Travelling in Australia Magazine - Australia's 20 Best Experiences Awards

Let us break it down for you….

There are great vacations, and then there are those that become entrenched in your very being; the type you dream about when your feet itch to do a runner, the sort that keep you sane when you’ve lost sight of which way was up.

Such places have delivered on value and service, experience and connection with the soul. They continue to make you smile long after you’ve checked out, and sustain you until you have a magical opportunity to escape and visit once again.

They’re a “second home” (if only in your dreams), that you rave about to all who will listen. They change your way of thinking, and make your heart sing in a manner that few ever have.

These are what we consider to be Australia’s 20 Best Experiences, and this is TIAM’s second year in recognising and awarding them. They were selected from a pool of hotly-contested nominees by a panel of discerning international judges: the Premier Aussie Specialists.

To the winners, our sincere congratulations; and to the readers, we encourage you to visit – or revisit – each and every one.

Best Air Experience

WINNER: 12 APOSTLES HELICOPTERS (VICTORIA)

Explore a path (or height less travelled) with 12 Apostles Helicopters. To truly take in the Twelve Apostles, which shoot up to 45 metres high, the eroded beauty of the limestone creations is best viewed above sea level.

RUNNERS-UP: Slingair Heliwork tied with Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flights

Best Tourng Routes/Drive Experience

WINNER: GREAT Southern Touring Route

Driving may not be the most financially viable holiday option, but it offers more truth to travel. Finding little local pubs and other hideaway holes is what makes your travel tales that much more interesting.

RUNNERS-UP: Reef to Outback Drive tied with Sydney - Melbourne Coastal Drive

Best Historic & Cultural Experience

WINNER: BEST HISTORIC & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Australia's foremost outdoor museum - Sovereign Hill - recreates Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of gold in 1851, when thousands of international fortune hunters rushed to the Australian goldfields in search of riches.

RUNNERS-UP: West Coast Wilderness Railway tied with Bombing of Darwin WWII Heritage

Best Outback Experience

WINNER: GREAT AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DRIVE (SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Spend the day on horseback, droving 500 head of cattle through the South Australian outback; by night, unwind with great food, hot showers and cold beers, alongside a warm campfire at the camp village.

RUNNERS-UP: Wrotham Park Lodge

Best Theme Park & Wildlife Park Experience

WINNER: CAIRNS TROPICAL ZOO (QUEENSLAND)

When you think of Cairns, many think of white beaches, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, and other sun drenched activities, but few realise Cairns is home to an award winning attraction.

RUNNERS-UP: Rainforest Habitat

Best Family Experience

WINNER: PHILLIP ISLAND NATURE PARK (VICTORIA)

Phillip Island Nature Park is dedicated to international excellence in nature conservation, ecotourism, and to ensuring that it remains a leader in natural asset protection.

RUNNERS-UP: Rottnest Island

Best Adventure Experience

WINNER: JUNGLE SURFING CANOPY TOURS (QUEENSLAND)

Phillip Island Nature Park is dedicated to international excellence in nature conservation, ecotourism, and to ensuring that it remains a leader in natural asset protection.

RUNNERS-UP: The Maria Island Walk

Best Backpacker Experience

WINNER: NINGALOO REEF ADVENTURE (WESTERN AUSTRALIA)

Western Australia is home to one of the world’s most amazing marine destinations. Ningaloo Reef is the only place in Australia where whale sharks regularly visit so close to shore.

RUNNERS-UP: Whitsunday’s Sailing Adventures

Best Dive Experience

WINNER: COD HOLE, GREAT BARRIER REEF (QUEENSLAND)

The chance to have a close encounter with the big (very big) Potato Cod is a common occurrence at the Cod Hole. These big boys of the ocean that can weigh up to 30kgs call this place home.

RUNNERS-UP: Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth

Best Cruise/Sailing Experience

WINNER:ORION EXPEDITION CRUISES (NORTHERN TERRITORY)

Orion Expedition Cruises provides unparalleled access to the beauty of the north. Towards the west, in the historic pearling town of Broome, the colours of nature are vibrant and intense: rich red earth, azure blue seas and brilliant white sand beaches.

RUNNERS-UP: Reef Encounter

Best Snow Experience

WINNER: MT BULLER ALPINE RESORT (VICTORIA)

Surrounded by breathtaking scenery, Mt Buller is situated in the heart of Victoria's High Country, offering the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

RUNNERS-UP: Huski Luxury Apartments tied with Mt Hotham

Best Food & Beverage Experience

WINNER: CITY OF MELBOURNE (VICTORIA)

Melbourne has a deeply entrenched food-loving culture. The city's melting pot of cultures is reflected in its microcosms of restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars

RUNNERS-UP: Augusta Margaret River Tourism

Best Spa & Health Retreat Experience

WINNER: DAINTREE ECO LODGE & SPA (QUEENSLAND)

Wake to the gentle sounds of nature in your Daintree rainforest accommodation, and enjoy total pampering in the unique Daintree Spa.
Discover the secluded pristine waterfall, breathe in fresh air and dine in the enchanting Julaymba Restaurant & Gallery.

RUNNERS-UP: Peppers Seven Spirit Bay

Best Luxury Experience

WINNER: SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE (SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Southern Ocean Lodge is Kangaroo Island's first luxury lodge. Many years in the making, James and Hayley Baillie, who also created Capella Lodge, designed Southern Ocean Lodge with the perfect fusion of nature and luxury.

RUNNERS-UP: Longitude 131°

Best Escorted Touring Experience

WINNER: KANGAROO ISLAND WILDERNESS TOURS (SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Seven times the size of Singapore, Kangaroo Island shares the same sense of excitement and adventure. Native bushlands are thick with birdlife, pristine beaches scattered with sun bathing Sea Lions, and of course the beautiful local wines must not be overlooked.

RUNNERS-UP: Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris

Best Island Experience

WINNER: KANGAROO ISLAND (SOUTH AUSTRALIA)

Kangaroo Island is one of Australia's great natural wonders, and was recently named the country’s ninth National Landscape. It is a wildlife sanctuary without fences, where visitors can enjoy Australian animals in the natural habitat; a place of remarkable beauty.

RUNNERS-UP: Lord Howe Island tied with Qualia on Hamilton Island

Best Destination Experience

WINNER: KAKADU NATIONAL PARK (NORTHERN TERRITORY)

The name 'Kakadu' comes from an Aboriginal floodplain language called Gagudju, which was one of the languages spoken in the north of the park at the beginning of the twentieth century.

RUNNERS-UP: Palm Cove, Tropical North Queensland and Broome all tied

Best New Product Experience

WINNER: AMSARA LUXURY RETREAT, BROOME (WESTERN AUSTRALIA)

The newly-opened Amsara Luxury Retreat is set away the busy end of Cable Beach. Surrounded by established gardens and positioned on the escarpment, the property overlooks one of Australia’s most photographed stretches of coastline.

RUNNERS-UP: Wilderness Wanders tied with Back Country Bliss Adventures

Best Eco Experience

WINNER: BAMURRU PLAINS (NORTHERN TERRITORY)

Wild bush luxury truly encompasses the philosophy of Bamurru Plains.The exclusive wilderness location, with guest numbers limited, passionate staff, and an implicit belief that conservation and tourism have to work together, combine to make Bamurru Plains a uniquely luxurious experience.