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The
Beginning...
Thirty-five
years ago the solitude of the bushland of Nelson Bay was interrupted
by the reverberation of artisan's tools as the finishing planks
of Blue, Spotted, Flooded- Gum and local Tea Tree were worked by
master craftsman to complete |
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| station business
at Nelson Bay; married Sally, and together they raised two sons, Daniel
and Jared.
Journeys
Daniel, the oldest son, learned his trade from one of the great
captains of the port |
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the Port's original
charter vessel, the Tamboi Queen. She was launched with much celebration
at Little Beach in late 1969, then embarked on cruises to the upper
reaches of the Myall River system, Karuah, and Lemon Tree Passage,
and in 1991 commenced dolphin watch cruises.
Thirty five years ago Terry Aldrich, a
young surfer from Sydney, visited Port |
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the late
Peter Dawson, and had a burning passion for boats. When he and partner
Sharon purchased Tamboi Queen in December 2000, they never dreamt
that they would be running one of the most successful dolphin watch
operations in Port Stephens.
This year
Tamboi Queen celebrates 35years of delivering unequalled glimpses |
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| challenging professional
marine courses at Australia's leading seafaring academy at Launceston,
Tasmania - the world respected Australian Marine College. Now both
are qualified Ship's Masters (V) with added marine engine qualifications,
joining Daniel, making Tamboi Queen Cruises a truly family owned and
operated business. |
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| hydrophones to
the dolphins playing. A close and personal experience with bottlenose
dolphins from the safety of the ship's large boom net is sure to excite
young and old. So, two quite separate journeys converged, proving
a maritime lifestyle experience for the Aldrich family of Nelson Bay,
with the satisfaction of |
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on one of his many travels up and down the New South Wales and
Queensland coast in search of the perfect wave, and fell in
love with the Port. He watched Tamboi Queen glide into the tranquil
waters of Port Stephens, and from that moment on, she was never
far from his thoughts. A qualified mechanic, Terry went into
the service |
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secrets of the port and its playful dolphins, transporting over
one million happy visitors with unparalleled safety as well
as that critical extra - special, friendly service. "Our
aim is to offer professional, personal service for all our passengers,"
explains Daniel.
The Fleet
The Aldrich company
has since purchased the Port's original dolphin watch vessel
MV Surprise, December 2002. Recently, Terry and his son Jared
have completed |
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to most companies they could not be successful without their
loyal, professional staff. The crew work closely within the
team to ensure the passengers feel like one of the family, and
that everyone has fun. "That's what we want, our passengers
to enjoy themselves", says Sharon, Tamboi Queen's Cruise
Director.
The Adventure...
Join
the crew and relax on the spacious viewing decks while they
serve complimentary morning or afternoon tea; enjoy a drink
from the licensed bar and listen on the ship's underwater |
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knowing
that MV's Tamboi Queen and Surprise are providing pleasure
with safety for the hundreds of passengers that visit Port
Stephens each year. As for the future, the majestic Tamboi
Queen, the grand "Old Lady" of the Port, will continue
to do what she does best, simply making people happy - every
time, as she always has, and always will.
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