Garry Hetherington

Chair, Tathra Beach Eco Camp

I first met Chris (Alp) over 25 years ago. He was legendary in car rallying. His reputation for strategy, clear thinking and common sense saw him win many awards for navigation, reliability events and getting his teams on the podium time and time again.

We needed that thinking to support us in our exit strategy for our first business, Pambula Beach Holiday Hub in 2005. Not only did Chris help us achieve an amazing outcome, but he also helped us understand the implications of the sale of our business for me, my wife Narelle and indeed my whole family and our future lives.

And it was every bit as challenging as Chris said it would be. But Chris was there talking to us about the next thing for us. And that ultimately came in the form of a syndicate to acquire and rebuild the iconic Tathra Beachside Resort. Right from the start, we asked Chris to help us structure our syndicate, plan the business and regularly re-establish our strategy going forward.

After ten years in 2023, our syndicate exited the park when we sold to NMRA. Another excellent outcome for us.

Chris and I always say, “never retire”! Of course, our syndicate has now taken on our biggest challenge yet. The amazing Tathra Beach Eco Park, set amongst the untouched surrounds of national park and the pristine beaches of southern NSW. Nothing like it in Australia.

And Chris has been with us again, helping us think through the strategy and plan the re-development and future vision for the park.

Huge successes and beyond our dreams. I should say, thank you, Chris! But that would be only half the story.

Along the way, we asked Chris’s partner Andrea (McNamara) to manage the accounting, taxation and compliance affairs for the businesses. And I thought Chris was good! Andrea and her team are extraordinary and went above and way beyond what we had come to expect in any accounting firm.

Our syndicate team is incredibly passionate about delivering a life changing experience for the visitors who have entrusted us with the responsibility of hosting their families year after year at our holiday parks. We understand what makes a great service culture and how to send people away much richer than when they arrived.

So, when I say, Alp McNamara has an amazing spread of talent, skill, and ability, and that they understand service culture and deliver as I would, I don’t say this lightly. They seem to always be thinking about what we need long before we realise it ourselves! They are an absolutely critical part of our success and vital piece of our future.

Thank you, everyone at Alp McNamara.