Local businesses excel in Victorian Tourism Awards

Lorne’s Live Wire Park received the New Tourism Business award.

The park is the first fully off-grid elevated adventure park in Australia.

Live Wire Park’s founding director Luke Nisbet said he was thrilled to win the award after all the hard work of getting the park started.

“It’s been really manic, just trying to get our heads around running and operating the park and making sure everyone’s have a good time. It’s sort of blown away our expectations.”

Situated in the forest on Erkine Falls Road, the family-run park includes high-ropes courses and ziplines. One of the park’s main features is the Shockwave Zip Coaster, one of just four zipline rollercoasters in the world.

Just days after winning the award, Live Wire Park opened their new attraction “The Spring Circuit”, which consists of five rooms with trampolines that are elevated high in the trees

Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine won awards in both the Visitor Information Services and Tourism Education and Training categories. The latter was largely given because of the Industry and Professional Development program that Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine offered to about 600 organisations.

Geelong’s Adventure Park was given the Tourist Attractions award.

The waterpark’s collection of waterslides has continued to grow this year, with the introduction of their new Tsunami slide.

The Geelong Cats’ Higher Mark won the Business Event Venues category, while Novotel Geelong received the Deluxe Accommodation award.

The judging panel consisted of 33 experts, selected for their strong knowledge of the Victorian tourism industry.

The awards have now been running for more than three decades.

For a full list of winners, head to victoriantourismawards.com.au/winners-and-finalists/.