2000 Opal Awards of the Australian Tourist Commission

The Australian Tourist Commission has awarded the coveted Opal Award for Best Itinerary of 2000 to Marie Edwards of Southern Treks Adventure Travel of Rome, GA.

The Opal Awards for Aussie Specialist were presented by the ATC on August 18. Since 1994 the Opal Awards have recognized those agents who have achieved excellence in the marketing of Australia, Australia travel products or their Aussie Specialist services.

"We look forward to receiving entries to the Opal Awards every year," Ms. Lyndel Gray, Australian Tourist Commission¹s Regional Director for the Americas said. "It is very rewarding and very inspiring to see not only the effort which our Aussie Specialists are putting into the marketing of Australia, but the results they are achieving. Our Aussie Specialists are vital members of a team promoting and selling Australia across the U.S. We are very proud of them!"

"The mild tropical winter of Queensland was most of the setting that won Mrs. Edwards her Opal Award for Best Itinerary. This unique walking tour took a group of 18 on a very personal and intimate 15-day tour of Australia. The tour showcased some of Australia¹s most amazing tropical rainforest, secluded Great Barrier Reef islands, an outback station as well as some of Queensland¹s less familiar historic country towns like Charters Towers. The tour ended with a couple of days in the Olympic city of Sydney."

In addition to receiving an Opal Award trophy designed and made in Australia from Australian boulder Opal, white beech timber, titanium and crystal, the winning itinerary will be entered on the Australia web site.