Grey Nomad Awards finalists spotlight regional Australia destinations

Tourism operators who best cater to mature age visitors across Australia have been recognised, with finalists in the Grey Nomad Awards announced yesterday.

Awards Director Kim Morgan said the Grey Nomad Awards provide credible information that helps guide mature age visitors in their choices of where to visit, stay and play.

Morgan notes “The Awards showcase those operators and places that are digging a little deeper to give grey nomads an exemplary experience, and after such a challenging two years for the tourism sector and destinations that rely on their visitor economies, all finalists are to be congratulated.”

She said proof that these Awards are valued and making a difference is witnessed in the number of organisations that entered more than one category.

Morgan explained “with both a minimum benchmark for being shortlisted as a finalist and a maximum of only six finalists announced in any category, unfortunately, not everyone who enters can be successful.

“This means we want to acknowledge the achievements of all our entrants, and not just these finalists.”

The Grey Nomad Awards are judged by mature-age tourism professionals, some of whom have experienced the grey nomad lifestyle personally, adding weight to being named as a finalist.

The finalists of the 2021 Grey Nomad Awards in alphabetical order are:

• Berri Riverside Holiday Park (Riverlands SA)

• Booleroo Centre RV Park (Flinders Ranges and Outback SA)

• Burra Heritage Passport (Clare Valley SA)

• Charlotte Plains Outback Magic (Outback QLD)

• Charters Towers Tourist Park (Townsville Region QLD)

• CMCA RV Park Humpty Doo (Top End NT)

• CMCA RV Park Innisfail (Tropical North QLD)

• Dirranbandi Retreat and Caravan Park (Outback QLD)

• Evening Star Tourist Park (Outback QLD)

• Explore Rockhampton Self-Guided Audio Tours App (Capricorn QLD)

• Gallipoli to Armistice Trail (Fraser Coast QLD)

• Go Ballooning Gold Coast Hot Air Balloon Flight (Gold Coast QLD)

• Groper Creek Caravan Park (Townsville Region QLD)

• Hervey Bay Seafood Festival (Fraser Coast QLD)

• Inverell Caravan Park (Northern Tablelands NSW)

• Kimba Recreation Reserve (Eyre Peninsula SA)

• Kingston Walking Trails (Limestone Coast SA)

• Mary Valley Rattler (Sunshine Coast QLD)

• North of the Murray - The Shearing the Rams Trail (Riverina – Murray NSW)

• Paronella Park (Tropical North QLD)

• Point Turton Caravan Park (Yorke Peninsula SA)

• Queens Beach Tourist Village (Whitsundays QLD)

• Roora Nature Trails (Eyre Peninsula SA)

• Sunset Experience on Towers Hill (Townsville Region QLD)

• The Original Eumundi Markets (Sunshine Coast QLD)

• Wellshot Hotel Ilfracombe (Outback QLD)

Winners will be announced during an online celebration on Friday 4th March.