Tasmanian expedition company On Board is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a giveaway of a four-night Port Davey Escape expedition for two, offering the chance to experience one of Australia’s most remote and protected wilderness regions.
Operating within the UNESCO Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, On Board has spent a decade guiding small groups into Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour aboard Odalisque III, a 24-metre purpose-built expedition catamaran designed using 98 per cent Tasmanian materials and suppliers.
Alice van der Woude, On Board Director of Marketing and Experience, said Port Davey had a way of setting its own terms.
“It is not something you arrive and conquer. It reveals itself slowly, and over time it becomes part of you. That is how this began for us as a family, and it is still how we approach every expedition,” Ms van der Woude said.
Founded by diver and skipper Pieter van der Woude, the company has grown from early explorations of the southwest’s hidden waterways into an award-winning, family-led operation. Key milestones over the decade include national recognition at the Australian Tourism Awards, membership of Luxury Lodges of Australia and the acquisition of Above and Beyond Tasmanian Seaplanes to provide direct seaplane access to the southwest.
The company has also contributed to conservation through citizen science initiatives and wildlife care partnerships, introducing nearly a thousand guests to the ecological and cultural significance of the region.
