Flash back to 1981, at the age of 8, Dean attended the Portsea camp where, as a child growing up in the country, he got his first taste of life by the ocean. A week full of fun, sun and activities was topped off by a beach tour to Fort Nepean.

At this time, the fort was actually closed to the public, but the view from afar was enough to captivate his attention and make it a place he knew one day, he wanted to return to.

It took some time to do that, but in the early 2000's, not forgetting a few visits before then, Dean returned to the Peninsula to setup a home. After many regular visits to the park, and notably Fort Nepean he discovered more people were starting to use the park for exploration and exercise. It would be during the COVID lockdowns where he saw the park go quiet and he made himself a promise that when it did open, he wanted something to do with it.

The whiteboard markers came out, the mood boards and finally some solid ideas about how he could encourage more people to use the park, and they were broken down into different groups of people.

Visitors

Locals - He was surprised by how many locals had never been to the park - or had been once but never again. Why was that?

International and Interstate guests - Plenty of people were going to the wineries, bars and restaurants, but were completely unaware of the historical significance and natural beauty of Point Nepean.

There must have been a reason thought Dean....

• There's not many places in the world you can stand on a hill and see a raging ocean on one side and a beautiful calm bay on the other.
• There's not many places that share the military, quarantine and wildlife Point Nepean has?

It had to be Barriers to Entry, and the way the story was told.

In Dean's previous life, he was an successful educational technologist, and the ethos behind that success for online learning was Make it fun, make it memorable, let people work at their own pace.

Could it be that that applies here too? How do we do that?

This was the next challenge. Point Nepean park, in all its beauty has some challenging hills and inclines which can exclude certain audiences, such as the young, the elderly, people with lower levels of fitness, people with disabilities.... How could they share in the experience?

No vehicles are allowed, push bikes are, but they don't serve well for everyone....there had to be another answer -  a way in which people of all levels of ability could access the park in a sustainable way. at their own pace, while having a new experience.

Enter the Ebike

So the search began - a global search for the right type of transport which could get people back. It had to be:

1. Comfortable, not like a traditional bike where your bum hurts after 10 minutes.

2. Environmentally conscious. No loud motors or pollutants or tyres that would damage tracks. Tours that are led by guides in a controlled environment.

3. Power focussed. Power output should be determined by the rider. Based on what mode you set, you should be able to work up hills if you want to, and cruise up them if you don't. No more sweaty mess.

4. Safe and reliable. Choosing the best equipment that is well maintained and tested.

5. Knowledgeable. Guides that know the history of the park well and can relay than in a friendly, fun manner.

Emocean Eco Tours are now working with Parks Victoria as a Licensed Tour Operator running twice daily tours. If you haven't been for a while, or at all, we encourage you to join Dean and his team of guides for a tour- and too see the park from a completely new angle.

 

What does the name EMOCEAN mean?

Emocean embraces who we are. Through the use of our technology, we generate a feeling of enjoyment, by the ocean.

E= Electric

M= Motion

by the = OCEAN!