Remote locations came under the spotlight at Australia’s North West tourism’s annual awards ceremony on Thursday night, because among the award winners from across the Kimberley and Pilbara were some of the most isolated and exotic places in the north.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Kimberley Coastal Camp and Home Valley Station featured prominently as all eyes turned to low-impact tourism.

The award night was held at El Questro Wilderness Park, on the Gibb River Road just over an hour from Kununurra in the East Kimberley.

There was dinner and entertainment under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, which is part of El Questro. The event was hosted by comedian, author, playwright and director Ben Elton.

The well-regarded individual award for excellence was presented to Gail Gower for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry in the region.

Glen Chidlow, chief executive of Australia’s North West tourism, said: “This event recognises not only the best of tourism in the North West but the high calibre of operators and the amazing experiences they provide make it a gathering of some of the best operators in WA.”

Chairman Chris Ellison said: “Tourism in the North West . . . is an essential industry for the region, providing large-scale employment options.”

THE WINNERS

Kimberley Coastal Camp

Pilbara Development Commission Ecotourism Award

Kimberley Coastal Camp

Australian Tourism Export Council Cultural Tourism Award

Mount Romance

The Sandalwood Gallery Broome: Kimberley Development Commission New Product Development Award

Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa

Australian Geographic Accommodation Award

Red Sun Camels

Department of Environment & Conservation Land-based Operator Award

Cygnet Bay Pearls

Regional Development Australia Marine Operator Award

Home Valley Station

Print Logic/Matrix Graphic Design Unique Accommodation Award

Matso’s Broome Brewery

The West Australian Retail Tourism Award

Matso’s Broome Brewery

Tourism Western Australia General Tourism Award

Gail Gower
Skal Individual Award for Excellence

Sourced – The West

Tourism Council WA has called an emergency industry summit today to demand the government make tourism a state priority. The Tourism Council WA will launch a ‘tourism 4 tomorrow’ campaign at the summit, calling for an additional $27 million p.a. to market WA’s struggling tourism regions.

A report to be presented at the summit shows that the WA Government has the second lowest level of investment in tourism amongst all the states, only NSW has a lower proportion of their budget invested in tourism.

“The government needs to invest in tourism so there is more than mining going on in tomorrow’s economy” said Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall.

“While tourism towns are suffering it’s hard to understand why the WA government won’t invest in the industry at the same level as states such as Victoria” said Mr Hall.

“Victoria is in the tourism business, Western Australia is only in the mining business” said Mr Hall.

“Tourists spend $8.1 billion in the WA economy, contributing $5.9 billion to Gross State Product and creating over 73,300 jobs” said Mr Hall.

“We are calling on the state government to recognise the importance of tourism in the WA economy” said Mr Hall “starting with a $27 million injection in the next state budget.”

The industry is calling for a ‘tourism 4 tomorrow’ (T4T) fund to invest in the industry’s future. T4T funding should be directly spent on advertising the state and selling tourism regions.

Leisure tourism is struggling with high costs brought on by the mining boom and lack of marketing dollars. In the 12 months to September 2011, WA lost 87,000 interstate visitors worth $130 million.

“We are losing tourists to states like Victoria that have invested in long running, well funded, marketing campaigns” said Mr Hall.

“Our ‘tourism 4 tomorrow’ summit is calling for a well funded marketing campaign to advertise our extraordinary tourism regions and get the bums back on seats in WA” said Mr Hall.

“The government has done a great job investing in China tourism which is growing rapidly” said Mr Hall “this model should be extended to our other international and interstate markets as well.”

“However, the state’s spotlight on mining over the past few years has definitely taken focus away from vital industries such as tourism and agriculture that benefit all regions of WA” said Mr Hall.

“There’s more to our economy than digging holes in the ground” said Mr Hall “it’s time for the government to make tourism and events a state priority.”

The Tourism Council WA has presented a detailed budget submission to the Tourism Minister under its ‘tourism 4 tomorrow’ campaign.

Media Comment – Evan Hall – 0407 284 090

Hi Guys,

Just a quick email to from one Business to another asking you for your help, As CFO for Kimberley Accommodation Group, I’m responsible for the financial management of a chain of 6 hospitality outlets across the entire Kimberley region of WA.

I will be short and to the point, our accounting system is as out dated as a horse and carriage, so we have entered a fantastic competition put together by a company called Greentree to win a new system upgrade.

I moved to Broome for the lifestyle. You know, to go fishing, walk down Cable Beach with my wife at sunset, that sort of thing. It’s pretty hard to take advantage of what’s on the doorstep when you don’t get home every night until well after dark because even the simplest job just takes so long. So in a nutshell we need your vote!

and what’s in it for you???

Well you get to support us the only Kimberley and WA company in the competition, the underdog and of course we will owe you one.

So please, save the company, my sanity, my health and my lifestyle. Let us have a system that tackles our problems, adds value to our information and gives us the tools to drag the place kicking & screaming into the 21st century.  Please.

