Page 117 - Port Douglas Magazine 36

Don’t be fooled by his relaxed nature and total lack of regard “I can be flying around in helicopters taking clients to the reef,
for footwear, Byron is a well-respected business operator, to Cape York – all over the region. One minute I find myself
not only in the Douglas region but right across Australia and dining with the leading cardiovascular surgeon of Australia
beyond. to put together his conference, and the next I’m on a ladder
As the founder of Managing Australian Destinations (MAD), installing festoon lights for a festival in town, so it really is
quite diverse,” he says.
Uptown and Port Douglas Weddings and Hire, as well as a
wholesale food business based in Melbourne, Byron and his If you take a walk down Macrossan Street with Byron you
wife Vicki are a force to be reckoned with. Showing the rest won’t get more than a few steps before he exchanges friendly
of us what success should look like, the duo are astute and banter with another local. It’s obvious how tightly connected
savvy operators yet there’s not a cut throat antic or rat race in the Port Douglas community is, and Byron and Vicki know
sight. The simplicity of living in the tropics has provided the more than anyone about the power of local relationships and
perfect environment for Byron and Vicki to thrive in business collaborations.
and in life. “We have a very close working relationship with the Sheraton
Mirage, along with all the corporate hotels in the region. We
enjoy great friendships with our customers and suppliers –
“You don’t need too many clothes - you everyone knows everyone in a small town and relationships
are everything.”
definitely don’t need shoes. Things that are It’s no surprise that running multiple businesses with intense
schedules of events and experiences comes with pressures
part and parcel with living in a city, you and stress. However, Bryon and Vicki are proof that
embracing the simplicity and beauty of life in the tropics can
just don’t need here.” make operating with humility and grace a whole lot easier
than the chaos of a major city.
As the region thrives in the post covid era, Byron is excited for
the future of Douglas: “There are so many opportunities to be
“It’s the pressures of life that you get in a city – you don’t get had. Given what will transpire post covid this destination will
up here, and that actually makes it easier to exist,” says Byron. really kick off and new business opportunities will be certainly
“You don’t need too many clothes - you definitely don’t need greater.”
shoes. Things that are part and parcel with living in a city, you With the world’s most unique environment in the Great Barrier
just don’t need here.” Reef alongside the Daintree Rainforest, the simplicity of the
As a long-time local, Byron arrived to Port Douglas some 39 tropical lifestyle, then add business opportunities aplenty,
and Bryon sums it up beautifully - “where else would you
years ago when it was a township of around 300 locals. He rather be?”
will have you in full belly laughs and bewildered for hours
with stories of life in the tropics, and the characters he’s met
along the way. There’s no drama or theatre to hook you in, just
genuine tales of a life nourished by people and experiences.
Byron reminds us that a simpler life does not mean a
humdrum one. Far from the stark walls and black suits of a city
boardroom, Byron takes delight in the diversity of experiences
he enjoys as part of his businesses in Port Douglas.
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