EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

There are some exciting opportunities to be part of the team delivering world-class ecotourism experiences from Kangaroo Island.

Our businesses Little Sahara Adventure Centre, Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action and Island Beehive allow visitors to explore Kangaroo Island and its precious environment.  We’re looking for people with a passion for adventure and the outdoors who want to deliver high quality sustainable ecotourism experiences.   

We are looking for passionate, enthusiastic:

MECHANIC / MAINTENANCE PERSON – IMMEDIATE START

ECO ADVENTURE TOUR GUIDE – IMMEDIATE START

• Voted Trip Advisor’s Number 1 Experience in Australia, No 6 in the the World.
• Above award wages including bonuses, subject to experience in the range of $55,000 – $70,000 or casual $30.35 p/h – $35.15 p/h + penalty rates.
• Accommodation options of caravans & shared amenities available for employees, if required.
• Enjoy our zoo without fences – get up close with koalas, wallabies, echidnas, and other Australian animals in their natural environment.
• Be at the forefront of the eco-tourism industry – we have featured on TV shows such as Getaway, Sunrise & Sky News and won numerous awards including South Australia Tourism’s Gold and Silver Adventure Tourism awards + Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice awards for the last 11 years in a row.
• Upskill & enjoy diversity at work – Full training provided for all tours & activities.
• Opportunities for career development and long term roles for those who prove themselves – including traineeships in guiding, leadership, management, marketing, or other relevant qualifications.
• Work with a fabulous team & create enduring memories- our guides often spend time off exploring the island together & some become lifelong friends/partners.
• Be an eco-warrior – we are Advanced Eco-Tourism certified as Green Travel Leaders and Climate Action Leaders.
• Live & work in one of Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2023 – at Vivonne Bay (Australia’s Best Beach) A natural paradise, Kangaroo Island is the 3rd largest island in Australia, known as a wildlife hotspot and for its incredible beaches & scenery – for more information, go to: www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/visit/visitor-information

About Us:  

Established in 1993, KI Outdoor Action began by offering horse trail rides, sailboarding, and snorkelling. Over time the business evolved to meet the needs of a changing market and in 2007 Brenton Davis bought the business and transferred the operations to the current premises on Jetty Road at Vivonne Bay.

In 2015, the Little Sahara Adventure Centre building, designed by internationally acclaimed architect, Max Pritchard, was completed, and blends into the inland dune landscape. It won two awards at the South Australian Master Builders awards and a national award for Best Environmental and Sustainable Construction.

We now have adventure tourism businesses on both sites, they are only ten minutes apart and we work together closely.

Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action is a multi-award-winning adventure and certified advanced eco-tourism company running guided tours on quadbikes from our premises on Jetty Road, Vivonne Bay and offering kayak tours and hire in the nearby Harriet River.

At our sister business, Little Sahara Adventure Centre (also Advanced Eco-Tourism certified), we hire sandboards and toboggans to surf the massive inland sand dunes and offer guided buggy tours, e-bike tours, and walking tours across the more than 11 square kilometres of varied terrain and stunning coastline.

However, we are not stopping there. We are constantly reinvesting in the business, have upgraded the equipment and our facilities, and bought even more gear to make it easier (and fun) for us to continue delivering experiences of excellence. We are dedicated to making this a better place to live, work, visit, and play.

We are also constantly evolving our eco-tourism credentials. We are eco-certified as Green Travel Leaders and Climate Action Leaders. We also support the local community. We have raised funds for children with special needs and the Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation and have appeared in several documentaries as part of these efforts. We have also received global media attention because of the unique experiences we offer, including interviews on Getaway, Sunrise, Discover, Ireland AM and many more.

Yet we could not have done any of this without our amazing people. People like Dave, Kylie, Fox, James, Elijah, and Justin, just to mention a few of our of our amazing current and former guides. Others started as guides and have gone on to leadership roles with us and other companies. Some have even started their own successful businesses. We love staying in contact with our awesome former crew members, who play a crucial role in making our Kangaroo Island adventure activities an incredible visitor experience.

