OAR-INSPIRING ROARING 40S KAYAKING: THE SEA CHANGE THAT LED TO AN ADVENTURE TOURISM ICON BY EMMA HOPE
A
N oar-inspired sea change has seen Reg Grundy leave behind a career as a diesel mechanic in the mines and Jenny Grundy a highpowered government job in environmental management in Queensland for an opportunity in Tasmania’s adventure tourism sector. “We decided that life and lifestyle was much more important than earning money,” says Jenny of the decision to relocate to the island state. She said the catalyst for their move to Hobart was so kayaking-mad, Tassie-born Reg could complete the TasTAFE outdoor guiding course. “We were living in Mackay at the time and the Hobart course had the best reputation so it was a bit of a no brainer.” A year or so later and with Reg qualified and thriving as a guide for Roaring 40s Kayaking the opportunity arose for the couple to buy the business. “The choice to move down here was to have the amazing Tassie wilderness at our doorstep. “I’m not sure when we moved that we envisaged buying a business, it was a lifestyle choice. But buying the business is a lifestyle choice too because it’s not 12 months a year. Which gives us the opportunity to have some fun in the downtime as well.” Roaring 40s Kayaking has been running since 1996, with the 18
Grundys taking over in August 2013 and putting their stamp on the business, which has grown from strength to strength and won numerous awards. “We purchased the business whereas most people in the industry start their own business.” Jenny said they seriously considered starting from scratch but were drawn to the appeal of having a client base and forward bookings from day one. But from the first day they began making changes. “The previous owners were operating out of Kettering and the first thing we did was move it into Hobart. “One thing I’m quite proud of is that we’ve changed the products from when we purchased the business. We have everything from beginners through to expedition kayakers.” The Grundys offer everything from a 2.5 hour Hobart waterfront tour, which finishes with fish and chips delivered to your kayak, to day trips to Tinderbox and the Tasman Peninsula. The signature South West Wilderness tours remain with options of four or seven day expeditions. They also run six-day Flinders Island tours during February and March. The Grundys met over a badminton net. Jenny was playing for South Australia, where she was living at the time,
while Reg was representing Tasmania. “He ended up moving to South Australia and playing for them as well.” Jenny has represented Australia and she continues to win gold at National Masters competitions. Hard work is just one of the factors Jenny credits for Roaring 40s’ success. “Having a good product and having good staff and looking after the staff are so important. The staff are the frontline of our business and they provide these amazing experiences.” Some of the staff have been with them from day one and
