a natural business adventure
Despite only existing for four years, Mount Warning Tours’ short life has been eventful: from purchasing the ex-Murray River ferry Spirit of Wollumbin in 2016 to enduring the devastating impact of Cyclone Debbie the following year.
“My goal with Mount Warning Tours has always been to link the rainforest, the mountains, the river and the coast,” says Michael Simmons, co-owner of this much loved and award-winning Tweed business.
It’s fair to say that Mount Warning Tours will never have to worry about things like product upgrades or quality control when what it is presenting to its guests is the spectacular Northern Rivers landscape itself.
“Before starting the business from scratch in 2014, I’d identified the opportunities for high-quality, small-group, nature-based experiences in the Tweed, which until then was a market opportunity fairly untouched, especially taking in the hinterland in the upper reaches of the Tweed River,” Michael says, who co-owns the business with Katya Simmons, Kym Marston and Jenny Mitchell .
The four locals worked together to quickly establish themselves as one of the premier tour companies in the region, being recognised with awards such as the 2017 Tweed Business of the Year in the Business Excellence Awards Tweed Shire (BEATS).
The growth of the businesses has come from the delivery of great customer service and continual product innovation.
“We have grown our experiences around a selection of river tours and cruises, outdoor adventures, sightseeing and farm and food tours. Our latest offering is a river cruise with a five-course, degustation-style meal, indigenous food tour and storytelling experience – which is something our customers were asking for.”
Mount Warning Tours now employs up to eight full-time and part-time staff and Michael is certain the future is bright for tourism in the region thanks to its unique environment, diverse community, and its innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
“Our business model is based on collaboration more than competition,” he says.
Michael reached out to other tourism enterprises in the region, setting up Tweed Experiences Network (TEN), a group of operators working toward shared goals and to increase the profile of this sublime part of New South Wales.
“We work with a number of different organisations within the valley and on the coast, and we plan to work with others in the future – our focus is on working collectively with other like-minded operators,” he says.
“The Northern Rivers is ideally placed geographically to take advantage of domestic and international growth in demand for culturally appropriate, environmentally sensitive, nature-based tourism.
“The natural beauty and diversity in the Northern Rivers makes it a great place to live, work and play.”
Share this story
Read more stories
spirit of the rainforest
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cape-byron-distellery-002.jpg 960 540 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cape-byron-distellery-002.jpgCape Byron Distillery
Let’s forget the beaches for a moment, as the true lifeblood of the Northern Rivers landscape is surely its rainforests, some of the most botanically…
organic, sustainable and a local legend
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mara_seeds_northern_rivers_business_feature_image_001.jpg 800 800 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mara_seeds_northern_rivers_business_feature_image_001.jpgMara Seeds
The farmer and owner of Mara Seeds knows what can happen when you don’t – his 8000-acre station 50km to the west of Casino has seen worse…
world class creatives
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/meme-productions-featured-image.jpg 1000 750 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/meme-productions-featured-image.jpgMememe Productions
The piece of advice that dirtgirlworld creator, Cate McQuillen, likes to share with other creative entrepreneurs in the region tells much about her story…
fastest growing, remains humble and local
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/tripadeal-byron-bay-002.jpg 1000 667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/tripadeal-byron-bay-002.jpgTripADeal
For TripADeal, the figures speak for themselves: revenue in excess of $100million for 2017; 75,000 travellers sent to various…
reinventing a special highway town
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rod-n-reel-woodburn-northern-rivers-002.jpg 1920 1080 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rod-n-reel-woodburn-northern-rivers-002.jpgRod n Reel Hotel
Woodburn NSW is a charming riverside town with which is about to embark on a transformation. When the Pacific Highway bypass is completed…
eclectic food innovator shines
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Peter-at-the-Yamba-bus-stop.-July16.jpg 1030 1030 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Peter-at-the-Yamba-bus-stop.-July16.jpgNicholson Fine Foods
The small coastal town of Yamba is home to the one of the world’s best eating prawns, the Eastern King Prawn. It’s also home to the highest…
simply better for you
