murrayvalleystandard.com.au The Murray Valley Standard, Thursday, April 26, 2012. Page 15. Giving 21 years of service FOR 21 years, Highway Hiker Tours has serviced the Murray Mallee area. Owners Roy and Colleen Heinicke, of Murray Bridge, have been continu- ally developing the company from the beginning. “We were going to have two buses and ended up with 20,” Mrs Heinicke said. “It started with tours and charters, and then progressed with school runs and the local town service, Dial-a- Ride.” Mrs Heinicke said a cut-throat mar- ket and high prices in recent years had made things tougher. “It’s been hard work in the last five years (when you are) compared with larger interstate companies,” she said. “But you just put your head down and work hard.” Manager Conway Constant agreed that hard work had propelled the progress of Highway Hiker Tours. Although Highway Hiker Tours travel nationwide, their roots are firm- ly grounded in local soil. According to Mr Heinicke, 90 per cent of equipment and products have been purchased locally. “If you look after the local, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. Mr Heinicke said it was important to support local businesses and identi- fied a growing need for coach services in the region. “We cannot operate without the local community,” he said. The staff are all local faces. “Our staff are fantastic.” Mrs Heinicke said all staff had Government approval. “We’re very fortunate to have won- derful staff, with all staff fully licensed and accredited ... (and they) are will- ing to assist at any time,” she said. From interstate tours to school excursions, Highway Hiker Tours guarantees passengers excellent serv- ice, safety and comfort. With services ranging from 20 to 57 passenger seats and five-star coaches, Highway Hiker Tours are available for social functions, Adelaide Clipsal 500, overnight and extended tours, snow trips, business conferences and transfers. In addition, Highway Hiker Tours supplies buses on a daily basis to Monarto Zoological Park, one of South Australia’s most popular tourist destinations. Competitive prices complete a series of fantastic tours, sure to exceed your expectations. Local stalwart: Owner Roy Heinicke has been driv- ing buses for decades and continues to maintain and operate vehicles 21 years on from the estab- lishment of Highway Hiker Tours. New vehicle: Conway and Kylie Constant and Colleen and Roy Heinicke in front of one of the new buses that has been purchased. New buses for school routes HIGHWAY Hiker Tours has purchased six new buses in the past 18 months to keep up with demand from Murraylands schools. Manager Conway Constant said the buses were a large improve- ment on the old fleet and would last for years. “They’ve got more comfort, seatbelts for safety, air conditioning and are greener for the environment,” he said. “Our company has been contracted by the Department of Education and Child Services to service schools in Murray Bridge over the past 10 years, along with several other schools in the Murraylands. “The contracts that we’ve got are now for 15 years, so we have now secured our business for the future. “So that’s seven school contracts that we’re sup- plying the Murraylands, plus the Rural City of Murray Bridge town service bus (Dial a Ride)”. About 600 peo- ple utilise the bus servic- es daily. Family returns home HIGHWAY Hiker Tours may be only 21 years old, but owner Colleen Heinicke’s family has been involved in the community for generations. Mrs Heinicke was born in Murray Bridge and her father grew up in Mypolonga. Her family moved, but Colleen returned with her husband Roy 29 years ago and establishing their business in 1991. “We borrowed $40,000 all those years ago and bought our first bus, we worked hard on it, did it up, and within 18 months we had two coaches and a small mini bus, so it just grew really quick beyond our thoughts,”she said. Mrs Heinicke said meeting people was their favorite part of the job. “We enjoy meeting lots of different personalities and travelling our great country,” she said. Behind the scenes, the business is a family oper- ation, with determination at the core of its success. The couple have been heavily involved in the business, performing duties such as cleaning, administration, maintenance and driving. The Heinicke’s daughter Kylie, along with her husband Conway, have also been working with the company in managerial positions, covering all aspects required to run the business. HIGHWAY HIKER TOURS Phone 8532 4499 Email: [email protected] Visit: www.highwayhikertours.com.au 12-seat to 57-seat buses and coaches Available for local and interstate charter or tours for all schools, companies, groups and clubs Proudly Celebrating 21 years Many Happy Returns to Highway Hiker on celebrating 21 years MURRAY BRIDGE AUTO PARTS - Parts & Accessories for Cars, 4WDs, Utes - Filters & Lubricants for Automotive, Agricultural, Industrial Phone 8532 3618 12 Hill St, Murray Bridge | Email: [email protected] 1810841 1810844 Congratulations to Highway Hiker on 21 years 141 Adelaide Road, Murray Bridge Ph 8532 1941 WH1687028 CONGRATULATIONS TO HIGHWAY HIKER on 21 years of Tours 1811602 & Brake Supplies 1813091 The Right Parts at the Right Price! Ph 8532 1973 Fax 8532 6541 Sturt Reserve Rd, Murray Bridge Email: [email protected] [email protected] Congratulations on 21 years of service For small, large or fleet operators our expertise includes: • Fleet valuations (including “Opinions of Value”) • Fleet replacement planning • Fleet re-financing options • Fleet insurance values • We only use actual used bus and coach sales values as a reference for appraisal purposes • Export sales of vehicles to New Zealand and the South Pacific Rodd Hoods Bus and Coach Sales Pty Ltd specialise in the sale of used buses and coaches Over 26 years of experience in the bus and coach industry SELLING BUSES TO AND FOR ROY & COLLEEN SINCE 2000 WH1814399 WH1814401