November 30th, 2018

MARCOS AMBROSE AND HIS KUBOTA

From wild ride to wilderness, Marcos Ambrose finds power in the quietest places

When NASCAR and V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose retired from racing, he didn’t just sit back and take it easy. Instead, he used his passion for Tasmania’s wild zones of his youth to power his life’s next phase – a unique project in the rugged Central Highlands World Heritage Area. A few years ago, Marcos transformed his passion for the region into a labour of love, embracing a unique opportunity to save a few buildings on the plateau. Sixteen months ago, he finally opened the doors to his remarkable Thousand Lakes Lodge – once a training base for Antarctic expeditions, it’s now a world-class destination and recognised by Lonely Planet in its global 2018 Top 3 for Best New Places to Stay. “It’s a warm, comfortable, friendly space with unparalleled access to the wilderness,” he says. “Likeminded people can congregate here… some want to ride their bikes, some want to see wildlife, some want to go fishing. Others want the hike of a lifetime. But they can all start or finish at the Lodge, and it’s the ability to access the wilderness then come back to some luxury that makes the experience so special.” But visitors are rarely aware of how close to the natural order of things they are. The nearest electricity grid is miles away – the Lodge has to generate all its power. Marcos has installed a Kubota KJ-S240 generator to cover his significant power requirements. The four pole, single phase diesel runs to 24 kVA and 1500 RPM – enough to cover the Lodge’s needs and then some. "Kubota plays a major role in making sure our guests are safe and warm," explains Marcos. “We can’t have a failure up here; it’s too extreme. Our generator has to survive the harshest, super cold environment and deliver power every day, every night, every hour, on demand.” The KJ’s full enclosure and Kubota-designed three vortex combustion system engine is another bonus for the Lodge. This reduces operating noise to almost nothing, so guests remain blissfully unaware. “We depend on our Kubota generator - it’s the backbone of our business,” Marcos concludes.