By Kym Arnold
I recently sat down with Susan McCabe to hear how Albany Tours has grown from a new idea within an established transport business into a year-round tour operation and what that journey says about the wider tourism industry in Albany and the Great Southern.
Susan has worked in transport for more than 15 years. The business began with school buses, expanded into charters and around 2015 started receiving enquiries for land-based tours. At the time, few local operators were offering that kind of experience. Rather than rushing in, Susan and her team sought advice, tested whether the model could be sustainable and undertook coaching to make sure they could deliver it well.
What began as an additional service alongside the school bus and charter work soon took on a life of its own. Albany Tours now operates throughout the year, with five trained guides and seven established experiences. Each is designed to do more than take visitors from one attraction to the next; the aim is to help them understand the landscapes, history, flora and fauna that make this region remarkable.
Experiencing Albany - Not Just Seeing It
That philosophy runs through Albany Tours’ sightseeing, walking, food and wine experiences. Guests can explore landmarks such as The Gap and the Historic Whaling Station or take on the Granite Skywalk in the Porongurup National Park. When we asked Susan about a current favourite, she pointed to the Twilight Uredale Hike, introduced this year. The walk follows the coast from Whalers Cove through bushland and along the beach, arriving at Uredale Point as the sun sets.
Along the way, guests hear the stories of the area before sharing a bush-tucker-style picnic box made with local products and developed by Bred Co with Susan’s input. It is a simple but effective example of how a tour can bring together landscape, history and local business. Across its experiences, Albany Tours also helps visitors understand Albany’s ANZAC connections and learn about the Menang people and their history through sanctioned cultural stories.
The Tourism Industry Web
For Susan, however, no tour operator can sell a destination on its own. A memorable visit depends on a connected network of attractions, accommodation and hospitality businesses, travel agents, shore-excursion agencies and fellow operators. The stronger those relationships are, the stronger the destination becomes.
That network can be seen in the diversity of experiences available in Albany. Albany Tours focuses on land-based tours and hikes, while Albany Ocean Adventures, King George Sound Safari and Kalgan Queen Scenic Cruises take visitors onto the water. Kurrah Mia offers Indigenous-guided experiences and Albany Segway Tours provides another way to explore. Events such as Lighting of the Sound add another layer, encouraging people to extend their stay, eat locally and discover more of the region.
Susan does not see these operators as competitors. Each quality experience gives visitors another reason to choose Albany, stay longer and return. Recommendations between businesses make the region easier to navigate and create benefits that flow through to cafes, restaurants, accommodation providers and the wider community.
Growth of the Local Industry
Cruise visitation is one area where those relationships matter. Local operators cannot decide which ports cruise lines visit, but they can shape the experience passengers take away. For Albany Tours, delivering exactly what shore-excursion partners have promised builds trust and that feedback can influence future itineraries.
Albany is well placed to make the most of that opportunity. Its harbour is beautiful, the port is within walking distance of town and the experience feels distinctly regional rather than crowded or industrial. Momentum will also build when the Tourism Council’s regional conference returns next year for the first time in a decade. With more than 400 delegates expected from across Western Australia, it will be a valuable chance to showcase the region’s tours, hospitality and accommodation and for WA operators to learn from one another.
Rediscovering Our Own Backyard
The experiences are not only for people arriving from elsewhere. A guided tour can help locals see familiar places differently, take the pressure out of planning when friends and family visit, or provide a memorable gift that supports businesses close to home.
Albany Tours’ growth —from school buses and charters to a dedicated, year-round tour operation— is a story of careful development, strong relationships and confidence in what the Great Southern has to offer. It also reflects Susan’s broader message: when tour operators, hospitality and accommodation businesses and the community work together, visitors receive a richer experience and the whole region benefits.
