built the business was the customer service side of things and the relationships that you build. You can’t do it without having great people around you. Everything’s about people.
“It’s taken a lot of time and perseverance to make things what they are today and what we’ll make it in the future. We’re not done yet.”