All you have to do is click here it takes less than 20 seconds  -

http://www.greentreegameon.com.au/finalists/kimberley-accommodation?utm_source=Finalist-Kimberley-link&utm_medium=generic&utm_campaign=GameOnAus

Garry Herbert
Financialcontroller@kimberleyaccommodation.com.au

One of Australia’s most remote breweries has taken out the Best Boutique Brewery Award at the 2011 AHA Awards, held last night at Burswood entertainment complex in Perth.

Matso’s Broome Brewery took out top honors over well-known breweries such as Bootleg Brewery, Colonial Brewing Company, Duck Stein Brewery and Elmars in the Valley.

Matso’s Marketing Manager Bodie Czeladka said, “The win was a fantastic achievement for the brewery which has had a great 12 months.”  “We now look forward with the launch of another innovative product our Pearlers Pale Ale, projected to be as popular as our Ginger Beer and Mango Beer.”

From a brewery that started as a modest 300-litre malt extract facility; the last twelve-month has been ground breaking with the introduction of their packaged products now available in VIC and NSW receiving fantastic response.

Matso’s Broome Brewery has previously won medals for its beers and between 2006 and 2011, collected over 22 different categories at the International Beer Awards. “The win at the AHA Awards is the first one of its kind, and hopefully the start of many more,” according to Matso’s Brand Manager Justin Wiebrecht.

Matso’s have also entered the Western Australian Tourism Awards for the first time with the winners to be announced later this month.

For more information regarding Matso’s Brewery or products contact Bodie Czeladka at Marketing@matsos.com.au

NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH

OK the time has come when Matso’s Broome Brewery bottled beers will reach the shores of NSW & Victoria with a new liquor wholesaler.

Matso’s beer lovers will soon be able to purchase their favourite drop from a licensed liquor outlet as of early next week. That’s right it’s not a dream, you’ll be able to purchase any of our 5 bottled beers on the East Coast.

To cut a long story short our WA agent Dave Mullen has gone into partnership with Tony Murphy from Trentham Estate Wines and purchased Vintners Merchants Australia which has a warehouse & sales team in NSW & Victoria.

So we’ll be doing our bit by updating the new liquor outlets as they come on board with listing them on the Matso’s stockists page as the info comes in.

For those who can’t wait you can call the Vintners Merchants office direct on 02 9872 5775 and Anne Pettigrove (Sales Manager) will be happy to find a stockists near you in both states.

Remember to look out for the new Pearlers Pale Ale, buy it for your chance to win a trip for you & 3 friends to Broome plus $5000 worth of Willie Creek Pearls.

Visit www.matsos.com.au/pearlers to enter the secret code on your individual bottle of Pearlers Pale Ale. (code is optional)

By the way it’s a bloody pearler of a beer!

Considering the versatile drink has a passionate fan following, a number of major breweries, micro breweries, and brew pubs have mushroomed in every major town, village, and cities throughout Australia. Beer is one subject matter of choice and an obsession that is studied and researched thoroughly. Each day newer and different flavors are being discovered and designed by the “beer lovers”. The orientation is more towards perfecting the art of beer making and producing rich, versatile, and different flavors that appeal to the masses. Some of the “most popular beer choices and flavors that Australians enjoy are…,”…

Cooper Stout, it has a robust flavor, it is made using Cooper Stouts’ fermentation method. Generally it has a dark appearance because it has malt in it, and no preservatives are added. Alcohol volume generally is in the range of 5%.

Vintage Ale, strong to mild flavored with varying degree of alcohol percentage is preferred by more than most beer drinkers. Commonly stronger ales taste better as they age. Alcohol percentages vary from 5% to 7 %.

Lager Beer… choice maritime barely and fine selected aromatic hops go into the making off, a nice larger beer. Taste is crisp, clean with good head and color. Foster lager and crown lager are loved dearly for their superb taste. Generally alcohol content is around 5 %. Most preferred beer in Australia is lager beer.

Bavarian beer is a rare find that is rich in taste. It is brewed right here in Tasmania, Australia. But little is known about the fine and superb beer. It is a bit expensive than usual beer but its distinct flavor is worth trying it at least once. Full of caramel taste, smooth in finish, creamy froth that leaves a lasting impression. It will appeal to all kinds of taste buds.

Football, cricket, and delightful weekends would be incomplete without a good beer. Hard to imagine fun times without beer so go ahead and cheer yourself up with a good beer. After all Australia is proud to have every type and every kind of beer.

Rich and vibrant Australian culture is refined and passionate about trying different flavor beer but it is a culture who also believes in responsible and moderation in drinking.

Responsible beer drinking should be the norm, Cheers people!!!

There are different styles of beer in Australia, where lager is the most popular one in the modern days. Many imported premium beers have a substantial share in the Australian market. Thus, the Australian corporate brewers signed licence agreements with the foreign beer brands, to brew the beers in Australia. The names of the brands that brew beer in Australia are Foster’s group, and Lion Nathan. Foster’s group brews Guinness, Stella Artois, Kronenbourg and Carlsberg, on the other side Lion Nathan produces Heineken, Beck’s and Kirin.