For more information on our business refer to our websites www.kioutdooraction.com.au and www.littlesahara.com.au

or watch our videos on YouTube:
1. Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DITy9za5ZBc

2. Little Sahara Adventure Centre:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buTGpWPaItg

About The Role:

We are now looking for self-motivated achievers to become our new eco-adventure tour guides for a minimum of 6 months and preferably much longer. You will be reporting to, supported by, and your training overseen by, the Operations Manager.

Our peak periods are during school holidays where you will be immersed in tours, typically 4+ a day. You’ll generally have a 4 or 5 day work week.
Our workdays are a mix of everything. A typical day involves opening the shop, taking bookings, setting up your equipment needed for your tour- it could be quad bikes, a buggy, e-bikes, or kayaks! You will tailor the tour specifically for your guests- we aim to give our customers the best experience on Kangaroo Island. So much so, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Upon return of your tours, you are responsible for the pack up of the equipment and shop. 

You will get up close and personal with the native wildlife and use your effective people skills to share awesome eco-tourism experiences with our guests. We’re looking for someone safety conscious too– we have invested in high quality, well-maintained equipment but we are relying on you to look after our customers, our team, and our gear.

When you are not guiding- there is always something to do and being a small business, you have an incredible opportunity to learn, grow & utilise your skill set.
Our guides have had the opportunities to do side projects include building a garden nursery, developing/improving tours, track maintenance, web design, social media, photography, marketing, mapping & GPS tracking.

Once you have proven your commitment and competency, there are also opportunities for growth to eco-tourism leadership roles in our expanding business. We are particularly looking for people who want to grow professionally and personally to become Senior Guides, Trainers and Team Leaders.

Our guides all share a spirit of adventure. They have cycled through countries, travelled in vans with their mates and love exploring new terrain in their time off. We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. You may be an experienced guide who has worked in some of the top destinations in the world, looking for a new experience. Or you may be a demonstrated achiever in a previous role with good people skills, looking to switch to something more purposeful. Regardless of circumstances, this is a fantastic opportunity for those who have excelled in the past and are looking to work in one of the New York Times 52 Places to Visit This Year (and yes, we were in the top ten).

You should apply if the following applies to you.

1. You are comfortable sleeping in a swag, a tent, your car and camping by yourself under the stars.

89 houses and lots of tourism and staff accommodation was burnt down on Kangaroo Island during the bushfires of 2020. It still hasn’t all been rebuilt and there is a shortage of accommodation options making it very difficult to find a rental property. We’re working on solving this problem and have moved out of our house to fill it up with staff and bought caravans for temporary staff accommodation where needed. Each staff member gets a caravan with a double bed and air-con and there are shared toilet and shower facilities.

2. You believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad choices of clothing.

There is a saying here on Kangaroo Island that “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes”. It rains here in winter, sometimes in spring, summer and autumn, the wind blows often, and it can be very hot in summer during the day and still cold at night.

We are available to operate our tours all day, every day of the year except Christmas day and choose our clothing accordingly.

3. You are content with your own company and comfortable in remote and isolated locations.

Kangaroo Island is remote, travel to the mainland is expensive and takes time. Kangaroo Island is perfect to experience nature, get out amongst the wildlife, to explore new trails with new people and to discover the things that really matter in life.  Because Vivonne Bay is 30 kms from the nearest town with a pub and over 60 kms from Kingscote, the main town on Kangaroo Island, you’ll need to be someone who enjoys being out of the mainstream for periods of time (you will get 2-3 days/week to visit other parts of the island). You are happy to be in the country, on a farm, working with machinery and solving problems as they arise.

4. You have a can-do approach, a passion for life, and an attitude of gratitude.

You are confident in your abilities, are keen to learn, are receptive to feedback, take responsibility for your mistakes, are fun to spend time with, you’re reliable, you do what you say you’re going to do, you leave things better than you found them and help out other members of the team when needed.

