Chizo from Never Never Safari tours on Jim Jim and Twin Falls closure

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Our real change of pace after hearing about what had
unfolded yesterday in Rapid Creek, Well, we're going to head
a little further down the track and we brought you
the news earlier in the week that popular tourist hot
spots Jim Jim and Twin Falls in Kackadoo are going
to be closed this tourism season, with Parks Australia revealing
significant damage had been done to the roads in the

(00:20):
area of the park during the huge wet season. Traditional
owners are said to have expressed safety concern for tourists
visiting the area while roadworks are undertaken, and as a result,
requested access be closed until it was completed. But given
that these falls are two of the most famous and
iconic attractions in Kackadoo, this is going to have a

(00:41):
significant impact on some operators. Now. One of those operators
is Never Never Safari Tours and joining us on the
line is Chizo. Good morning, Chizo, good yeah, really good mate,
Thank you so much for your time this morning. Now,
Chizo taking you've been taking people out to Jim Jim
for twe many years. As I understand it, this is

(01:02):
a massive blow for your business.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
It is Yeah, it's really going to have a big
impact this year on operations, especially for tourism in Kakadu.
Doesn't just affect the operators, it pretty well affects the
you know, the accommodation places, fuel restaurants. Yeah. So we
took out four hundred and sixty nine people last year

(01:27):
and ninety seven car loads. Wow, where not going to
have that at all? Sure we can, Yeah, we can
transfer them down to Gunlam, but that's kind of another
environmental impact. Just you know, so many people not going
to ging gm are going to be going to mcgook
and the Gunlam. Yeah, those roads will be pretty stuffed

(01:52):
with in a few days.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Well, this is the thing, right, you know, if you
take away, if you take away you know, one area aren't,
then obviously the demand for other areas is going to increase.
I would imagine.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, yep, exactly.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Tell me, did you expect this news or did it
come as a surprise.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
I heard rumors around it and I thought, no, I
can't do that. You know, it's you know, one of
the most popular waterfalls in Kakuu and being rote number
you know, one of ten best waterfalls in Australia. Yeah,
it's really going to Yes.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Mate, how hard does this make it for you to
like to try and run your business.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm trying to think of new different itineries that we
can try and get and try and get some numbers
up again. But saying that too, there's not much tourism
here at the moment. We are sent down in bookings
from last year already. Yeah, right, and this is going
to be a lot more.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
What do you reckon the reason is behind that by
the bookings being down? Do you think it's sort of
you know, people just struggling a bit more with the
cost of living or what do you think it is? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:12):
I think probably the fuel might be a bit of
a problem. But yes, it's really weird. You know, we
can't help mother nature and what it's done. Yeah, you
know it can be hard.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Tell me, Chizzo. It does seem rather late in the
season to make this call, as you know, as like,
given how early planning tends to take place ahead of
the season. I mean, what what do you think is
it is it late to be making the call?

Speaker 2 (03:45):
I feel so it's you know, we haven't had good
rain out here for over three months, and you know
it's things could have been planned a little bit better
to try and get things in there and get the
road fixed ready for the normally July opening time. So
I think, like I spoke to you a couple of

(04:06):
years ago saying it was probably a bit of a
daff issue as well not having enough employed there to
get things done a be quicker.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Yeah, we did. I do remember you and I speaking
a couple of years ago. I mean, tell me since
that time, like, what has much work actually happened, and
how is the state of some of the infrastructure out there.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Look a few things like Boulder Creek down there, a
motor car they've had toilets put in, and new car parks,
some of the road infrastructure that's on the Kakadu Highway.
I didn't really feel that that kind of was needed,
especially to go into a place that's only small area

(04:51):
for campus and caravans. And I don't know, there's three
different stretches there that could have been money money, sorry,
money used to put onto something else. Because these campgrounds,
but they put these roads in, they don't get used
too much.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
So does it feel like sometimes that money is getting
invested into the wrong areas.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Sometimes we need to see what it gets spent on
You know, we know that surveyors went down onto jim
Jin Road, their chim Jin Falls road there last year
got all that surveyed up.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
So tell me after the big wet season, was there
much damage you know out that way?

Speaker 2 (05:37):
I hear a lot of the communities down that area. Yes,
they did have some pretty bad flooding. I have seen
some pictures of people flying around and taking photos of
jim Jin Falls and that used to be a beach
there and that is all now rock, so it must

(05:59):
have had a huge pack. Yeah, yeah, I.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
Know there was. I know there was millions promise towards
Kagadoo and upgrading, as well as transitioning Jabbaru from a
from mining really to tourism. What's your take on the
progress of that, of that spending of that money.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, we don't really know where it's all gone. Many
operators have asked that question as well, so we're not
so all where it's gone to. But I know it's
going to cost the quite a bit to pick up
that gymngine which doesn't need it for the safety of everybody.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yeah, I know that this must be tough for you,
and it would be tough for your business. But mate,
I reckon that you would be doing your best to
make sure that you know that that those who get
out there are with you on a tour, that they
have one heck of a time and see the very
best of the Northern Territory.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, they call them the job.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
You know.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
It's a lot better than laying Bloody's wall and floortiles
for the rest of my life.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
I bet you do so. I bet you get like
some of the most beautiful sunrises sunset you see some
of the most spectacular locations out there.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh yeah, Sunset tour is a very popular one too,
so yeah. And the other thing I've just tried to
set up to you. At the Crocodile Hotel, there is
a little green room that we can dress people up
as Mick and See and put the background in behind
them and make them look like that at the movie scene.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
How good? How good?

Speaker 2 (07:42):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Oh well, it's really good to speak with you this morning.
I appreciate you giving us that insight. I think it's
important for people to realize and you know, to hear
the way that this impacts different operators. So I really
appreciate your time this morning. Thank you for having a
chat with us.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Ye.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
Thanks Mike, we'll talk to you soon.