The Qantas Australian National Tourism Awards are the most prestigious tourism awards in Australia, recognising the best tours and attractions in the country. To win at a national level, finalists must first win Gold in their respective states. Here’s five of the NSW award winners from 2023, announced in March, 2024.
Australian Reptile Park
Somersby
Gold Medal for Major Tourist Attractions
Started in 1958 and located on the coast just 71km north of Sydney, Australian Reptile Park is Australia’s original ‘hands-on’ zoo, giving visitors the opportunity to interact with Australia’s iconic animals such as koalas and kangaroos.
The park offers a unique experience for children and adults, where they can spend a day as zookeepers. Depending on the age of the participant, they get to learn how to handle and hold animals such as snakes, birds, and mammals. Kids aged 3-6 get to meet reptiles and pet koalas, as well as feed birds and kangaroos. Children from 7-12 have the opportunity to handle snakes, lizards and tortoises and a VIP viewing of the Elvis the Crocodile show. Teenagers and adults get a tour of the reptile park’s private spider and snake venom rooms and have exclusive access to animal enclosures.
Australia Reptile Park houses multiple different species, from mammals and reptiles to spiders and amphibians. The park holds regular shows daily, including animal exhibits and tours. One of their popular shows is Elvis the Crocodile Show, held every weekend at 1:30 pm. Watch the 500kg Elvis’s impressive and unpredictable feeding session while preforming his famous death-roll. Or you can give their Galapagos Turtles a pat on the shell as they take their walk around the park every weekday at 1 pm.
Australian Reptile Park is also active in the research sector. Their antivenom program, producing all land snake and funnel-web spider antivenom in Australia, contributes to saving over 300 lives a year. This, along with their conservation work with Aussie Ark, an animal preservation project, has allowed Australia Reptile Park to collect years-worth of awards in environmental tourism.
Love Lord Howe
Lord Howe Island
Gold Medal for Excellence in Food Tourism
If you are heading to Lord Howe Island any time in the future, you have to give Love Lord Howe a try and experience the ultimate in luxury picnics.
Started in 2020 by Danielle, Love Lord Howe has become one of the must-do activities for visitors. All you have to do is rock up, try out the ready-made platter and enjoy the beautiful nature Lord Howe Island has to offer. An island picnic for two costs $395. The package includes a deluxe antipasto grazing platter and a jug of lemon infused Lord Howe Island rainwater (champagne, and other alcoholic drinks are available at an extra cost). The package also comes with comfortable cushions, rugs, Bluetooth speakers and outdoor games.
If you happen to be in Lord Howe Island in February, make sure to grab a spot at their annual February Stargazing events. The most popular being the ‘Sunset Grazing and Stargazing’. This option comes with a deluxe grazing platter accompanied by the sights of captivating constellations, Jupiter and its many moons and shooting stars if you’re lucky.
Love Lord Howe also offers a more romantic picnic option, for those planning a proposal, that can be personalised with floral arrangements, a guitarist, or a photographer. Similar to this, Love Lord Howe’s weddings and wedding receptions are co-ordinated by Danielle, and offer a wide range of catering options, from island sashimi platters to specialty antipasto grazing boards.
If you are planning your trip, note that Lord Howe Island is 780km northeast of Sydney and is easily accessible with year-round scheduled two-hour long flights by QantasLink from Sydney.
Sydney by Kayak
Lavender Bay
Silver Medal in Ecotourism
Sydney by Kayak is a multi-award-winning tour company offering a range of personalised, 5-star kayaking tours on Sydney harbour.
Established in 2013, Sydney by Kayak is family owned and operated, the business was born out of the founder’s love of kayaking and passion for the local environment, evidenced by their certification with Ecotourism Australia, the world’s leading ecotourism certification program.
Tours include a unique view of Sydney’s iconic sights, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. There are plenty of options for small group tours, with their most popular being the Sunrise Coffee and Kayak tour that commences before dawn. Sip on barista-made coffee from a local café in reusable coffee cups as you paddle along while watching the sun rise and the city coming to life. This beginner-friendly tour travels through Lavender Bay and Blues Point foreshore and takes about two hours to complete. Expert guides will take plenty of pictures of you with Sydney’s greatest landmarks as a backdrop for no extra cost! Prices range from $155-$177.
Prices for Corporate Clean-up paddles and Couple Breakfast tours range from $65 to $900. During the Corporate clean up paddles, kayakers can expect to learn all about the sustainability initiatives of the Lavender Bay area while filling up a bucket with rubbish and playing a part in protecting and conserving Sydney Harbour. This tour is well suited for large groups.
All tours cater to different experience levels and depart from Lavender Bay boat ramp, which can be easily reached by both car and public transport.
Balloon Aloft Australia
Lovedale
Bronze Medal in Adventure Tourism
Established in 1980, Balloon Aloft was the first tour operator in Australia to provide passenger balloon rides and in 2022 and 2023, were recognised as the NSW Tourism Adventure Operator of the Year. An extraordinary recognition of the once-in-a lifetime experiences they have provided guests over the last 34 years.
Balloon Aloft has five locations: Hunter Valley, Camden, Mudgee, Byron Bay, and Burketown (Moungibi). Flights depart daily at sunrise and usually last for around one hour, but you should schedule for four to allow time for a flight briefing and traditional gourmet, champagne breakfast celebration.
The flight experience is surreal, with the silence broken with only the occasional bursts of flame as you soar through the morning skies looking down at the rows of vineyards of the Hunter Valley or the coastline and hinterlands of Byron Bay.
The family-owned tours are supported by a team of experienced hot air balloon pilots and flight crew ready to share their knowledge of the region and the art of ballooning. After the flight, riders can walk inside the balloon itself and assist the crew with dismantling.
There’s also the opportunity to book exclusive flights, perfect for a romantic getaway or a proposal, fitted with gourmet breakfast, champagne and chocolate, a red carpet with rose petals and candles. All you have to worry about is your proposal speech. Balloon Aloft recently introduced the state’s first accessible hot balloon, making this experience available for almost everyone.
Tumbafest Inc
Tumbarumba
Bronze Medal in Festivals and Events
Started in 1997, Tumbafest is a two-day festival attracting thousands of people to Tumbarumba, located halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. Held on the last weekend of February, the festival attracts popular live performers such as Jack Biilmann & The Black Tide, CHOIRBOYSand The Wolfe Brothers. It’s also a perfect family event with lawn games, amusement rides and face painting for the little ones.
Tumbafest is renowned for its cool-climate wines and fresh produce, and the festival gives visitors a chance to meet passionate local growers and winemakers while eating and drinking their fill. Local artisans also put unique handcrafted artwork, clothing and jewellery on display.
Tickets for those aged under 17 are free, with online general admission priced at $100. Tickets are also at the gate. For families planning to set up camp, there are limited powered and unpowered sites at the Tumbarumba Racecourse available for booking. Camp sites include weekend shuttlebus services to and from Tumbafest.
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