Just in: These Aussie experiences named best in the country

Rachael ThompsonBy Rachael Thompson
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Looking for your next Aussie adventure? These award-winning experiences should be added to your bucket list.

There are countless amazing experiences to be had in Australia, and the annual Qantas Australian Tourism Awards celebrates Australia’s top tourism businesses that are delivering exceptional experiences. 

Held at the Adelaide Convention Centre last Friday, the awards honoured operators across 26 categories, from Unique Accommodation to Excellence in Food Tourism, highlighting the industry’s dedication to quality and innovation in 2024. 

Big Red Bash. Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2024
The Big Red Bash music festival is held in the Simpson Desert. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Shaun de Bruyn, Chairperson of the Australian Tourism Awards highlighted the significance of the awards:

“Over the past 40 years, the Australian Tourism Awards have been a testament to the vision, perseverance and passion of our industry. Each winner represents the evolving spirit of Australian tourism – businesses that embrace innovation, adapt to change, and continually raise the bar for visitor experiences."

Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2024
Katherine Outback Experience celebrates the region’s farming history and culture. (Image: Tourism NT/Tourism Australia)

Notable winners include the Birdsville Big Red Bash, a music festival held in outback Queensland, which took home Gold in the Festivals & Events category, and Cape York Peninsula Lodge, an Indigenous, community-owned property awarded Gold in the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences category.

The iconic Darwin Festival , which celebrates the art, culture, and beauty of the Northern Territory, won Gold in Major Festivals and Events, while the Tourist Attractions category saw Katherine Outback Experience take home Gold for its immersive and educational outback tours in the Northern Territory.

Darwin Festival. Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2024
Darwin Festival celebrates the Northern Territory’s unique culture, diversity, and art. (Image: Tourism NT/@betsybiglap)

For a relaxing and indulgent escape, The Reef House Adults Retreat in Queensland won Gold in the 5-Star Luxury Accommodation category, and Mudgee’s luxury eco-glamping experience, Sierra Escape, won Gold in the Unique Accommodation category.

For those seeking a bit of history and science, Major Tourist Attractions saw the much-loved Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra take Gold. 

Sierra Lodge Mudgee. Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2024
Luxury glamping awaits at the incredible Sierra Escape in Mudgee. (Image: Sierra Escape Mudgee)

De Bruyn also noted that “this milestone is not just about celebrating history but also looking ahead to who will shape Australian tourism into the future." 

The full list of winners

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences
GOLD – Cape York Peninsula Lodge (QLD)
SILVER – Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia – Wintjiri Wiṟu (NT)
BRONZE – Kool Tours (SA)

Cultural Tourism
GOLD – Shrine of Remembrance (VIC)
SILVER – SEIT Tours (NT)
BRONZE – Port Macquarie Museum (NSW)

Unique Accommodation
GOLD – Sierra Escape (NSW)
SILVER – The Cove Tasmania (TAS)
BRONZE – Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm (WA)

Self Contained Accommodation
GOLD – Old Coach Road Estate (SA)
SILVER – Pinnacles, Airlie Beach (QLD)
BRONZE – Alice’s Cottages (TAS)

Hosted Accommodation
GOLD – The Dragonfly Inn (TAS)
SILVER – Boat Harbour Jetty B&B (VIC)
BRONZE – Wooleen Station (WA)

Caravan & Holiday Parks
GOLD – BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort (QLD) – Hall of Fame Inductee
SILVER – Alivio Tourist Park Canberra (CBR)
BRONZE – BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park (TAS)

New Tourism Business
GOLD – Spinifex Brewery Cable Beach (WA)
SILVER – Red Rock Hut, King Island (TAS)
BRONZE – NT Driver Guide – Escorted Touring (NT)

Tourism Marketing & Campaigns
GOLD – The Tweed Tourism Company (NSW)
SILVER – Rottnest Island Authority – Wrap Yourself In Wonder (WA)
BRONZE – Barossa Australia – Barossa. Be Curious (SA)

Ecotourism
GOLD – National Arboretum Canberra (CBR)
SILVER – The Big Duck Boat Tours (SA)
BRONZE – Busselton Jetty (WA)

Business Event Venues
GOLD – Peppers Silo Hotel (TAS)
SILVER – Darwin Convention Centre (NT)
BRONZE – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (VIC)

Tour & Transport Operators
GOLD – Fun Over 50 Holidays – Immersive Tours and Adventures (QLD)
SILVER – Spirit of the Coorong (SA)
BRONZE – Air Adventure Golf (TAS)

Major Tour & Transport Operators
GOLD – HeliSpirit (WA)
SILVER – Pennicott Wilderness Journeys (TAS)
BRONZE – Ocean Rafting (QLD)

Tourism Retail, Hire & Services
GOLD – Younique Stays (TAS)
SILVER – Go Adventure Nagambie (VIC)
BRONZE – Uluru Audio Guide (NT)

Adventure Tourism
GOLD – Balloon Aloft Australia (NSW)
SILVER – Bendleby Ranges (SA)
BRONZE – Aquascene Magnetic Island (QLD)

Excellence in Food Tourism
GOLD – Harvest Tours (WA)
SILVER – Love Lord Howe (NSW)
BRONZE – The Truffle Farm (TAS)

Tourism Restaurants & Catering Services
GOLD – Sea World Cruises Dining Experiences (QLD)
SILVER – Grain of the Silos (TAS)
BRONZE – Potager (NSW)

Tourism Wineries, Distilleries & Breweries
GOLD – Seppeltsfield Barossa (SA)
SILVER – Bangor Vineyard Shed (TAS)
BRONZE – Singlefile Wines (WA)

Visitor Information Services
GOLD – Swan Valley Visitor Centre (WA)
SILVER – Quilpie Visitor Information Centre, Museum & Gallery (QLD)
BRONZE – Canberra and Region Visitors Centre (CBR)

3-3.5 Star Accommodation
GOLD – Urban Camp Melbourne (VIC) – Hall of Fame Inductee
SILVER – Safari Lodge Motel (NT)
BRONZE – Broadwater Resort, Busselton (WA)

4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation
GOLD – Peppers Silo Hotel (TAS)
SILVER – Oval Hotel (SA)
BRONZE – Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort (QLD)

5 Star Luxury Accommodation
GOLD – The Reef House Adults Retreat (QLD)
SILVER – Mt Hay Retreat (NSW)
BRONZE – Pullman Bunker Bay Resort (WA)

Excellence in Accessible Tourism
GOLD – Balloon Aloft Australia (NSW)
SILVER – National Arboretum Canberra (CBR)
BRONZE – Adelaide Fringe (SA)

Tourist Attractions
GOLD – Katherine Outback Experience (NT)
SILVER – Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NSW)
BRONZE – National Dinosaur Museum (CBR)

Major Tourist Attractions
GOLD – Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre (CBR)
SILVER – Zoos Victoria – Melbourne Zoo (VIC)
BRONZE – WA Museum Boola Bardip (WA)

Festivals & Events
GOLD – Birdsville Big Red Bash (QLD)
SILVER – Margaret River Region Open Studios (WA)
BRONZE – Junction Arts Festival (TAS)

Major Festivals and Events
GOLD – Darwin Festival (NT)
SILVER – Beef Australia 2024 (QLD)
BRONZE – Lightscape Melbourne – Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (VIC)

 

Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and Chablis connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.