Journey Beyond

{{Short description|Australian tourism company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox company | name = | logo = Journey Beyond.svg | logo_alt = "Journey Beyond" printed in upper case beneath an arch of dots increasing in opacity towards the "O" in "Beyond" | image = Journey Beyond Rail Ghan passenger train.jpg | image_alt = The Ghan passenger train being hauled by an NR class locomotive | image_caption = ''The Ghan'' passenger train is operated by Journey Beyond and travels between Adelaide and Darwin | romanized = | former type = | type = | traded_as = | industry = Experiential tourism | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 2017 | founder = | defunct = | location_city = Adelaide, South Australia | location_country = Australia | locations = | area_served = | key_people = Chris Tallent (CEO) | products = | production = | services = Travel | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = Crestview Partners | divisions = | subsid = Captain Cook Cruises | homepage = {{URL|https://www.journeybeyondrail.com.au}} }}

'''Journey Beyond''' is the trading name and brand deployed since 2017 by a succession of companies providing experiential tourism in Australia, including luxury trains (''The Ghan'', the ''Indian Pacific'', and the ''Great Southern'') and ''The Overland'' interstate service. "Journey Beyond" is also included in the names of a number of associated companies. The business, headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, now has interests in cruise and air tourism in addition to rail.

== History == Before the 1990s, the government-owned Australian National, was the owner and operator of Australia's interstate railways and freight and passenger trains, operated under a subsidiary known as Pax Rail. From 1996 to 1998, Australian National was broken up and in 1997 its interstate passenger trains — ''The Ghan'', ''Indian Pacific'' and ''The Overland'' — were sold to Great Southern Rail (GSR), a consortium of GB Railways, Legal & General, Macquarie Bank, RailAmerica, G13 Pty Ltd<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.g13rom.com/index.html |title=G13 Pty Ltd |access-date=10 February 2015 |archive-date=6 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206082811/http://www.g13rom.com/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Serco, at a book valuation of A$$16 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.serco.com/Images/311097GSRacquiresRailwayBusiness_tcm3-673.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410044645/http://www.serco.com/Images/311097GSRacquiresRailwayBusiness_tcm3-673.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 April 2011 |title=Great Southern Railway Consortium completes acquisition of Australian National Railways passenger business |author= |date=31 October 1997 |website=Serco|access-date=29 August 2024}}</ref>

Included in the sale were 186 items of rolling stock, mainly former Commonwealth Railways stainless steel carriages, and the Adelaide Parklands Terminal and Alice Springs railway station.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Goodbye AN Passenger, hello Great Southern Railway |author= |date= December 1997 |magazine= Railway Digest |location= Redfern, NSW |publisher= Australian Railway Historical Society |issn= 0157-2431 |page= 7}}</ref> In October 1999, Serco bought the remaining 50.8% of shares from its consortium partners for $18.9 million, becoming the sole owner.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.afr.com/politics/great-southern-track-takes-19m-uk-turn-19991008-k9211 | newspaper = Australian Financial Review | title = Great Southern track takes $19m UK turn | first = Mark |last= Davis | date = 8 October 1999 | access-date = 26 February 2024}}</ref><ref>[http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/site/about_us.jsp About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409124000/http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/site/about_us.jsp |date=9 April 2013 }} Great Southern Rail</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Serco takes full control of GSR |author= |date= January 2000 |magazine= Railway Digest |location= Redfern, NSW |publisher= Australian Railway Historical Society |issn=0157-2431 |page= 7}}</ref> GSR owned the passenger car fleet and provided services, and Pacific National provided the motive power.

