The Northern Territory is kicking goals with some of the most stunning landscapes and natural wonders.
Uluru has been named as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Australia’ in the country’s largest-ever online travel poll.
Katherine’s iconic Nitmiluk just missed out on making the top 20 most voted shortlist and the final Seven Wonders shortlist.
But it did make an appearance in the top 50 shortlist, along with a host of other NT tourism hot-spots including: Kakadu National Park, Kings Canyon, Karlu Karlu/the Devil’s Marbles and Kata Tjuta/the Olgas.
Uluru is the spiritual red heart of Central Australia
- Tony Quarmby
Today, with more than 68,400 votes gathered nationwide across three months, and an expert panel of judges from across the country weighing in, the official ‘Seven Wonders of Australia’ have been revealed.
Uluru has topped the list, officially crowned a Wonder.
The ‘Seven Wonders of Australia’ campaign asked Australians of voting age to select from a shortlist of 50 iconic Australian natural sites.
Uluru is joined by Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, the 12 Apostles in Victoria, Horizontal Falls in Western Australia, the Australian War Memorial in the Australian Capital Territory and the Sydney Opera House in New South Wales as being named the ‘Seven Wonders of Australia’.
The 7 Wonders are based on a comprehensive criterion, which considered the level of recognition, natural, architectural or cultural value, desirability and aspiration, rarity and uniqueness and tourism value.
Tourism NT’s general manager of marketing, Tony Quarmby, said the voting public has echoed what Territorians have long known – that Uluru is the spiritual red heart of Central Australia.
“Uluru is one of only four places in Australia that is dual World Heritage-listed and recognised for outstanding natural and cultural features,” he said.
“But it is so much more, it is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures and the on-trend destination with Australian and international visitors.
More reading: Tender awarded for Nitmiluk park upgrades
“It really is testimony to Uluru’s pulling power as the destination of choice, that airline carriers like Qantas and Jetstar have recently introduced direct flights from Darwin, Adelaide and Brisbane respectively,” he said.
Experience Oz Marketing Manager Matt Hobbs, said the three-month campaign was designed to encourage domestic visitation versus traveling to destinations in South-East Asia for holidays, encourage debate and provide the fairest possible perspective on such a list of sites while also showcasing Australia’s wonders to the rest of the world.
“We’ve spent the last several months touring the country and visiting some of Australia’s most incredible sites – it’s a pleasure to now be able to officially announce the ‘Seven Wonders of Australia’ as voted by the public.
“It has also been a humbling reminder of just how lucky we are to reside in such as special and diverse country for travel,” Mr Hobbs said.
“It’s our hope that instead of looking to the likes of Bali or Thailand for their next getaway, Aussies may take this as inspiration to explore the best of their own or neighbouring state instead.”
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