TOURISM BLOG / PIKE RIVER
PIKE RIVER
From a restored woolshed, to luxury villas and a riverfront holiday home, Pike River offer a variety of accommodation options with expansive views of the Pike and Murray Rivers.
Andrew Caire, owner of Pike River says the business also offers a function and business centre which provide great spaces for meetings and retreats, as well as weddings and special celebrations.
“Our newly opened Riverland Wine Centre links with the function centre to now provide visitors with an opportunity to explore the fantastic food and wine options in the Riverland,” he said.
“The Wine Centre hosts over 20 different Riverland wine producers and over 120 of their fantastic wines, while the Centre’s interactive storyboards take visitors through the journey of each winery and helps whet their appetite to discover more.”
While at Pike River, guests can also browse through the local producers’ range of tasty treats and sample delicious Riverland food through their locally focussed menu.
“Each time we build something new we always take a while to ensure we build to purpose. It’s so easy to get carried away trying to make things amazing for visitors when what they are really looking for is something completely different,” said Andrew.
“We always come back to focussing on what is special about Pike River and holding true to that.
“There are so many great leaders within our local tourism groups, all with knowledge, ideas and suggestions for direction, therefore it’s important to always be open and listen to their feedback.
“We then focus on how the best ideas can work to make Pike River more relevant and meet the needs of our visitors. The Riverland Wine Centre is our latest example of this.”
Sustainability is also extremely important to the business, having developed a Solar Farm back in 2008.
“When we built it, it was Australia’s first privately owned sun farm and highlighted our desire to say how significant we believed renewable energy, and more holistically sustainability was in any new development,” Andrew said.
“The tourism industry can always take a lead in these areas and our visitors appreciate the efforts being made.
“It was an expensive way to make a statement, $280,000 for a 30kW farm which you can now buy for $28,000, but we are so pleased to see the way the industry has progressed and backs up our catchcry – Tread Lightly.”
Looking ahead for the future, Andrew says the new Riverland Wine Centre is taking the business in a new direction where they are now generating an experienced based site at Pike River.
“In the coming months exciting changes will be happening within the nearby areas allowing access for visitors to previously inaccessible areas, and Pike River will be a big part of helping share this experience with visitors,” he said.
“We anticipate that we will be able to build trails and experiences that generate increased knowledge and love of this spectacular region.”
“As for the next ten years, we hope to still be providing quality accommodation, outstanding local food and wine, and immersive natural river-based experiences. There is also the Pike River Sky Lounge…!”
Andrew’s top tips for business success:
- Keep listening to others, watching best practice and be prepared to adapt and change, while remaining true to your business beliefs.
- Build a business you are proud of and one you are happy to share with others.
- Share your passion with your visitors – they genuinely appreciate it.
- Always be kind and giving.