The brewers have a belief that the local product tastes better as they are under strict guidelines overseen by the parent brewers. The Australian Consumers association says that such beers should have clearer and well-known labels to make the drinkers aware about the brand of beer. Most of the beer bottles in Australia are sold in either size 375mL or 750mL. However, amongst microbreweries, bottle size of 330mL has become extremely common these days. Darwin stubby beer is the largest in size that is largely sold as a tourist gimmick in Australia, and has become hugely successful.

Most of the beer bottles are of use and throw types and are extremely light in weight. However, there are many beer bottles that are being reused and refilled by beer companies. Each state has a different name for different size of beer. The difference in the names of beer is reducing day by day as young Australians travel more. The names have become particularly common and popular in every state. According to a poll we have come to know that in recent years there has been a drastic change in the size of beer glasses in pubs. Thus, the size of the beer glasses differs from each brand. The pub serves beer in the glasses of a particular brand of beer.

The stockists list is going to grow rapidly but here’s a few stores you can visit now for stocking up on our new easy drinking, Broome style pale ale.

Rottnest General Store

88 Bishopsgate Street, Carlisle WA 6101

(08) 9361 1335

Asquith Cellars

30 Asquith St, Mt Claremon 6010 WA

(08) 9384 0449

Scarborough Cellars

166A Scarborough Beach Rd, Scarborough WA 6019

Cannington Bowling Club

Cnr Fleming Ave & George St West Cannington WA 6107

(08) 9458 3408

Broadway Liquor Store

Broadway Fair Shopping Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009

(08) 9386 6093  

Mullaloo Beach Hotel

10 Oceanside Parade, Mullaloo 6027 WA

(08) 9401 8411

Merriwa Tavern

36 Baltimore Pde, Merriwa WA 6030

(08) 9305 2522

Aussie Liquor Discounts Cockburn Liquor

333 Rockingham Rd, Spearwood WA 6163

(08) 9434 7444

Aussie Liquor Discounts Atwell

Shop 1/129 Lydon Blvd, Atwell WA 6164

(08) 9498 7666

Liquor Barons Mundaring

65 Great Eastern Hwy, Mundairing WA

(08) 9295 1730

The Botanica Bar & Bistro

401 Scarborough Beach Road, Innaloo WA 6018

(08) 944 31111

Cellarbrations @ Coolbellup

10/78 Coolbellup Ave, Coolbellup WA 6163

(08) 9337 6222

OP’s Tavern Liquor

444 Scarborough Beach Road, Osborne Park WA 6017

(08) 9443 3511

Malt Market Bar & Kitchen

26 Dunn Bay Rd, Dunsborough WA 6281

(08) 9759 1720

Whistling Kite – Secret Harbour Tavern

7 Oasis Drive, Secret Harbour, WA 6173

(08) 9523 4499

Liquor Barons Beechboro

Shop 1 / 499 Beechboro Rd, Beechboro WA 6063

(08) 9378 9179

Liquor Barons Mt Hawthorn

27 Green Street, Mt Hawthorn 6016

(08) 9444 2097

Liquor Barons Greenwood

Greenwood Village, Shop 1 – 2 Calectasia Street, Greenwood WA 6024
(08) 9447 6413

 Cellarbrations @ Marmion Village Cellars

16/ 19 Sheppard WayMarmion,WA 6020

(08) 9447 6744

Liquor Barons Dalkeith

133 Waratah Avenue
Dalkeith WA 6009

(08) 9386 8749

North Fremantle Cellars

90 Stirling Hwy, North Fremantle WA 6159

(08) 9335 4504

Aubin Grove Liquor

5 Talisker Gte Aubin Grove, WA 6164

(08) 9315 5634

Liquor Barons Mt Lawley

654 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley WA 6050

(08) 9271 0886

Cellarbrations at Charlies

Shp 9/ 497 Walter Rd East, Morley WA 6062

(08) 9378 1190

Big Brews

2-4 Hokin Street Warnbro, WA 6169

Cellarbrations Carlisle

2 Wright Street, Carlisle WA 6101

(08) 9361 1434

De Vine Cellars

High Wycombe Liquor Barn

Shp 2/ 530 Kalamunda Rd, High Wycombe,WA 6057

(08) 9352 8544

International Beer Shop

The Karalee on Preston

Shop 4 Cnr Labouchere & Preston St, Como WA 6152

(08) 9367 2561

The Kewdale Tavern

Liquor Barons (South Perth)

Old Bridge Cellars

Pines Restaurant

Re Store Pty Ltd

We’ll update the list each week so keep an eye out for your local stockist OR better still go into your local liquor outlet and ask them to call Dave Mullen Wines on 9240 1644 to order in the Pearlers pale now!

Also check out the competition page at matsos.com.au/pearlers