WA tourism awards and hall of fame(1)
TOP MARKS: Rottnest Island was awarded a gold medal in the WA Tourism Awards.
Four tourist industry providers have been inducted into the WA Tourism Awards Hall of Fame.
To be eligible for the hall of fame, a company needs to have won its category in the Tourism Awards for three years. Once inducted, the company will not be able to enter the awards for two years in its respective Hall of Fame category.
The 2011 inductees are:
Argyle Diamond Ord Valley Muster
CATEGORY 4
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Since its inception in 2001, the Ord Valley Muster has continued to showcase the East Kimberley as a unique and special destination. The principal objective is to promote a wider range of seasonal economic activity by raising the profile of the region and extending the tourist season with activities starting in May. The muster has gradually grown to become a two-week festival featuring more than 40 individual events including the multi-award-winning Kimberley Moon Experience.
Kimberley Wild Expeditions
CATEGORY 12
TOUR AND/OR TRANSPORT OPERATORS
Kimberley Wild Expeditions offers day tours and adventures from Broome. Exploring the Kimberley with small, diverse groups in comfortable custom-built 4WD vehicles, travellers gain local expertise and experience passion for a beautiful corner of Australia. Kimberley Wild guides are keen to share their knowledge of the region, visiting the well-known highlights and revealing some of its many secrets. Their strong relationship with Aboriginal people and communities also provides an unforgettable cultural experience.
Sandalford Winery
CATEGORY 17
TOURISM WINERIES, DISTILLERIES & BOUTIQUE BREWERIES
Founded in 1840 by Western Australia’s first surveyor-general, John Septimus Roe, Sandalford Wines is one of Australia’s oldest and largest privately owned wineries. Located on the banks of the Swan River in the picturesque Swan Valley, this custom-built facility offers a blend of tradition, individuality and innovation, showcasing a total wine experience to visitors. Sandalford’s tourism operations and facilities have been refined over the past 19 years, which has led to the development and success of this world-class establishment. Sandalford has selected the finest wine tourism aspects from around the world and integrated these features with its own ideas and concepts to develop a standout wine tourism experience.
Cape Howe Cottages
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HOSTED ACCOMMODATION
Cape Howe Cottages provide five distinctly different secluded holiday retreats nestled amid 50ha of private nature reserve near Lowlands Beach on the far south coast. Guests are surrounded by nature and immersed in affordable luxury. Joint owners and business partners, Gaynor and David Clarke, built the business over 11 years staying true to their philosophy of providing space, privacy and tranquillity. They have earned an award-winning reputation for excellence, providing quality accommodation with personal care and passionate service in a truly inspiring environment.
LIST OF WINNERS
HERE are the gold, silver and bronze medal winners announced at the Burswood Entertainment Complex.
CATEGORY 1
Major Tourist Attractions
Sponsored by The Sunday Times
Gold Medal – Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island lies in the Indian Ocean, 19km west of Fremantle. The Mediterranean climate, scenic natural environment, biodiversity and turquoise waters in 20 bays and dazzling 63 sheltered beaches make Rottnest Island a favourite holiday destination. The Island has cultural and spiritual significance for all Western Australians and particularly for Aboriginal communities. The special attributes of a holiday settlement with no private land ownership and limited vehicles, significant heritage buildings in a world-class conservation reserve, make Rottnest Island unique. Rottnest Island offers a slice of Western Australian life that locals now proudly share with interstate and overseas visitors.
CATEGORY 2
Tourist Attractions
Sponsored by Starworld Framing
Gold Medal – Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave, near Augusta, is WA’s largest show cave and attracts a large number of visitors each year who leave enthralled by its beauty. The recently re-developed site includes the Jewel Cave Preservation Centre; a uniquely designed building has been crafted to incorporate the natural environment and overlooks lush forest, whilst offering a comfortable and engaging visitor experience. Incorporating cafe, retail and interpretation areas, the new centre also boasts a new entrance into the stunningly lit Jewel Cave where visitors can get a taste of what the cave felt like when explorers first discovered it over 50 years ago.
CATEGORY 3
Major Festivals and Events
Sponsored by The Sunday Times
Gold Medal – Broome Beach Polo Festival
In Australia’s sporting landscape, beach polo is unique to Broome with Cable Beach hosting the nation’s only beach polo tournament. The sport is also rare in the world - Cable Beach is one of just five exotic locations around the world to host beach polo, along with Miami USA, Poole UK, Dubai UAE and Goa India. With its ideal sand gradients and tides, along with its pristine aqua waters and sand dunes, festival organisers believe Cable Beach is world’s premier location for beach polo and aim to establish Broome as the world’s beach polo centre.
CATEGORY 4
Festivals and Events
Gold Medal – City of Perth Australia Day Skyworks
The City of Perth Australia Day Skyworks is WA’s largest annual event. Every year over 300,000 people come together along the banks of Perth’s Swan River as a community to celebrate our national day. This year's theme for Skyworks was Celebrating Families and the activities throughout the day paid homage to the Australian family - in all senses of the word. The day also included free youth activities, a live music concert with some of Australia’s leading alternative music artists, a high energy air show, a family zone and of course the spectacular Skyworks fireworks show.
