Another great reason for being up here in Tropical North Queensland is to attend the regional Tourism Awards, and it’s one I’d been looking forward to for a while as it signalled a bit of a reunion – my good friend Anjaan from the Best Job in the World final would be MC’ing the evening!

The theme for the night involved a little bit of dressing up and not the usual black tie, instead the organisers had decided to theme the evening as ‘Bollywood’ with guests dressing up in traditional Indian clothing…and it would be not different for Bre and I.

Dressed in the traditional Sari and Kurta, Bre and I arrived at the Cairns Convention Centre and found an amazingly themed venue with a flamboyantly decorated stage replicating the Taj Mahal.

The evening went with a bang and Anjaan did extremely well, firing the crowd up when needed as the awards were handed out and dancing impeccably at the end with his gorgeous wife Anrita, putting all of us to shame with her moves!

Many of the winners or nominees were actually places I’ve been lucky enough to stay or visit over the last few months and I can vouch for them as deserved entries into the competition.

The awards serve a very worthwhile purpose within the industry giving individuals and businesses something to aim for and recognition for their endeavours. Even putting together a submission takes a serious amount of time and effort.

Well done to all the winners and better luck next year for all the other entries.

• Major Tourist Attraction – Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures
• Tourist Attraction – Daintree Discovery Centre
• Festivals and Events – Opera in the Outback
• Ecotourism – Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours
• Heritage & Culture Tourism – Paronella Park
• Indigenous Tourism – Spirit of the Rainforest Tour
• Visitor Information & Services – Mission Beach Business & Tourism
• Meetings and Tourism Business – Shangri-La Hotel, Cairns
• Major Tour/Tourist Operator – Passions of Paradise
• Tour/Transport Operator – Torres Strait Heritage
• Adventure Tourism – Passions of Paradise
• Tourism Marketing – Australian Tourist Publications
• Tourism Education & Training – Savannah Guides Ltd
• Tourism Restaurants – Café China
• Tourist & Caravan Parks – Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort
• Backpacker Accommodation – The Northern Greenhouse
• Hosted Accommodation – Red Mill House
• Unique Accommodation – Eden House Retreat & Mountain Spa
• Deluxe Accommodation – Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort
• Luxury Accommodation – Peppers Bale
• New Tourism Development – Herberton Historic Village
• Sustainable Tourism – Skyrail Rainforest Cableway