Case study · Client-side pre-opening · 2024 to 2026
Two and a half years as the commercial and operational lead on the client side, working with the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) and Development Victoria to get the new Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre and precinct ready to open.
Client
GORCAPA, with Development Victoria
Role
Commercial & Tourism Specialist
Timeframe
June 2024 to October 2026
Opening
October 2026
For decades, the Twelve Apostles has welcomed millions of visitors to a single moment: a stop of around 45 minutes to take a photo, then leave. The view has always been extraordinary. The experience around it has never quite matched.
The redevelopment brings a new Visitor Centre, an integrated arrival precinct, expanded amenities and layered storytelling. The ambition is to turn a brief stop into a two and a half to three hour destination, and to reinvest what the precinct earns into caring for Country, the coast and the community.
While Development Victoria delivered the build, GORCAPA needed experienced operational support to plan how the new visitor centre and precinct would operate, earn and feel from day one.
Strategy through to the training room, handing over to the GORCAPA operations team as working documents they own.
01 · Direction
A strategic plan on a page for 2026 to 2029, built on four pillars with measures for each: financial sustainability, a world-class guest experience, reinvestment and regenerative tourism, and Country. Plus a working definition of what "world-class" means for this place, so every decision had the same test.
02 · Commercial
Operating costs and business modelling, including attendance projections, product and experiences, retail strategy and capacity planning.
03 · Research
Visitor sentiment and social listening research across reviews, travel media and social platforms. A tour operator engagement program: consultation, surveys and one-to-one interviews, synthesised into a leadership briefing.
04 · Operations
Guiding the operations team through the development of site-wide operating documents, bringing the planning, assumptions and decisions into one place. Developing the framework that maps every operational document across the site.
05 · Experience
Mapping the visitor journey and developing the interpretive strategy, defining how the stories are told at every depth, for every visitor. Shaping the experience layer, from audio guides and accessible interpretation to exploring future experiences.
06 · Access
Accessibility built into every phase of the journey, with an access guide and a sensory guide for visitors, and access and inclusion training for the team.
07 · People
A three-level Ambassador Training Program so that, whatever the job, everyone is an experience ambassador. Designed and delivered to the new team ahead of opening, including a Caring for Country session with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, plus an online module framework for future staff.
“We could not have done it without your expertise, energy and perseverance Peta. You’ve played an integral role in the work to prepare for the operation of this amazing new venue and ensuring visitors have a terrific experience.”
“You should feel proud. Your passion, insights and humanity will create such a legacy.”
The Keerray Woorroong Visitor Centre had its official ministerial opening in October 2026. The operations team went into opening with the tools, documents and training to run the site with confidence themselves.
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