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Ecotourism
Sponsored by Department of Environment and Conservation
Gold Medal – Eco Beach Broome
One of the world’s most remarkable destinations, Eco Beach is a unique, luxury eco resort set in a pristine and untouched landscape just a little over an hour drive south of Broome. The retreat offers guests a perfect parallel of Kimberley beach and bush with the comfort and class of a resort. Accommodation is provided through a variety of beautifully appointed Eco Villas and luxurious safari style Eco Tents. The beach itself provides a haven for nesting turtles whilst migrating whales frolic offshore. Activities are tailored to enhance your wilderness experience and include nature walks, cruises, kayaking, game fishing, beach fishing and bird watching. The flora and fauna of the landscape is both equally majestic and diverse.
CATEGORY 6
Heritage and Cultural Tourism
Sponsored by National Trust
Gold Medal – Two Feet & a Heartbeat
With regularly scheduled tours offered 365 days a year, Two Feet & a Heartbeat has informative and exciting walking experiences for visitors to the city as well as those who want to be a tourist in their own town. Its range of products includes historical tours of Perth and Fremantle, small bar and restaurant tours, shopping tours as well as conference/corporate and private guided services. Join Two Feet & a Heartbeat’s passionate guides to get an insight into our wonderful city and find out why Perth “is the way it is”.
CATEGORY 7
Indigenous Tourism
Sponsored by WAITOC
Gold Medal – Urban Indigenous Tours
Urban Indigenous Tours' Perth Aboriginal Tour is a charming and intimate experience that captures the true identity of the Perth Aboriginal community. Guests enjoy a fusion of contemporary Aboriginal culture which includes an Aboriginal art class, personal stories, bush tucker tastings, didgeridoo lesson, and a little bit of Swan Valley wine and cheese. Distinguished Aboriginal businesses are involved, local elders, and a community of people who are passionate advocates for Aboriginal Australia and whole-heartedly committed to Reconciliation Australia.
CATEGORY 8
Specialised Tourism Services
Sponsored by Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Gold Medal – Fremantle Prison Gift Shop
The Fremantle Prison Gift Shop is the major merchandise sales outlet, tour sales and customer service centre for Fremantle Prison – WA’s only World Heritage listed building and one of the State’s most significant tourist attractions. Since opening in 2006, the Gift Shop has established itself as an attraction in its own right, accounting for 7.5 per cent of the Prison’s total revenue. The range of products sold reflects the unique site in which it is located. In addition to a range of collectable souvenirs, products include prison related items such as shackles, convict shirts, ball and chains, cat-o-nine tails and jailer keys.
CATEGORY 9
Visitor Information and Services
Sponsored by Bookeasy
Gold Medal – Swan Valley Visitor Centre
The Swan Valley Visitor Centre offers state of the art services for one of WA’s most iconic food and wine destinations. The centre operates as a one stop shop for everything in and around the Swan Valley. Through customer service excellence, the centre is a welcoming shop front for the entire Swan Valley region. The Centre continues to prove itself as an industry leader through its dedication to tourism and integrated approach – the result is the provision of a Level One accredited Visitor Centre offering information services 365 days per year, 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.
CATEGORY 10
Meetings and Business Tourism
Sponsored by Perth Convention Bureau
Gold Medal – Esplanade Hotel Fremantle
The 4.5 star Esplanade Hotel Fremantle, located 20min from Perth's CBD, is a local, national and international icon. Situated in the premier harbour side City of Fremantle, the hotel provides the third largest convention and exhibition facility in WA and attracts business travellers and conference delegates from all corners of the globe. The Esplanade Hotel Fremantle is an integrated convention, exhibition and conference centre, offering exceptional value, modern facilities, state of the art meeting technology and outstanding service, as well as an extensive range of leisure facilities, including heated swimming pools, outdoor spas, fitness centre, refurbished restaurants and bar.
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Major Tour and/or Transport Operators
Sponsored by Budget Car and Truck Rentals
Gold Medal – Rottnest Express
Rottnest Express is the largest, fastest and most experienced ferry operator servicing Rottnest Island. Operating daily, year round services from three convenient locations, they carry over 300,000 passengers to the Island every year. Since being acquired by the Bailey’s Marine Group in July 2007, an extensive program of upgrades to vessels, terminals, management systems and marketing has taken place. When you combine these with the right staff, culture and vision, you have a world-class ferry business positively contributing to the enjoyment of holiday and tourism experiences for both locals and visitors to our state.
CATEGORY 12
Tour and/or Transport Operators
Sponsored by Motor Trades Association WA
Gold Medal – Aussie Wanderer
Aussie Wanderer is a WA owned and operated adventure tour company. It specialises in small group, nature based, adventure focused, all inclusive bus tours for young and young at heart, free and independent travellers looking to travel throughout WA, departing from Perth and Broome.
CATEGORY 13
Adventure Tourism
Sponsored by MGIB
Gold Medal – Global Gypsies Tag–Along-Tours
On a Global Gypsies 4WD tag-along-tour, clients drive their own, or a hired, off-road vehicle and travel in a small convoy led by an expert guide to remote areas in the Australian Outback – independent, but not alone. These exciting, escorted and catered, self-drive expeditions range from 4–16 days and visit such destinations as the Kimberley, Rudall River National Park, Kennedy Ranges, Holland Track, Great Australian Bight, Karijini National Park, Eastern Goldfields, Red Centre and more. Clients are prepared for their adventure at a comprehensive pre-departure workshop and 4WD practice is included in the package.