Between 2008 and 2012, Great Southern Rail operated ''The Southern Spirit'' as a luxury cruising train service offering eight luxury rail cruises on a variety of outback Australian train routes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Great Southern Rail launches new luxury rail cruise ''The Southern Spirit''|url=http://www.gsr.com.au/about-us/media-centre/press-releases.php?media=79|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722015034/http://www.gsr.com.au/about-us/media-centre/press-releases.php?media=79|archive-date=22 July 2008|date=17 June 2008|access-date=24 June 2008}}</ref>

In 2015, Serco sold the business to private equity company Allegro Funds<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-30/great-southern-rail-to-be-bought-by-allegro/6359378 Great Southern Rail to be bought by Allegro in high-end tourism push] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929160535/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-30/great-southern-rail-to-be-bought-by-allegro/6359378 |date=29 September 2022 }} ''ABC News'' 30 March 2015</ref> for an enterprise value and cash consideration variously reported as "below A$20 million"<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/allegro-funds-buys-great-southern-rail-from-serco-20150330-1mb0rk | publisher = Australian Financial Review | title = Allegro Funds buys Great Southern Rail from Serco | first = Simon |last= Evans | date = 30 March 2015 | accessdate = 26 February 2024}}</ref> to "£2.5 million"<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.railwaygazette.com/passenger/serco-to-sell-great-southern-rail/40703.article | publisher = Railway Gazette International | date = 30 March 2015 | title = Serco to sell Great Southern Rail | access-date = 26 February 2024 }}</ref> (about A$4.9 million). Allegro led a transformation of GSR from a transport operator heavily dependent on government subsidies for passenger operations into a profitable experiential travel provider.{{Citation needed|reason=Says who? Potentially biased wording|date=June 2024}} Sixteen months after their initial purchase, Allegro sold a 70% stake in the company to Quadrant Private Equity for an undisclosed price, but speculated the value of the company at between A$100 million and $200 million.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.smh.com.au/business/control-of-the-indian-pacific-ghan-changes-one-more-time-in-private-equity-reshuffle-20160915-grgwej.html|title=Control of the Indian Pacific, Ghan changes one more time in private equity reshuffle|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=20 May 2018|date=15 September 2016|archive-date=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520192947/https://www.smh.com.au/business/control-of-the-indian-pacific-ghan-changes-one-more-time-in-private-equity-reshuffle-20160915-grgwej.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref> {{cite web | url = https://www.avcj.com/avcj/news/3001877/quadrant-buys-australias-great-southern-rail-from-allegro | publisher = Asian Venture Capital Journal | title = Quadrant buys Australia's Great Southern Rail from Allegro | author = Tim Burroughs | date = 15 September 2016 | accessdate = 26 February 2024 }}</ref>

In 2019, Great Southern Rail was re-branded as ''Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions'' and Great Southern became the name of a train running between Adelaide and Brisbane, weekly during the summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-20|title=Great Southern Rail to launch Adelaide-Brisbane service|url=https://indaily.com.au/news/business/2018/11/20/great-southern-rail-to-launch-adelaide-brisbane-service/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=InDaily|language=en|archive-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125115449/https://indaily.com.au/news/business/2018/11/20/great-southern-rail-to-launch-adelaide-brisbane-service/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-25|title=Great Southern explores new territory|url=https://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/news/2018/11/23/great-southern-explores-new-territory|access-date=2021-08-12|website=greatsouthernrail.com.au|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125011505/https://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/news/2018/11/23/great-southern-explores-new-territory|archive-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Subsequently the brand name reverted to ''Journey Beyond''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.journeybeyond.com/about/ |title=About Journey Beyond |author= |date=February 2022 |website=Journey Beyond |access-date=21 February 2022 |archive-date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221013545/https://www.journeybeyond.com/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, a private company, Experience Australia Group Pty Ltd, was established as the corporate entity conducting the business's operations. {{As of|2024}}, despite the changes in ownership the company was continuing in that role.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abr.business.gov.au/AbnHistory/View?id=56614713003 |title=Historical details for ABN 56 614 713 003 |date=2024 |website=ABN Lookup |publisher=Australian Business Register |access-date=29 August 2024 }}</ref>

