Leading travel site Wotif.com has announced the winners of this year’s Uniquely Aussie Awards – naturally including Best Country Pub, which was won by Alistair Flower’s Beechwood Hotel.
The Uniquely Aussie Awards are an annual guide to Australia’s best local secrets, as nominated by Aussies.
Wotif reports Australians feel that they have only “touched the surface” when it comes to domestic travel, and the Awards aim to encourage them to explore their own backyard and support their favourite businesses – seen as more relevant than ever after the challenges of the past 18 months.
Celebrating “quintessential Aussie travel experiences” across six categories, this year drew thousands of nominations from all over the country, looking for the National Winners in: Best Jaffle, Best Vanilla Slice, Best Country Pub, Best Hot Chips, Best Hotel Pool, and Best National Park. (full winners list below)
The Awards say when it comes to country pubs, “country characters and solid vibes are mandatory. Good, cold beer on tap and a schnitty certainly don’t hurt either, along with flat screens to show the footy”.
Of the Beechwood Hotel, the organisers said “It’s all about the people you meet when visiting a country pub, and Beechwood Hotel is said to be at the heart of its community. With friendly service, great food and a true-blue history (if you feel like ditching the car, there’s a spot out front for your horse), this humble pub offers some of Australia’s best country hospitality”.
Flower Hotels has only held the 140-year-old Beechwood since September 2020, but has made some improvements in sympathy with the historic hotel while aiming to make it feel like “an extension of everyone’s lounge room”.
Flower says he is “humbled” by the accolade, and pays homage to “a great community and engaging staff that genuinely care”.
“There are plenty of outstanding pubs around the country and great little gems like the Beechwood” he offers.
“I think we stand out because of the unbelievable community spirit this region has. Been through a lot with drought, fires floods and COVID. It just makes our community stronger.”
Full list of 2021 Winners
Best Country Pub
- Beechwood Hotel, Beechwood, NSW
- Royal Hotel, Mendooran, NSW
- Daly Waters Pub, Daly Waters, NT
- The Victoria Hotel, Bathurst, NSW
- Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, WA
- Mount Warning Hotel, Uki, NSW
- Nindigully Pub, Nindigully, QLD
- Meringandan Pub, Toowoomba, QLD
- Northcliffe Hotel & Motor Inn, Northcliffe, WA
- Noojee Hotel, Noojee, VIC
Best Hotel Pool
- JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, Gold Coast, QLD
- Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Port Douglas, QLD
- Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, Cairns, QLD
- Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW
- Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, an IHG Resort, Hope Island, QLD
- Emporium South Bank, Brisbane, QLD
- Intercontinental Hayman Island, QLD
- Palazzo Versace Gold Coast, QLD
- Mindil Beach Casino Resort, NT
- The Ville Resort & Casino, Townsville, QLD
Best Jaffle
- Miss Jaffles, Cronulla, NSW
- Foxtrot Unicorn, Perth, WA
- TINY of Beechworth, Beechworth, VIC
- Union Kiosk, Melbourne, VIC
- Bad Frankie, Fitzroy, VIC
- Jaffle Shack, Geraldton, WA
- Jaffelato, Rockingham, WA
- Hendriks Cognac and Wine Bar, Crows Nest, NSW
- Stairwell Coffee, Surfers Paradise, QLD
- Waffles and Jaffles, Coonalpyn, SA
Best Vanilla Slice
- Bridgewater Bakehouse, Bridgewater on Loddon & Bendigo, VIC
- Ross Bakery Inn, Ross, TAS
- Banana Boogie Bakery, Belair, SA
- Vanilla Slice Café, Sorrento, VIC
- The French Lettuce, Carlton, VIC
- Flinders Vanilla Slice, Cheltenham, VIC
- Gumnut Patisserie, Mittagong, Bowral & Berrima, NSW
- Preece’s at the Jetty, Redcliffe, QLD
- Café Bear & Scoobs, Geelong, VIC
- Bourkies Bake House, Woodend, VIC
Best Hot Chips
- Chicken Chef, Blair Athol, SA
- Pelican Rocks Seafood Restaurant & Café, Greenwell Point, NSW
- Kingsley’s Chicken, Canberra, ACT
- Varsity Bar, WA
- Cripps Bakehouse, Bellerive, TAS
- Sotos Fish Shop, Semaphore, SA
- Chicken Cave, Fulham Gardens, SA
- Super Rooster, Toowoomba, QLD
- The Yeeros Shop, Marrickville, NSW
- Parkdale Free Range Charcoal Chicken, VIC
Best National Park
- Kakadu National Park, NT
- Litchfield National Park, NT
- Royal National Park, NSW
- Karijini National Park, WA
- Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, TAS
- Grampians National Park, VIC
- Daintree National Park, QLD
- Noosa National Park, QLD
- Wilsons Promontory National Park, VIC
- Freycinet National Park, TAS