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Articles by Renae Kunda
Ultimate Guide to Lifou: Cliffs, Lagoons and Kanak Culture
Lifou is the kind of island that still feels like a secret. The largest of New Caledonia’s Loyalty Islands, it rises from the Pacific not as a volcanic peak but as an uplifted atoll, a fossilized coral plateau ringed with cliffs, lagoons and forests. Here, yawning caves were once burial sites for chiefs, whales glide past 40 meter headlands, and visitors are welcomed into Kanak tribal lands through a living tradition of custom and shared meals.
My $29 Sydney Tower Eye Experience That Changed Everything
On that June afternoon, Sydney's winter air carried the kind of pristine clarity that only comes with temperatures hovering between 9°C and 17°C. Something about that particular day sparked a spontaneous decision to purchase a $29 online ticket (a smart move considering door prices hit $40) and finally witness Sydney from its loftiest vantage point. What I couldn't have anticipated was how profoundly that modest expenditure would reshape my perspective on the city I thought I knew so well.
How do you prepare your business for a flood?
My family lives on a property with beautiful views of the Barron River in Cairns, and we also adjoin Thomatis Creek. We run our motorcycle tour business from home. While the property is idyllic for 360 days of the year, it can turn into a monster when it rains. My heart is genuinely sympathetic with those in the more southern states that are underwater right now; I’m not pointing fingers, just offering some tips that I found helpful.
What family business legacies will survive beyond Coronavirus?
My husband and I started a small tourism business in 1990; we‘ve been at it for 30 years. We take motorcycle tours between Cairns and the tip of Cape York. While building the industry, we also raised two children who are now adults working in the business. That was not our intention, but that is what eventually happened. In the early days, our business was unpredictable, and we worked so hard, and I didn’t want that for my kids. I wanted them to have stability.
The four key points that judges use to adjudicate business awards
This article explains: How judges adjudicate fairly; Why you should always spend more time on the criteria than layout; and The expectations placed on awards judges. Renae Kunda’s business Cape York Motorcycle Adventures is a former finalist at the Telstra Business Awards, and now she’s set to judge Telstra’s Best of Business Awards. Kunda shares what it’s like to be on the other side of the curtain during awards season, and how she’s had to eliminate biases before stepping in.
Three reasons why you should enter small business award programs
Have you been noticing all the small business award programs coming through the e-mail seeking applicants and entrants for the 2021 season? Are you entering? You should! If you are still in business after surviving COVID-19 in 2020 and now into 2021, then you have a story to tell. No matter how small the details might be, you’ve survived, and that’s worth celebrating. When you enter an award, the information will just keep coming, with all the how to’s about the award you’ve just entered.
There's value in the process: Why you should enter business awards, and seven winning strategies
This article covers: How to tackle the individual questions on your awards applications; The importance of defining your business in few words, and an image; and Why you should make sure your website and social media platforms are fresh when you apply. With the last quarter of the year comes the awards season, and the opportunity to win a piece of marketing gold for your business.
Are we being heard?
Renae and Roy Kunda run Cape York Motorcycle Adventures with their two children. Source: supplied. I’ve just heard some unfortunate news this week. A long-term friend of mine has closed the doors on an iconic tourism business in Cairns. The firm has been operating for 35 years; they’ve taken 600,000 customers on a quad bike and horse riding tours; they marketed to every country in the world and have employed hundreds of people over the years.
Exhaustion and operator burn-out – Part 2 - Inside Small Business
As I sit here today I am totally exhausted its 4pm and I’ve been at my computer for 12 hours. So why am I here? I’m here because there was a note on my list that has been moving over to every page for about three weeks and I really don’t like that at all. I like to mark them off not write them on tomorrow’s page every day. That’s life when you work at home in your small tourism business. It’s normal, I do this a lot but just a few weeks ago I was feeling totally different.
Exhaustion and operator burn-out
As I sit here today I am totally exhausted its 4 pm and I’ve been at my computer for 12 hours. That’s life when you work at home in your small tourism business. It’s normal, I can, so I do. It was only a few weeks ago that I felt completely the opposite. So, what’s different now? The tour season has begun in Far North Queensland and we have motorcycle tours heading up to the Cape each week.
Lessons on supporting and training staff when they're miles from office headquarters
Imagine your business operated only seven months of the year, in a remote part of Australia, with your staff responsible for the safety of 17 people who are all riding motorcycles. Renae Kunda, the co-founder of Cape York Motorcycle Adventures, has had to think deeply on this subject to keep her business sustainable, and is now sharing her strategies. The key is to make the training interesting, while supporting and trusting your staff.
The skills required to be self-employed for 30 years - Part 3
When I met Roy I was a qualified hairdresser, at the time I didn’t think that would hold much bearing in the big scary business world but 30 years later I find out that I had a few skills that they don’t teach you at business school. 1. Compassion You’ll have to be able to communicate with your client and really listen to what they have to say and then you’ll have to have the desire to make things better for them. Can you imagine a hairdresser that didn’t listen to your instruction very carefully?
The skills required to be self-employed for 30 years – Part 2 | Inside Small Business
When someone reminds me that our business is 30 years old it kind of doesn’t feel like anything to do with me because I am way too young to have a 30-year-old anything and I’m certainly no wiser than the next lady and I did not set out to be self-employed in the first place. Roy had dreamt up Cape York Motorcycles when he was a kid and he was always going to do it.
The skills required to be self-employed for 30 years - Part 1
When I met Roy I was a qualified hairdresser, taking a sabbatical of discovery and travelling. I was working on cruise ships and wine bars and testing out all sorts of crazy jobs to find my place in the world. It wasn’t really any great career sacrifice when the opportunity came along to help Roy get his motorcycle tour up and running. However, I was a bit concerned that I wasn’t educated enough, to run a business.
Surviving in a home-based business with your spouse – part three | Inside Small Business
My husband and I celebrated our 30th year in a home-based, tourism business in 2020 and up until this year I did not know why people thought that was any great achievement. It has always seemed simple to me, this is our life, and it’s just what we do. My husband is usually riding his motorcycle and guiding tours in Cape York, for 250 days a year while I run the business from home.
How to build customer and client loyalty
Renae and Roy Kunda are the owners of Cape York Motorcycle Adventures. Source: supplied. When I say that our business is 30 years old, it is kind of like an out-of-body experience. I don’t really relate that to anything personal about me. Trust me, the words surprise me as much as they do the next lady. Firstly, I am way too young to have a 30-year-old anything, and I’m not going to profess to be any wiser than any other person on the planet.
Surviving in a home-based business with your spouse - Part two
My husband and I celebrated our 30th year in a home-based, tourism business in 2020 and up until this year I did not know why people thought that was any great achievement. It has always seemed simple to me, this is our life, and it’s just what we do. Lots of people will have an opinion on how you should do things but our “system” kind of evolved out of respect for each other and because we were both learning business.
How this husband-and-wife duo have survived 30 years running a business
Renae and Roy Kunda are the owners of Cape York Motorcycle Adventures. Source: supplied. My husband and I celebrated our 30th year running a home-based, tourism business in 2020, and up until this year, I did not know why people thought that was any great achievement. It has always seemed simple to me. This is our life, and it’s just what we do. That is until coronavirus knocked, sealed all the doors, borders shut, and he was ‘in’ the house with me.
Surviving in a home-based business with your partner
My husband and I celebrated our 30th year in a home-based, tourism business in 2020 and up until this year I did not know why people thought that was any great achievement. It has always seemed simple to me, this is our life, and it’s just what we do. That is until Coronavirus knocked, sealed all the doors and borders shut and he was “in” the house with me.
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