Page 15 - Port Douglas Magazine 32

then...

These two guys command a respect that goes with their position
in the community purely because they have earned it. There is no
arrogance or sense of superiority generated by either of them. Instead
you get an overwhelming sense of humility mixed with a great sense
of fun and a love for what they do and where they operate. They have
a confident aura and exude a sense of pride in all they have succeeded
in creating within this toughest of business arenas.
Listening to their history I was fascinated to learn how so many
planets had to align to make things happen as we see them today and
how different things could have been.
Bill Conway and his original business partner Jay Amundsen arrived
in Port Douglas back in November 1994. After a six-year working
tour around the USA, the boys headed north from Adelaide in their
Ford Falcon determined to find a suitable seaside town in which to
set up ‘shop’ and call home.
From the start, fate nearly dealt the intrepid explorers a nasty blow
when Bill made a left turn at the Smithfield roundabout, soon
bound for Mareeba on the Tablelands. Very quickly both Jay and
Bill realised they had lost their shoreline, which they considered an
essential component of their plan. A few hours later they turned into
Macrossan Street and they realised they had found the right place!
Bill made his first task to get work. The highly successful Sheraton
Mirage Resort seemed a likely starting point and they offered him a
position in the kitchen. However, when advised he would have to cut
his hair and lose the ponytail, well needless to say, the job remained
vacant!
Meanwhile Jay had been doing his research in town to see what style
of restaurants were already up and running. In what was to become
their trademark brand of courage and adventure the decision was
made to open their own place. Featuring modern Australian cuisine
… with a Salsa twist and of course a killer cocktail menu. Think
lychee martinis, mango daiquiris and Salsa’s renowned margaritas to
name a few, the scene was set. But first their vision needed a roof
over its head!

PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 15