Airborne Solutions | Toast To Tourisms Best | Tourism, Darwin, Awards, Experience, Northern

Toast To Tourisms Best

SKYCITY Darwin and the Alice Springs Desert Park were the big winners at this year’s annual Brolga Northern Territory Tourism Awards.

Alice Springs Desert Park took out the Major Tourist Attractions category for the fifth consecutive year, and SKYCITY Darwin was named the winner of four categories — Tourism Education & Training, Tourism Restaurant & Catering Services, Luxury Accommodation and the Chairman’s Choice award. More than 400 people attended the awards night at the Darwin Convention Centre.

The submission-based awards program plays an important role in raising the standards of service delivery by promoting best practice and reinforcing continuous improvement and motivating and rewarding tourism operators for valuable contribution.

For 22 years, the annual Brolga Tourism Awards has been the most prestigious event on the tourism calendar — ecognising the quality and excellence of our industry within the Northern Territory.

Judging for the awards is conducted by a panel of industry peers appointed by the Chairman of Judges and Tourism NT, with the endorsement of the Tourism Minister. Several businesses received awards for the third consecutive year including the Alice Springs Convention Centre winning the Meetings & Business Tourism category, the 2008 Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race taking out the Festivals & Events category, and MacDonnell Range Holiday Park awarded the Tourist & Caravan Parks category.

First-time entrants Connections and Deckchair Cinema also took out awards. This year, the Tourism Minister’s Perpetual Trophy was presented to George Dunne. Winners go on to compete at he Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Melbourne next February.

SKYCITY Darwin won four It won awards for Tourism Education & Training, Tourism Restaurant & Catering Services, Luxury Accommodation and also took out the Chairman’s Choice award. categories at this year’s NT Brolga Awards.

SKYCITY is a tropical, beachside resort set on 8.5ha minutes from the Darwin central business district. It boasts three restaurants, a five-star luxury hotel and a casino, making it one of the Northern Territory’s most popular tourist destinations.

Holidaymakers have three completely different, culturallyinspired experiences provided by the restaurants fine dining at its best in Evoo, authentic Asian cuisine in Dragon Court and a relaxed, family-orientated buffet in Sunset Restaurant. SKYCITY is also the powerhouse behind some of Darwin’s biggest annual events that bring thousands to the NT each year, including the V8 Supercars and the Darwin Cup Gala Ball. During peak season, SKYCITY Darwin employs 1200 staff in food and beverage, guest services, casino gaming, housekeeping, and back-of-house operations such as engineering, purchasing, accounting, and marketing.

SKYCITY Darwin provides employees with skill and career development opportunities to ensure consistency across the business, attract and retain staff, and grow the business through service excellence. SKYCITY plays an important role in the community promoting careers in tourism.

The accommodation is also first-class. Guests can enjoy a luxurious resort holiday as they lie by the lagoon-style swimming pool sipping a refreshing cocktail and watching the magnificent sunset over the sea.

THE Alice Springs Desert Park is the essential introduction to central Australia. It showcases the natural and cultural environment of the region in three stunning habitats. Professional guides, including local Aboriginal people, share stories of the plants, animals, geology and people of the Australian deserts.

Visitors can also enjoy displays of free-flying birds of prey, close viewing of unique and rare animals in the nocturnal house.

SPECIALISING in small group experiences, Connections offers adventure tours throughout the Northern Territory, as well as other Australian states, South East Asia, Africa, South America and New Zealand.

Connections’ trips are highly interactive, enabling travellers to explore and learn about the indigenous culture and environment in which they are travelling. Knowledgeable guides provide interpretation to enhance the experience.

The company’s tagline, ‘‘travel experiences with a difference’’ reflects its commitment to providing a unique experience of a superior quality to its competitors, at a price that represents excellent value for money.

Connections is a wholly owned business unit of Australian Pacific Touring a 100 per cent Australian-owned, family company.

❏ FROM the marble foyer to the airconditioned guest rooms, Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn is a cool retreat in the wilderness.

This uniquely shaped hotel, about 2 1\2-hours’ drive from Darwin, is the ideal base to explore Ubirr and Nourlangie rock art galleries and view the towering sandstone escarpment of Arnhem Land.

The hotel offers 110 guest rooms overlooking a central shaded courtyard and swimming pool, a range of dining options, an art gallery and gift shop, as well as excellent conference facilities.

