Tourism in Burdekin Shire Council, Queensland, has taken a new turn following the latest installation at the Home Hill Gateway and Plantation Park Visitor Information Centres.
An SS Yongala Virtual Reality (VR) Experience invites locals and tourists to experience one of the best-ranked dives on Earth without donning a wetsuit.
Mayor, Lyn McLaughlin, said the virtual reality installations would provide another reason to spend time in the Shire and make the underwater experience accessible to people of all abilities.
“We are incredibly excited to be launching the SS Yongala Virtual Reality Experience here in the Burdekin – not only is it unique, but it will provide a further economic boost through trips booked to the dive site itself.
“The concept for this VR experience was identified through Council considering a project that would align with the priorities of the Burdekin Tourism Strategy for destination awareness, branding, and visitor services.”
The Mayor said the installation was of a high calibre and would be enjoyed by locals as much as tourists.
“I encourage all locals to drop in to one of our Visitor Information Centres and not only take a virtual dive down to the SS Yongala, but meet our team of dedicated tourism volunteers and discover other experiences you never knew existed across the Burdekin.
“Introducing virtual reality to our Visitor Information Centres is an opportunity to showcase the many aspects of the Shire from recreational water sports such as fishing to off-road four-wheel driving to bucket list activities such as the SS Yongala.
“While a lot of SS Yongala tourism is funnelled through our Northern neighbours in Townsville, the dive site is much closer in proximity to us, with only a quick 20 minute boat trip from Alva Beach compared to one and a half hours from Townsville – the world’s best dive is situated off the Burdekin coastline, and we are glad this VR installation will promote that further.”
The SS Yongala Virtual Reality Experience was designed by consultants AnueX in collaboration with Yongala Dive.
