Kings Creek Station: Connecting the Heart of Australia's Outback

Background

Kings Creek Station is an expansive cattle station and prominent tourist destination located in the heart of Australia's remote Northern Territory. Spanning approximately 2,200 square kilometers (over 540,000 acres), the property is entirely self-sufficient, managing its own power generation, water supply, airstrip, and accommodations. Renowned for its proximity to Kings Canyon, a famous Australian landmark, Kings Creek Station attracts diverse visitors, ranging from adventure tourists and school groups to luxury travelers seeking high-end glamping experiences.

Before implementing UniFi solutions, Kings Creek Station struggled with inadequate network infrastructure, providing poor or nonexistent Wi-Fi coverage. Staff, particularly seasonal and international workers reliant on connectivity to maintain contact with family, frequently faced isolation and frustration. Tourist reviews highlighted unreliable internet service, negatively impacting guest experiences and staff retention.

David Perkovic of DP Computing, a managed service provider (MSP) and systems integrator headquartered in Adelaide, collaborated with senior network engineer Paul Pavel to transform the connectivity landscape at Kings Creek Station.

Business Requirements

Kings Creek Station’s key network infrastructure needs included:

• Reliable and Extensive Connectivity: Provide robust internet access across three distinct and geographically dispersed areas, enhancing guest satisfaction and staff retention.
• Ease of Management and Scalability: Implement a scalable solution manageable from a single interface, facilitating future expansion without complex maintenance.
• Improved Operational Efficiency: Establish a resilient and robust network that could reliably support business operations, guest services, and employee communications under challenging environmental conditions.

Why UniFi

DP Computing selected UniFi for several key reasons that directly addressed Kings Creek Station’s requirements:

• Scalable and Cost-Effective: UniFi’s license-free model significantly reduced ongoing costs, enabling deployment across the expansive property.
• Ease of Centralized Management: UniFi provided centralized network oversight, facilitating simplified management across multiple remote sites through a single interface.
• Robust Performance and Reliability: Proven performance under extreme environmental conditions, essential for outback settings with harsh temperatures and unreliable power sources.

Deployment Highlights

Extensive Multi-Site Wi-Fi Network:

DP Computing designed and deployed three separate yet interconnected UniFi networks across Kings Creek Station’s sites, employing over 30 access points, multiple gigabit wireless bridges, and dual-WAN Starlink satellite connections. The networks provide seamless coverage for the main camping and staff areas, the corporate glamping retreat, and the high-end luxury escarpment accommodations.

Resilient Wireless Bridging with UISP:

Utilizing UniFi’s UISP wireless bridges, the station established reliable, high-speed point-to-point connections, even across challenging terrain and distances up to several kilometers. This allowed for seamless connectivity between different accommodation areas and operational hubs.

Starlink Integration and Failover:

Each primary area of Kings Creek Station benefits from dedicated Starlink satellite internet connections, offering significantly improved speed and reliability over previous solutions. DP Computing integrated these into UniFi’s dual-WAN configuration, providing automatic failover in the event of a connectivity issue.

Performance in Extreme Conditions:

Kings Creek Station experiences harsh environmental extremes, from temperatures exceeding 120°F (49°C) during the day to cold nights below freezing. Despite challenging conditions, the UniFi equipment has operated reliably without significant downtime or hardware failures.

Additional Solutions and Expansion

Future-Proofing with UniFi Protect:

Kings Creek Station is planning to expand their infrastructure further by implementing UniFi Protect security cameras, allowing remote monitoring and enhanced security across the property, critical for operational oversight.

Evaluating UniFi Talk and Additional UISP Deployments:

Exploring additional UniFi solutions, including UniFi Talk for VoIP communications, Kings Creek Station aims to streamline internal communications further. The team also intends to replicate their successful UniFi deployments at additional properties owned by the same group, enhancing connectivity and guest experiences across multiple outback sites.

Conclusion

UniFi solutions provided Kings Creek Station with transformative connectivity improvements, greatly enhancing guest satisfaction, employee retention, and operational efficiency. The resilient, scalable, and easily manageable network infrastructure established by DP Computing and powered by UniFi has positioned Kings Creek Station as a premier outback destination with unprecedented connectivity.