Adventure time

Chad Avenell is the first to admit he’s not very good with rules. Nevertheless, the True North Business Owner and Managing Director has built his company into one of Australia’s most dynamic and adventurous cruise ship operators. And while it may appear to be a rudderless endeavor, it’s only because Avenell’s rules are his own.

“I like to do my thing, and I like to offer flexibility so our guests can do the same,” he tells The CEO Magazine.

“On a True North cruise, you can choose your own adventure. That flexibility is essential, and it’s probably why a sizable proportion of our guests come back again and again.”

Cruising is one of the most versatile ways to holiday in Australia, and the nation’s abundance of operators means that however you want to cruise, you can do it. Some lean into ultra-luxury while others focus on adventure; some have the means to do both.

True North, however, is running its own race, and that’s just the way Avenell likes it. As a pearl diver in Broome in the 1980s, he moonlighted as a skipper of a small tour ship running fishing charters along the Kimberley coast. The vessel’s name? North Star.

“I started as a deckhand and then became first mate,” he recalls. “Once I became captain that lasted about 12 years. Craig Howson, the business founder, and I got along like a house on fire, and eventually I moved into the General Manager role.”

A new direction

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, tourism companies around the world were plunged into turmoil. For Avenell, opportunity emerged from the chaos.

“I was able to buy into the business,” he says. “I dismantled everything and put it all back together minus the dud parts. It’s the kind of overhaul you’d never find the time to do apart from during a global pandemic.”

Lockdowns and grounded international travel meant holidaying Australians turned their attention to their own backyard. True North’s West Australian expertise, small group numbers and agility to reach remote destinations made it a standout choice at this unprecedented time.

“We got close to going broke,” he admits. “I put my house on the line for the staff we had at the time. They trusted me to look after them and their families, and that’s what it took. It was the only thing to do.”

But that act of self-sacrifice demonstrated Avenell’s dedication to the cause, and inspired it in his people. Their investment during the tough times paid off.

“Slowly, we built the business up again. Two years in and we were in such high demand I had a second boat built.”

Today, True North comprises a dedicated team of 90 staff members, all aligned in the pursuit of ultimate adventure. Avenell’s time as captain of the ship instilled in him a sense of family and togetherness with his crew, and he’s carried that over to his leadership of True North.

“I love my staff, and more than anything, they’re the company’s greatest asset,” he says.

Number two would surely have to be True North’s itineraries, which take travelers to some of the most spectacular vistas Australia’s coastline has to offer. The company’s purpose-built ships have the great advantage of being able to navigate to remote ports and traverse smaller channels that larger vessels are unable to access.

“Cruising in Australia lets you see this country from an entirely different perspective, and that’s one of the best things about my job,” he reveals.

“We look in at Australia instead of out from it, and we can do it by land, sea and air.”

Local hero

Avenell has also made a point of keeping the Australian flag flying across the True North fleet, a return serve to the bigger operators that may operate in Australia, but are foreign-flagged. Despite the company’s comparatively small size, Avenell says the company is too unique for the big players to ignore.

“Some of them literally cut and paste our itineraries,” he says. “Maybe I should be flattered. But I can’t control the competition, I can only control what we do.”

And control it he has by adding an onboard helicopter and six tenders to the True North mix, which spans Australia’s northern shores to Papua New Guinea and Indonesia beyond. It’s all part of Avenell’s commitment to adventure.

“No-one else is doing anything remotely close to the breadth of what we offer,” he says. “Fishing, diving, tours, the helicopter; every year I review the itineraries to make them even better. And we are prevailing.”

The land-sea-air aspect combined with the small group sizes (36 guests on one ship, 20 on the other) make for an unmatched assortment of intimate and immersive experiences.

“And we make it personal. We go out of our way to make people feel great when they get off the boat,” Avenell explains. “I want them to come away as better versions of themselves, and I’ll spend the money to create the magical, memorable moments that do that.”

Taking on an adventure cruise over the traditional pampered floating hotel experience builds confidence, he adds.

“We build up our guests’ confidence and before long, they realize, ‘Wow, I can actually do this,’” he says.

“We squeeze so many sensational activities into each day, and what we find is that everyone takes part. You don’t have to do it all, but they don’t want to miss out.”

A typical True North expedition is likely to include both young and old, from farmers looking for a change of scene to high-net-worth individuals taking their families to new horizons.

“We even see kids on the boats quite regularly now, though we still run trips where we don’t take children,” he says. “But this kind of adventure is generational; people want to share these experiences with their kids or grandkids, and we make that possible.”

The Australian difference

Whether guests are on ship or shore, Avenell says the True North team prioritizes what he calls ‘Australian luxury’.

“High-end service in Australia is different to how it is in other places around the world,” he points out. “It’s about being yourself, but being attentive and showing some forward thinking and care. It’s less hands behind backs and ‘Yes sir, no sir’ and more remembering what guests like and getting to know them.

“We go out of our way to make their day.”

Avenell has taken special care to weave education into the itineraries, by working closely with coastal communities to provide authentic experiences and shining a light on lesser-known names in Australia’s maritime history.

“Everyone knows James Cook, but we have experts – naturalists, marine biologists, historians – talk about Matthew Flinders and Phillip Parker King. He’s probably the best explorer that ever came to this country, yet 95 percent of Australians haven’t heard of him,” he says.

“We’re not very good at history as Australians, but we could be and it’s got to start somewhere.”

Whether soaring along the rugged Kimberley coastline by air or enjoying a freshly cooked seafood lunch with a chef at a remote fishing hole, Avenell has ensured True North always goes the extra mile.

“I don’t want to be different to everyone else, I just want to be us. And doing that is what makes us different,” he affirms.

Going where nobody else dares is, he adds, part of who he is. “My mother used to tell me, ‘You can’t just do whatever you want your whole life,’” he says with a smile. “But it turns out you can.”