Roping in new tourists
Unearthing tourism’s hidden gem
COWBOY Up owner Peter Gould hopes to rope in more visitors to the Darling Downs as new research reveals we’re more inclined to hit the highways than the oceans.
Mr Gould is the face of the region’s hidden tourism gems and who, for the past nine years, has run a horse trail riding operation in the picturesque countryside with his wife Gill.
But just like his business, Mr Gould is himself a hidden gem who brings a touch of Hollywood to the Crows Nest hills.
Because this softly spoken cowboy taught a Thai prince how to ride his first horse, and even kept Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman safely in the saddle while filming Australia in 2008.
It’s these tales from the proverbial horse’s mouth that Tourism and Events Queensland hopes to promote and use to draw in more visitors to the region - something Mr Gould said was needed.
“Apart from the trail rides, most people want to know about my film experiences which I talk them through,” he said.
He also regales visitors with stories from the time he was sent to the Northern Territory to wrangle 30 buffalo needed for the war epic The Great Raid which was filmed on the Gold Coast, starring James Franco and Ralph Fiennes.
Mr Gould, and Cowboy Up, has been named the must-see resident in the region as research finds 67 per cent of Queenslanders are more likely to go on a road trip in the next three years.
TEQ research found about 41 per cent of all Australians believed a road trip was the best way to explore the countryside and were in favour of that type of holiday, suggesting a revival of people wanting to experience a back to basics holiday.
And that means great things for operators such as Cowboy Up and Mr Gould.
“People are really starting to do day trips from Brisbane and Toowoomba,” he said.