Acquisitions since 2015 included Cruise Whitsundays and Rottnest Express, the Eureka Tower Skydeck, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, Outback Spirit Tours, Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Darwin Harbour Cruises and Vintage Rail Journeys. {{As of |2022}}, it was Australia's largest experiential tourism business.<ref name=CT>{{cite web|url=https://au.linkedin.com/in/chris-tallent-316b0812 |title=Chris Tallent |author= |date=2022 |website=Linkedin |access-date=21 February 2022}}</ref>

In January 2022, Quadrant Private Equity sold its 13 brands, including the trains, for a reported A$600 million. The buyer was the San Francisco-based Hornblower Group, owned by Crestview Partners, a New York-based private equity firm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/companies/financial |title=Ghan owner Journey Beyond changes hands for $600m |date=12 January 2022 |website=Financial Review |access-date=29 August 2024 }}9px|link=|alt=Paid subscription required|Paid subscription required <code>subscription</code>: the source is only accessible via a paid subscription ("paywall").</ref> Hornblower Group operated cruises and tours, including Hornblower Cruises, which operated from 125 American cities.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fcompanies%2Fsan-franciscobased-hornblower-picks-up-journey-beyond-in-600m-deal%2Fnews-story%2Ff1871208560ca5b3fff8a4041897c6ed&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-cold-test-score&V21spcbehaviour=append |title=US travel firm makes $600m punt on Journey Beyond |first=Lisa |last=Allen |newspaper=The Australian |location=Canberra |date=13 January 2022 |access-date=14 January 2022 |page=14 }}9px|link=|alt=Paid subscription required|Paid subscription required <code>subscription</code>: the source is only accessible via a paid subscription ("paywall").</ref> After failing to find a buyer in 2023, Hornblower filed for bankruptcy in February 2024; Journey Beyond activities were separated from the group and came under sole ownership of Crestview Partners.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.pehub.com/svp-to-acquire-travel-experiences-provider-hornblower/ | title = SVP to acquire travel experiences provider Hornblower | publisher = PE Hub | first= Iris |last=Dorbian | date = 21 February 2024 | accessdate = 22 February 2024}} {{spaces|2|en}}9px|link=|alt=Free registration required|Free registration required <code>registration</code>: a free registration is required to access the source.</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/dataroom/pe-firms-cut-asset-sale-prices-and-restruture-amid-tough-market/news-story/a9429a14158ce9ea9675b23d6dfed275 | title = PE firms cut asset prices and restructure amid tough market | first = Bridget |last= Carter | publisher = The Australian | date = 22 February 2024 | accessdate = 22 February 2024 }}</ref>

In February 2026 Captain Cook Cruises and SeaLink businesses were purchased from the Kelsian Group.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20260323230012/https://announcements.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20260224/pdf/06wnwzq3bgkc55.pd Divestment of Tourism Portfolio] Kelsian Group 24 February 2026</ref><ref>[https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/kelsian-sells-hotels-and-ferries-to-journey-beyond-for-161m-20260224-p5o4yd Captain Cook Cruises, SeaLink offloaded to PE backed Journey Beyond] ''Australian Financial Review'' 24 February 2026</ref> The following month, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, which operates Ayers Rock Resort and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, was purchased from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-05/ayers-rock-resort-being-sold-ilsc-to-us-company-journey-beyond/105867822|title=Ayers Rock Resort to be sold to American-owned tourism company|work=ABC News|first=Rudi|last=Maxwell|date=5 December 2025|access-date=10 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilsc.gov.au/news/ilsc-and-journey-beyond-complete-sale-voyages-indigenous-tourism-australia|title=ILSC and Journey Beyond Complete Sale of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia|work=Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation|date=2 March 2026}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Interstate rail in Australia Category:Passenger railway companies of Australia Category:Trans-Australian Railway Category:Railway companies established in 1997 Category:Australian companies established in 1997 Category:Lachlan Shire Category:Travel and holiday companies of Australia