A message from Adam
G’day everyone from sunny Perth, Western Australia
It has been heart-warming to see so many of your clients arriving to the shores of Australia. To hear the woo’s and wow’s when they see their camper for the first time, the laughter of families when returning their camper and recalling the great memories they’ve just made, puts such a smile not just on my face, but the faces of our team. It’s why we do what we do!
Personally, it’s been a busy start to the year. The Sands family welcomed another member to our family. A little bundle of fluffy puppy energy called Maggie. Maggie is a Groodle (Poodle/Golden Retriever cross) who is keeping us all on our toes. Keep an eye on our socials for lots of puppy-spam!
In January, our family managed to find some time for a quick holiday before our youngest son, Flynn started his last year of school, (where did that time go?) which was really nice. I then spent a wonderful 4 days at FESPO in Zurich with our valued Swiss partners talking to consumers which is always a treat. I was fortunate enough to have clients that had to flee Australia when the pandemic struck, come and see me during the event. This was truly, an overwhelming experience. This reconnection really emphasised to me how much of an impact we make, providing amazing products and services, and how much clients appreciate the extra effort we go to! A big thanks to all our Swiss partners for some great times and welcoming me onto your stands.
In March, our Reservations Manager, Louise Fraser and myself, travelled to ITB for 3 days of meetings and reconnections. Again, it was really nice to see everyone again and return to Berlin for this event with Tourism Australia.
In other news, RedSands have some really exciting projects underway, one that we will launch at ATE on the Gold Coast and another being the release to market of our new 4WD product, ‘The Wanderer’. More information on this product is detailed further in this newsletter but I can’t tell you how proud I am that we will be launching another incredible 4WD touring product in time for the 2024 season. Partnering with a proven manufacturer of overland touring vehicles, this will further cement RedSands as having the most proven and reliable products for self-drive in Australia. Bookings will be possible from 1st July 2023 for pick-up from 1st April 2024.
A hot topic of course is the flooding that occurred in the Kimberley region of Western Australia earlier this year. Whilst to have this amount of rain is not uncommon during the ‘wet-season’, the way in which this weather system stalled over the West Kimberley was far from common. Losing the main road link around Australia was something that invoked a swift response from Government. Good news is there is now a low-level crossing, suitable for 4WD’s only that was opened this Monday. Whilst the crossing only remained open for a day before closing to more rain, we are confident the closure will only be for a few days and travel on this road will be possible again very soon. In addition, the Gibb River Road will be open within the next few weeks, ensuring a truly memorable early season experience for those lucky enough to have a RedSands 4WD Camper booked for early-season travel. However please be advised that some locations in the West Kimberley, such as Windjana National Park sustained substantial damage and in consultation with Traditional Owners, Department of Parks and Wildlife have confirmed some sites will remain closed for 2023 to allow the country to recover. Our teams in Broome and Darwin will pass on latest information to your clients when they collect their camper.
Prior to ITB, RedSands released our rates for the 2024 and 2025 season. If you haven’t seen these, please reach out to our Reservations Team here but we are happy to say rates have remained on hold from the 23/24 season. We have also added the possibility of drop-off at 4 new East Coast locations, being Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for hires of 80 days or longer. I hear you ask why drop-off’s only? Well this is because the demonstration we provide when your clients pick up the vehicle is such an important part of their pre-hire experience. Therefore, pick-ups can only be carried out by our team at our RedSands-operated depot’s. Note these drop-off’s are on request and a relocation fee may apply, so get in touch with our Reservations Team for more information.
I wish you all a wonderful Easter break and hope the coming year will be a prosperous one not just personally, but for your business. For those coming to ATE on the Gold Coast, I look forward to seeing you there. If not, then please remember you can get in touch with me at any time via email, Andreas Schunck, (UK and Europe Market Manager) or our Reservations Team.