If you cycle across countries with a smile, if you’re the type of person who’d live in a van with a friend if it meant getting to where you want to go and achieving your goals, if you’d rather take a risk than die wondering, if you choose the path less travelled, we want you.

Selection Criteria:

• Demonstrated high achievement in any field.
• Prior experience in and success in guiding or outdoor education is advantageous.
• Effective communication skills & a track record of building harmonious relationships with customers & colleagues in previous roles.
•  A genuine interest in wildlife & environmental sustainability.
•  Good problem-solving skills & a proven ability to think on your feet.
•   A demonstrated commitment to continual improvement, innovation, & learning.
• Current Australian Senior First Aid + CPR (essential or be willing to gain)
• SA Working With Children Check (essential or be willing to gain)
• Drivers’ license + Reliable transport
• We have a no smoking policy at work, on our properties, and in staff accommodation

If this sounds like you, and you would like to live and work just a few hundred metres from one of Australia’s Best Beaches (Vivonne Bay) please submit a resume and cover letter  through SEEK or email to careers@kioutdooraction.com.au

Any questions about the positions or the businesses, please call Emily on 0458 987 224

VIDEO

To help you put your best foot forward, we also recommend that you do a

2-3 min video of yourself explaining:

• Why you are the best person for this position
• Why you want to live on Kangaroo Island and do this job in particular
• What you are going to bring to the business
• What are you passionate about and what you see yourself doing in 3-5 years

This not compulsory but we’ve found over time that the videos really help us match with people who are a good fit for the roles on offer. We don’t want you coming all the way here only to discover it’s not the right job for you.

The easiest way is to put it on Youtube and send the link to careers@kioutdooraction.com.au

Please make sure the video is public so we can see it.

CUSTOMER SERVICE ROLE / ADVENTURE ASSISTANT- IMMEDIATE START Work 1 shift or many – No Experience Required

• Choose your own work shifts/days at Little Sahara Adventure Centre

  • Casual Award Rate – min $30.35/hour for adults
  • Enjoy better work-life balance – flexible hours from 9am to 5pm (6–8 hour shifts). Suitable for locals or those completing their 88 days. Adults & Juniors
  • Choose your own work-days – maybe you want just a couple of shifts a week while looking after children, or you’re saving for a house and want many shifts – it’s your choice. Or perhaps you’re at school and want weekends and holidays. We’re open 7 days
  • No prior experience required – we’ll train you on the job
  • Enjoy secure, regular work as part of our roster – our business has been operating for more than 15 years and continues to grow
  • Work in a progressive business with a great team – we have a 5-star TripAdvisor rating with over 600 reviews
  • Great staff benefits – beautiful view from the office near Vivonne Bay and outdoor activities to enjoy
  • Accommodation assistance available if required

  To apply, bring your cover letter and resume to Little Sahara Adventure Centre or email careers@kioutdooraction.com.au
  Enquiries call: 0458 987 224
  

  Required:

  • Australian First Aid + CPR
  • Reliable transport to reach us

  Job role involves:

  • Sales and bookings via POS, booking system, emails/phone, and in-person
  • Providing excellent front-of-house customer service
  • Basic cleaning
  • Setting up guests for tours
  • Managing multiple priorities in a busy, customer-driven organisation

Who Should Apply?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a company which has a haul of local, national and international awards.  Applicants who are detail oriented, customer service driven and people focused, who have excellent communication skills, personality, energy and enthusiasm are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are a flexible employer with immediate starts available and on-going holiday jobs. All applications remain on our database and are considered for future positions.  Full time, part time and casual positions as-well as mechanic jobs are available.  All roles are based on Kangaroo Island.

How To Apply

Please email your resume and cover letter to Emily at careers@kioutdooraction.com.au.

AI can be great for fine-tuning your writing, but your application should come from you. We’re looking for honest, authentic voices, not automated ones.