By MATT NICHOLLS
TOURISM operators and organisations from Port Macquarie and the region enjoyed considerable success at the 2013 North Coast Tourism Awards in Ballina, returning home with five gold and two bronze awards.
Gold winners included Bago Vineyards, Telegraph Retreat Luxury Cottages, Tastings on Hastings, the Glasshouse and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s economic development team, while bronze awards went to Diamond Waters Treehouse Retreat and The Corner restaurant.
Port Macquarie-Hastings mayor Peter Besseling said the industry awards represented valuable peer recognition for all recipients.
“The wins across a multitude of categories also shows the diversity and quality of tourism product we have on offer here in Greater Port Macquarie,” he said.
“It is testament to why we are a preferred holiday destination.”
Greater Port Macquarie Tourism excelled in a new category, the Local Government Award for Tourism, showcasing a whole-of-council approach and highlighting successes of the last year, including the distribution of the Eat See Do publication and securing the region’s signature event Ironman Australia for another five years.
Organiser of Tastings on Hastings, Sonia Fingleton, said she was very proud to accept the Gold Award for Festivals and Events on behalf of all the region’s farmers, food producers, wineries and breweries.
“It is their product, their passion and their persistence, along with the valuable support of my Port Macquarie-Hastings Council colleagues, that makes the Tastings on Hastings a great, award-winning event,” she said.
Jim Mobbs from Bago Vineyards said the Gold Award in the Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries category served as good recognition for the North Coast wine industry overall.
He said it was a growing industry not only with regards to tourism but in the export of product from the region and hence employment.
“For Bago, personally we are waiting for the judges’ comments to see where we can improve in the future and look forward to representing our region against the best in NSW,” Mr Mobbs said.
Telegraph Retreat won Gold in the Hosted Accommodation category for its rural retreat north of Port Macquarie with two romantic and private studio cottages and a larger family style house, all with their own outdoor spas.
“Ensuring that our guests experience luxury, privacy, home cooking, relaxation and rural living when they come to stay at Telegraph Retreat lies at the heart of what we do,” owner Melanie Marshall said.
“The award is a fantastic recognition of all the emotion and energy we have put into making every guest’s stay feel unique and special over the past three years and gives us renewed enthusiasm to keep building the perfect escape.”
The Glasshouse took out gold in the cultural and heritage category, which recognised tourism operations that foster a greater understanding of history and offer visitors an insight into Australia’s history and heritage as well as its contemporary culture.
In 2012-’13, the Glasshouse staged 26 major exhibitions, 91 performances, 219 public programs across the visual and performing arts and heritage and also participated in key festivals and events. It welcomed more than 305,000 visitors through its doors.
