Program graduates are now equipped with their diving certification, boat licenses, and essential cultural knowledge to assist them in their new roles as Indigenous guides for the Museum of Underwater Art, off the coast of Townsville.
The eight-week program provided trainees with education on marine science, reef health, and the management of marine ecosystems.
Indigenous Guides Graduate
“With two of our businesses, Orpheus Island Lodge and The Ville close by, we’re passionate about initiatives that focus on the environment, Indigenous employment, and tourism; so supporting this program is a natural fit for us,”
Hayley Morris, Director, Morris Family Foundation
Graduates also took part in lessons from tourism industry leaders to set them up for success as tour guides, and gained valuable skills and knowledge to help them share stories of their culture and the connection to the Manbarra Sea Country.
Morris Family Foundation Director Hayley Morris said the foundation was proud to support the program which benefits not only the participants, but the region as a whole.
“Not only does it provide meaningful, long-term employment opportunities for the local indigenous community, but it also supports the arts and natural environment which is a win-win for all involved.”
Travel search engine, WOTIF.com ranked The Ville as 10th on the list of the country’s best hotel pools in the recent Wotif Uniquely Australian Awards.
The impeccable infinity-edge pool features a swim-up bar, waterfall feature, expansive deck, and private cabanas with stunning views over the Coral Sea out to Magnetic Island.
Since it was completed as part of the property’s $45 million redevelopment in 2018, the pool has become a major drawcard for guests to the hotel to soak in the 320 days of North Queensland sunshine.
The award nominees and winners were the result of a public voting process held earlier this year.
The Ville Resort – Casino Pool
In a competitive field of providers in the Townsville North Queensland region, The Ville Resort-Casino took out the top prize in the accommodation category, with Orpheus Island Lodge coming in as runner-up. The awards aim to recognise and foster excellence in the local tourism industry.
Meanwhile, Northern Escape Collection has also been recognised in the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards, with accolades for Orpheus Island Lodge.
To be a winner in the awards, the properties needed to have received an average review score between eight and 10. Orpheus Island currently holds a guest review rating of 9.8.
Orpheus Island Lodge has also recently been added to the prestigious Best of Queensland Experiences program which recognises tourism operators across the state who deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Orpheus Island Lodge Pool
The Oasis Townsville was awarded a community grant to help them continue delivering the highest quality services to local veterans experiencing mental health challenges.
The service links Townsville veterans to local services by being a ‘single front door’ people can go to when they need support.
They enable veterans to reach out when they need help by making the process simple, and providing them with a safe place that understands their sometimes complex experiences and needs.
This latest community grant is part of Morris Family Foundation’s commitment to supporting projects that focus on preventative mental health and wellbeing.
The Oasis Townsville
As part of our commitment to protecting the Great Barrier Reef, Morris Family Foundation donates $50 per guest stay at any Northern Escape Collection lodges (including Orpheus Island Lodge, Mount Mulligan Lodge), and $5 per guest stay at The Ville Resort – Casino to projects that are working to protect the reef and our climate.
This year the foundation donated a record $326,075 through the program.
Donations were given to a variety of projects across North Queensland including:
Great Barrier Reef
A luxury hotel is set for construction on the vacant block of land next door to The Ville Resort – Casino, boasting some of the best views in all of Queensland.
The new hotel will include 132 hotel rooms and suites, a day spa, and a Japanese restaurant on the ground floor.
The rooftop will feature a show-stopping infinity pool, large outdoor bar and a seafood and steak restaurant, all with panoramic views over the Coral Sea to Magnetic Island, across the marina, and stunning Castle Hill.
Future plans for the precinct also include a superyacht marina. The new marina hopes to take advantage of an influx of superyachts in the North Queensland region which currently bypass Townsville because there’s nowhere for them to dock.
The hotel development will provide a major boost to Townsville’s tourism sector, providing outstanding accommodation, dining and entertainment options for locals and interstate visitors alike.
The early works package which involves civil ground works and piling began in October 2021.
Orpheus Island Lodge solar array
We hoped the 300kW array would be able to provide up to 80% of our electricity needs, requiring the generator to be turned on for only a few hours each day.
Once the panels started producing renewable power for Orpheus, we quickly realised they were providing over 90% of our electricity needs, and with some tweaks to our daily habits on the island, we could be 100% renewably-powered, without compromising the barefoot luxuries that our guests seek.
By being smart about things like running the laundry in the middle of day when we have excess solar power, we have been able to reduce the amount of battery power being used at night and have just completed our first week with 100% solar power.
The first and most noticeable benefit of being 100% renewably-powered is what you can’t hear.
Orpheus Island Lodge solar array
“There is no longer the background hum of the generator, meaning guests to our island hideaway can focus on the sound of water lapping gently onto the fringing shore, the splash of baby blacktip reef sharks playing in the shallows of the bay and the honking calls of the white-bellied sea eagles soaring high above the lodge,”
Chrissie Williams, General Manager, Orpheus Island Lodge
Additionally, we are excited that the project has allowed us to save almost 600L of fuel a day that would have run the generator, which has so far avoided more than 60 tonnes of carbon emissions (the equivalent of 14 cars off the road for a whole year)!
The solar panels were installed as part of the Queensland Government’s Great Barrier Reef Island Resorts Rejuvenation Fund, which has allowed Orpheus Island Lodge to fast track sustainability plans to reduce our impact on the environment and increase our contribution to a more sustainable tourism industry.
Being 100% renewably-powered incorporates into the wider sustainability ethos of Orpheus Island Lodge, which includes a veggie patch and fruit trees which provide our chefs with a constant supply of fresh produce, providing our guests with keepsake reusable water bottles and removing plastic straws to ensure less plastic waste, supporting the Australian Marine Conservation Society in their ‘Good Fish’ project by championing sustainable seafood and encouraging guests to take part in beach clean-ups to remove and prevent marine debris.
The Great Barrier Reef is a globally significant ecosystem that we are so lucky to have as our backyard and it needs our protection through action on climate change. This is something that we work towards every day through reducing energy use, switching to non-fossil fuel energy sources, and offsetting emissions we cannot avoid.
