The Greater Sydney Tourism Awards recognised Royal Coast Walks with Highly Commended in the Adventure Tourism category at last weeks gala dinner. It is welcome recognition of a year of hard work and enthusiasm, and is awarded via a rigorous assessment and judging process.

Along with Royal Coast Walks, the Sutherland Shire was well represented at the awards, with Highly Commended awards going to Cronulla and National Park Ferry Cruises (Transport Operators category and Champions Award) and Bundeena/ Maianbar Art Trail (Champions Award). Further congratulations go to Shire finalists Bundeena Beachshack, Canons Shuttles, and Oyster Bay Bed & Breakfast.

Age is absolutely no excuse to stop enjoying life outdoors. To encourage seniors to lead an active lifestyle, we’re supporting “Step Out and Get Active” this Seniors Week. Choose from kayaking, mountain-biking, eco cruising and more from a full day of activities in the Royal National Park. Of course, we reckon the day’s best activity is bushwalking and we’re putting on a half and full day guided walk exploring the Royal’s coast. And the best bit? It’s free for Seniors. It’s all happening on Friday 25 March and there are limited places available. Find more information and book here.

As part of our ongoing commitment to deliver the highest safety and industry standards in everything we do, we are now a member of the Outdoor Recreation Industry Council of NSW (ORIC). ORIC is the State’s peak body for outdoor recreation and we worked with them to help develop the Adventure Activity Standards, guidelines covering leader competency, equipment and safety for all adventurous activities.

Pull on the gloves, grab a bag and get stuck in. We’re returning to Wattamolla for Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday 6 March 2011 to do our bit in restoring the Park’s natural beauty and hope you can join us. It pains us to see rubbish thoughtlessly left behind at one of our favourite spots so we’re right behind the campaign inspiring people to collect and remove rubbish from their local environment. If you’re in Sydney, any time and energy you can spare will be greatly appreciated. See more details and let us know you’re coming here.

Weemalah Cottage (photo by DECCW)

Exploring the waterways and inland areas of the Royal National Park, the Weemalah tour suits those looking for a mix of adventure and leisure. Relish a fully catered weekend miles away from any distractions. Meeting at Cronulla for a ferry ride to Bundeena, a leisurely morning paddle on the Port Hacking River is followed by an afternoon enjoying the prime riverside location of your National Park hut accommodation. After a relaxed breakfast Sunday morning, you’ll bushwalk to Audley for lunch, then make your way up Honeymoon Track to finish the tour at Loftus via a ride on a historic tram.

Prices start from $549 all inclusive, only 8 places available (two double rooms and four single beds). See more information and book here.

We’re super proud to be among the first commercial tour operators to be licensed for a 10 year Parks Eco Pass. It’s a sign of our long-term partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to encourage visitors to appreciate, understand and conserve the area. It also means we’re officially here for the long-haul! While our license enables us to operate in any NSW National Park, we fell in love with the Royal long ago and will continue to concentrate on this special part of Sydney.

If you know that caring for the environment means more than showering with a friend, then you’ll appreciate that we’re now an Eco Certified business. This means that you are guaranteed to experience a genuine and authentic tour that looks after the environment.

Our most popular tours have also been awarded Advanced Eco Tourism Accreditation. This is given to Australia’s leading and most innovative ecotourism products, providing an opportunity to learn about the environment with an operator who is committed to achieving best practice when using resources wisely, contributing to the conservation of the environment and helping local communities.

Thanks to all of you voting for us in these awards, we have been selected as a finalist in the Holiday and Travel category. The judging process is conducted over the coming weeks and winners announced at the Gala presentation evening on the 13th October. We hope to repay your faith in us and take home the prize as The Sutherland Shire’s best Holiday and Travel business.

For everyone who didn’t see us on TV last weekend, watch it here, (play the video on the right of Postcards Australia’s site). The weather just held off for us to film a section of the Royal National Park’s stunning coastline, but after the fine and sunny morning on kayaks we can’t complain. For all the botanists out there, Ian does know that the Clusted Scent Myrtle (Darwinia fascicularis) and Lemon Scent Myrtle (Backhousia citradoria) aren’t unrelated, he meant to say they smell similar, not they are related, oops.