Travel: Sunshine Coast dreaming

TRAVEL

Sunshine Coast dreaming

Borders are opening and destination Queensland is tantalisingly close. SONIA CAEIRO ALVAREZ discovers adventure riding in paradise with triple Olympian Alex Watson.

After six months of border closures and upheaval, armchair travel is edging closer to the real deal. As the Sunshine State gradually moves towards opening up to interstate visitors, there’s good reason to make plans to find your true north, at least for a weekend.

Nestled within rich tracts of beach, bush and hinterland, Noosa and its surrounds offer almost perfect weather, clear water, and stunning vistas best savoured with rides along beaches and inland trails.

Triple Olympian and eight-time national champion pentathlete Alex Watson, knows this better than most, having called this stretch of paradise home for the last 17 years. “It’s perfect on many levels,” Alex says. “There’s a diversity of terrain and trails within a short radius. From the beautiful beaches to the hinterland, there’s a wonderful range of experiences and wildlife biodiversity.”

It was these features, coupled with the region’s strong horse-riding culture that convinced Alex and his wife Rebecca that they’d found the perfect location for Equathon, their shared dream for a professional riding operation providing quality horses and experiences for customers in the tourism, recreation and sports sectors. which Alex was most comfortable to face the next chapters in life after his Olympic career, and where he discovered an unexpected nostalgia. “The Sunshine Coast felt a lot like the Sydney northern beaches where I grew up,” he says.

Alex and Rebecca are competition equestrians with decades of experience, and they’re passionate about sharing their love of horses, and the natural beauty of the diverse region with visitors from all over the world. “The year-round pleasant climate means Noosa has a steady visitor capacity throughout the year,” Alex says, “and the Sunshine Coast is well served with a convenient airport of its own, and Brisbane Airport just one and a half hours away. We also benefit from large drive markets from Brisbane and the Gold Coast.”

Equathon maintains a team of five staff, as well as two satellite coaches specialising in general riding and Olympic disciplines. A Queensland

Tourism Awards winner in the Adventure Tourism Operator of the Year category, Equathon is ranked in the top 15 horse riding tours in the world by CNN International.

Located on 120 acres in Verrierdale, just 30 minutes south of Noosa Heads, Equathon is home to 32 horses in open paddocks and offers a wide selection of experiences. It caters to all skill levels with adventure rides along the Noosa Trail Network and Noosa North Shore beaches, accommodation packages, private and group rides, as well as dressage and show jumping instruction. A second property, the 640 acre Edenview at Widgee Mountain, includes horse facilities, luxury safari tent accommodation and commercial catering capacity, and runs Droughtmaster beef cattle.

Like all Australian tourism businesses, lock down was a tough blow for Equathon with all offerings but one-onone coaching shut down. With virtually no revenue, refunds due for cancelled bookings and outgoing expenses, the business took a big financial hit, which was softened slightly by JobKeeper and other government incentives, as well

MAIN: Josh and a very happy passenger enjoy a perfect day. INSET: Alex and Rebecca Watson. (All images courtesy of Alex and Rebecca Watson)

as consulting work with clients seeking suitable horses to purchase. “Before COVID we had decided to scale back the size of our Seven Day Australian Bush and Beach Tours which were very popular with international and domestic clients alike. This was indeed fortunate as we would not have been able to run them during this time anyway,” Alex says.

Since COVID, the couple have made other adjustments. “We have found that two to four day tours concentrating on the riding and experiences out at Edenview have been the most attractive options for domestic guests

and the daily beach rides have become fully booked with domestic clients who want nature based activities to escape city living. The desire to seek refuge in nature and a back-to-basics attitude seems to be happening as people look for stability in a world torn apart by COVID. Seeking enjoyable experiences with horses seem to be part of that trend,” Alex says.

An appealing feature of Equathon’s website is viewing the gorgeous images of their delightful crew of highly trained horses, including their names and details. Although Equathon staff are open to hearing which horse a guest likes best, they will generally match horses to riders based upon height, weight and riding experience.

Alex lives and breathes horse welfare and his decades of best-practice equine care underpin the entire operation. “Our philosophy has always been based on presenting well trained, happy, healthy horses,” he says. “Many of our guests comment on the quality of our horses and frequently request a particular horse for their next visit. Some have come back more than half a dozen times.” training. “My coaches would not tolerate anything but a ‘take care of your horse first’ attitude. We like to be an open book and all our management, training and care of horses can be viewed at any time,” he says. “There is never anything that guests are not welcome to observe, and in this way, they learn good horse management practices.”

Teaching good practice is obviously a priority for Alex. “We also run a successful program called Ride Easy, (LtoR) Marie and Kin Kin, Alex on MacTaggart, and Neil riding Moose LEFT: Cody, MacTaggart, Monty, Duke, and Josh carry Equathon clients over the Black Snake Range.

teaching the three essential pillars – Horse Riding, Horse Management and Horse Training – to equip customers to be safe and effective around horses and in the saddle. This course is for riders of all ages and abilities and is ideal for people returning to riding after a break, a loss of confidence, or if they are contemplating buying their own horse. Ride Easy is conducted over five sessions of two hours each and can be followed by further lessons or

instruction depending on need,” he says. Alex knows a thing or two about quality experiences, first as a member of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Organising Committee, and later as a consultant to the new Queensland State Equestrian Centre 2009 Planning and Management Team. He believes that the principles behind the Equathon experience are not dissimilar. They are essentially very simple, and the strategy is the same whether for a few hours on the beach or an extended tour over several days. “What we would like to experience on a horse riding booking if we were guests ourselves, is basically our bar,” he says, “and that includes a relaxed, quality experience that is uniquely Australian and reflects its best aspects.” The example he offers of this is the way the Sydney 2000 Olympics were staged. “I was honoured to be part of those Games,” he says, “they were so well planned and prepared, and yet had this relaxed, friendly, ‘we’ve got this covered’ presentation. Everyone involved, including the thousands of volunteers, were so sad when the Games were over. That’s how we like our guests to feel about Equathon.” lot like your feelings for your favourite restaurant or hotel. You have a level of expectation about the experience, the service, and you expect a continuity of the brand from your previous encounters. You want relaxed, friendly professionalism and you want to feel that the staff know you, look out for you, and are genuinely happy you’re there. It’s about the total package – the quality of the horses, the experience, the meals, the accommodation, and the level of thought and imagination that’s gone into the planning so it’s not just a ‘same old thing again’ approach.”

Moose explores possible feeding options on Noosa’s North Shore. (Images courtesy of Alex and

Rebecca Watson)

important factor is guest satisfaction. “Guests come back because the people with whom they’ve interacted have made them feel welcome, comfortable and appreciated,” Alex explains. “If you get those things right your guests will be your best ambassadors because they tell others, and positive word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing tool of all.”

One thing’s for sure, as borders open over the coming months, the Sunshine Coast is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a memorable riding experience. Visit www.equathon.com for more information on Equathon’s quality trail ride and package options.