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/simply-clean-lismore-001.jpg 1600 533 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/simply-clean-lismore-001.jpgSimply Clean
It’s probably no surprise that it was a cleaning company that was the most well organised of all the businesses Huw and Becky Jones found for sale…
community keeps on carrying on
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/OConnors-carriers-tweed-001-1.jpg 1920 1288 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/OConnors-carriers-tweed-001-1.jpgO’Connors Carrying Service
Friday 30 March 2017 is a day Paul and Sue O’Connor won’t forget. The owners of O’Connors Carrying Service left their depot in Murwillumbah…
beauty and the bottle
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/husk-distillers-tweed-001.jpg 1280 853 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/husk-distillers-tweed-001.jpgHusk Distillers
The Husk Distillers story starts in the tropical paradise of the Caribbean. Paul and his wife Mandaley Perkins were on holiday in 2009 and discovered…
home is where the heart is
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/edmonds-conveyancing-ballina-001.jpg 1920 847 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/edmonds-conveyancing-ballina-001.jpgEdmonds Conveyancing
The legal aspects of buying and selling a property are not normally associated with having a laugh and even singing, but the Edmonds Conveyancing…
partners with industry, partners with community
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SCU-Enterprise-Lab-launch-copy.jpg 2000 1048 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SCU-Enterprise-Lab-launch-copy.jpgSouthern Cross University
Celebrating a silver anniversary is a significant milestone, 25 years of developing your relationship, exploring and accepting your strengths…
crowd pleasing innovation creates a buzz
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/flow-hive-featured001.jpg 1210 864 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/flow-hive-featured001.jpgBeeInventive
It’s difficult to know where to start with the remarkable story of BeeInventive. Perhaps in the humble shed in Byron Shire bushland…
love, peace and artisan cheese
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nimbin-valley-dairy-003.jpg 666 500 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nimbin-valley-dairy-003.jpgNimbin Valley Dairy
Not every goat in Australia has its own nutritionist and its own vet. But the goats at Nimbin Valley Dairy definitely do. Bill, the nutritionist…
all fired up for global attention
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Aurora-Suspended-Fires_Ballina-in-good-company-image-4.jpg 960 600 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Aurora-Suspended-Fires_Ballina-in-good-company-image-4.jpgAurora Suspended Fires
Aurora Suspended Fires arose from the perfect marriage of Chloe Allan’s creative talents with Neil’s engineering background. But building a successful…
growing community, growing business
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/All-ways-The-Farm.jpeg 1600 1066 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/All-ways-The-Farm.jpegThe Farm
It’s a typical Saturday morning at The Farm, on the outskirts of Byron Bay. Families line up for freshly made pastry and coffee. Every table in the…
flying high, with a helicopter view
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/air-tg-ballina-helicpoters-002.jpg 800 531 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/air-tg-ballina-helicpoters-002.jpgAir T&G
Northern Rivers is well known for its breathtaking natural beauty, and imagine if your day at the office involved enjoying these views from the air…
back to the future with new inspiration
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/bennett-construction-lismore-003-2.jpg 1920 781 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/bennett-construction-lismore-003-2.jpgBennett Construction
It would be fair to say that Bennett Construction and Ballina High School have come full circle with each other. It sounds like a back to the future…
building a good reputation
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/brett_harley_building_002.jpg 1000 667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/brett_harley_building_002.jpgBrett Harley
When the only pub in town burns to the ground, it’s a big responsibility being the one chosen to rebuild it. The success of Uki’s new Mt Warning…
collectively creative social heaven
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/30715202_1014120148743120_6987131970559934464_o.jpg 1080 823 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/30715202_1014120148743120_6987131970559934464_o.jpgIsland Collective
If you are looking for contemporary artist and stylist Fleur Yorston, you’ll most likely find her among fiddle leaf figs and cane furniture, in her Yamba…
let’s get physical
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/grafton_physio_business_story_001.jpg 2000 1165 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/grafton_physio_business_story_001.jpgGrafton Physio + Sport
You know you’re in good hands when you visit your physiotherapist and she turns out to be a world-class athlete. That’s the case for those who…