Mallacoota skipper Dale Winward, celebrated for rescuing 11 hikers from a Black Summer firestorm, is now making waves in wildlife tourism. He is the founding operator of Quorum Tours, a platform designed to tackle one of the sector’s oldest problems: uncertainty over whether a tour will run.
For 13 years, Dale has operated Mallacoota Cruises, guiding visitors across the Mallacoota Inlet and upper Wallagaraugh River aboard the M. V. Loch-Ard — a historic timber ferry crafted from Huon pine and kauri in the early 1900s. In December 2019, as the Black Summer firestorm advanced, Dale defied police warnings to rescue hikers stranded at Red River in Croajingolong National Park.
Today, those recovering waters are home to some of Australia’s rarest species, including the critically endangered Eastern Bristlebird, Ground Parrot, Azure Kingfisher, and White-bellied Sea Eagle, attracting birdwatchers nationally and internationally.
Quorum Tours operates on a threshold-confirmation model: a minimum number of participants is required for a tour to proceed. Guests pay a deposit to secure a spot and only pay in full once the tour is confirmed. If the tour doesn’t reach the threshold, deposits are returned.
The system removes financial risk for small operators, who previously had to cover charters, accommodation, and guides without knowing if a tour would run. It also eliminates stress for wildlife enthusiasts, who often booked flights only to face cancellations due to low numbers.
Founded in early 2026 after a conversation between Dale and a Mallacoota entrepreneur, Quorum addresses the reliance on Facebook posts and phone calls for bookings.
“I’ve spent years waiting to see if enough people show up, then making calls I didn’t want to make,” Dale said. “Quorum fixes that — the tour is real before I commit to anything.”
The Mallacoota region supports more than 300 bird species across inlet, river, heathland, and rainforest habitats. Since the 2019/20 fires, East Gippsland’s wildlife tourism sector has been rebuilding, with domestic birdwatching participation rising 40 per cent year-on-year, contributing an estimated $414 million to the national economy.
