Sunrise in Tuncurry
Panoramic views and good old-fashioned hospitality greet you on arrival at Sunrise in Tuncurry.
Penny Dickenson is an industry professional whose easy going, helpful nature has had her guests coming back time and time again.
Just nine months ago Penny sold up her motel in Queensland and embarked on a new journey as the resident manager of Sunrise at Tuncurry on the mid-north coast of NSW.
Penny is a dedicated tourism professional with previous positions including travel consultant, property manager in management rights, body corporate office manager, management rights caretaker and motel owner for four-and-a-half years.
“I was ready to move on and I fell in love with Sunrise the moment I saw it,” Penny said. Craig Clark and his team from Tourism Brokers made the buying and selling process easy for Penny with their hands-on approach and easy understanding of what she was looking for.
“Craig was so easy to talk to and seemed to understand so well what I wanted to do,” said Penny. “We were greeted in Tuncurry with aqua blue waters and pristine views, I knew Craig had found us what we wanted”.
Penny feels forever grateful to Craig for his service and industry commitment. “He achieves the results we all want in the industry,” she said.
Penny’s ability to build a rapport with people from all walks of life is one of her greatest strengths. After 20 years in the tourism industry she works to the basic principal of being friendly and helpful at all times. “This approach has meant my job has been rewarding and happy,” says Penny.
The 4½ star holiday property at Tuncurry has 21 units that are all well appointed with modern kitchens, air-conditioning and spacious lounge areas that lead to very large balconies. “The unique thing about the building is that all apartments from the ground floor up to the penthouses enjoy the view, which is something not many buildings can claim,” Penny went on to say.
Guests can expect a warm welcome, peace and quiet and easy access to plenty of local activities with a holiday atmosphere. “You can sit and watch the boats go by or you can have a game of golf,” said Penny. Tuncurry has plenty on offer with good food and wine, little boutiques, boat cruises, scuba diving and horse riding – there really is something for everyone.
The property has well maintained gardens and pool with a beautiful waterfall adding to the ambience. “Tuncurry is unspoilt and pretty and has a rock pool for safe swimming and an ocean beach,” said Penny.
Surrounded by water guests relax amongst the beautiful aqua blue water, where dolphins can be seen playing everyday and whales at different times of the year. It is also a fishing port, so fresh fish and oysters (grown here also) and prawns are always fresh.
Penny manages the property and her staff with the support of her partner John and golden retriever Bear. “Our biggest challenge was having Bear accepted to live on the property. I had to supply a CV for him!” Penny was not going anywhere without him.
The property has six staff that assist with cleaning and maintenance. “As well as the day to day staff the owners are an important part of the team as they are the ones that can make or break the 4½ star rating”.
Penny recalls being nervous on the first day with a full house of guests but with 20 years experience she knows that not much fazes her. “It was a really big move,” said Penny.
“Moving interstate and deciding on management rights for the first time but thankfully the previous managers were incredibly helpful”.
Having taken the keys in the slowest part of the year Sunrise is now enjoying the transition into the busy time of the year. During the slow season Penny had time to identify marketing opportunities and implement business strategies for which she is already seeing an increase in bookings.
“It’s great to see the rewards for your efforts,” said Penny. “And people are already starting to make return bookings which is a real compliment to me and my team”.
Since taking the keys, the façade of Sunrise has been painted and in order to maintain standards Penny asks owners to replace things on an as needed basis. While there are no immediate plans for a full refurbishment Penny imagines there will be in the next few years.
There have been no huge challenges at Sunrise, for which Penny is very relieved. “The hardest thing is wrapping your brain around the different rules and regulations for each state,” said Penny. “It would be much easier if all of the states could agree on one set of rules”.
As the business continues to blossom, Penny hopes to leave a lasting impression on her guests as someone who helped make a holiday both happy and memorable. Her motel was affectionately known as “the friendly motel” and she hopes to create the same reputation for Sunrise.
Penny documents people’s likes, dislikes and preferences so that everything is ready for next time they arrive. “It is amazing what a difference it makes in doing the little extras for people, they remember those things and tell other people, which in return leads to new bookings.”
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