❏ THE Crowne Plaza Darwin is right in the heart of the CBD. The 235 guest rooms and suites feature individuallycontrolled airconditioning and offer remote-control colour TV, inhouse movies, mini bar, modem connection, STD/IDD direct dial telephones, tea and coffeemaking facilities, iron and ironing board and hair dryer.

Guests can come and go as they please with the 24-hour reception and valet parking. Facilities include a business centre, guest laundry and hairdressing salon.

❏ MACDONNELL Range Holiday Park has accommodation options to suit most travellers, from a shady camp site in the foothills of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges to a luxurious villa. Visitors experience the Red Centre by paticipating in free activities. Play a didgeridoo, view the stunning night sky through a telescope or be entertained by musician Geoff O’Mallee.

❏ DECKCHAIR Cinema is a majestic, open-air cinema situated on the Darwin harbour. The cinema operates seven nights a week from mid-April to mid- November, screening a diverse range of Australian, foreign, popular, classic and family-friendly films. Patrons can bring a picnic or grab a drink or snack from the fully licensed kiosk, and enjoy a Darwin sunset over the harbour.

❏ TOURISM Top End is the Regional Tourism Association representing the Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory. The organisation’s primary function is to promote the Top End as a premier tourism destination. The association operates Visitor Information Services and Tourism Top End also provides a complimentary on-the-spot booking service for about 470 members product throughout the region including accommodation, tours and charters, attractions, fishing charters and vehicle hire.

Tourism Top End produces two visitor information publications annually. Key marketing initiatives undertaken include: The discover, explore experience marketing campaign; and the Katherine She’s Gorgeous campaign.

❏ BANYAN View Lodge, nestled on the fringe of Darwin’s CBD, offers a ‘‘home away from home’’ backpackers
experience. With its relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff, the lodge is the deal place to make your Top End adventure an enjoyable one. There is a range of accommodation for all travellers — dormitory, singles, doubles and twins with private ensuite rooms available. Facilities include: pool, spa, free internet, kitchens, TV lounges, laundry, parking, children’s areas, gardens and more. ❏ THE Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is a two-day 450km dash from Alice Springs to Aputula (Finke) and return, the Finke is considered the jewel in the crown of off-road racing for cars and bikes. It is one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Northern Territory, attracting more than 600 competitors and 12,000 spectators in 2008.

The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is the richest off-road race in the Southern Hemisphere and injects more than $3 million into the local economy.

❏ LORDS Safaris are a small, family-owned-andoperated, multi awardwinning tour company specialising in outstanding

luxury getaways. Lords operate in Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and the Kimberley in Western Australia.

Lords have 18-years’ experience and are able to offer guests access to a mixture of both iconic and also lesser known Territory attractions.

❏ AAT Kings Tiwi Tours offer exclusive tours and camping experiences in the Tiwi Islands, providing travellers with a unique opportunity to experience a modern Aboriginal community and learn about their history and culture from a local resident’s perspective.

❏ VIP Touring operates luxury nd personalised seat-in-coach, group and charter touring programs in Japanese, French, Italian and Spanish. The company offers a diverse product range of foreign language touring options, including interpreter and meet and greet services, that is unequalled by any other operator in the Northern Territory. It prides itself on its exceptional service by professional and knowledgeable tour drivers and guides. VIP Touring is dedicated to educating and inspiring visitors from around the world on the unique cultural and heritage areas in which they operate, and delivering the ultimate Australian outback experience.

❏ THE Alice Springs Convention Centre is the largest purpose-built conference venue in Alice Springs. With total capacity for the centre running at 1600, it is one of the most innovative, flexible and convention centres in Australia. Delegates enjoy state-of the- art facilities, first class service delivery partnered with technical expertise in a stunning location.

❏ AIRBORNE Solutions provides high-quality, interpretive helicopter tours and transfers throughout the Northern Territory. Airborne Solutions operates as Nitmiluk Helicopter Tours, Kakadu Helicopter Safaris and Darwin Helicopter Tours.

❏ GREAT Southern Rail is the owner and operator of The Ghan, the Indian Pacific and The Overland. The Ghan trip offers guests a unique outback adventure with all the comfort and service synonymous with the world’s great train journeys.

❏ CANNON Charters specialise in extended fishing adventures around the spectacular coast of the Top End. The trips combine fantastic fishing opportunities with great scenery and the best of luxury travel. Visitors can explore many more remote and pristine locations throughout the NT onboard the 75ft Mothership. Venture into the unknown in one of the the fully equipped sportfishing boats to catch many unique species. Cannon Charters provide their eight onboard guests with a truly memorable experience exploring the NT.