A clean sweep for Swansea in the Tidy Towns Awards.
The coastal town of Swansea in Tasmania has won the prestigious title of Australia’s Tidiest Town for 2007. In a clean sweep of the awards, Swansea also took out the Heritage and Culture category, sponsored by TakeABreak.com.au who, together with Keep Australia Beautiful, developed the Tidy Towns Travel initiative.
Swansea is a growing holiday destination for both domestic and international visitors, with particular appeal for those who love combining holidays with history. The town boasts a substantial number of historic homes and buildings and heritage restoration is a major priority. It sits on the Great Oyster Bay across from the rugged mountains of the Freycinet National Park and this idyllic location, combined with the beauty of the old buildings, makes Swansea a fishing and holiday destination of great charm.
The Keep Australia Beautiful Australian Tidy Towns sustainable communities Awards attracted over 1000 entries, and it was the high level of commitment to protecting and improving their local environment that lead to Swansea’s win.
With environmental sustainability of tourism an important focus, Swansea’s recycling and resource recovery initiatives have been successful in diverting large volumes of waste from landfill. The numerous public waste and recycling bins also enable visitors to separate waste and recycle at the source.
Visitors to Swansea can expect to be delighted by well-tended public areas and beautiful residential gardens, as well as a spectacular location and sweeping ocean views.
Local schools, environmental and community groups have worked in partnership with the Tidy Towns Committee in undertaking a broad range of projects including weed control, planting programs, water-wise initiatives and extensive recycling programs. Allied with the town’s commitment to maintaining the culture and heritage of the region via projects such as the Heritage Walk booklet and the Bark Mill Museum and Tavern, and it is easy to see why Swansea offers so much as a holiday destination.
Tidy Towns Travel was launched in 2006. “With a key focus on the sustainability of Australian tourism, the Tidy Towns Travel initiative is a natural extension for TakeABreak.com.au” says Craig Davis, General Manager of TakeABreak, “We specialise in promoting regional destinations (not just big cities) and in offering a wide range of options (not just hotels).”
Swansea has a great range of accommodation to choose from, such as 9-Mile Escape, a fabulous property with views across Great Oyster Bay to the Hazards and Freycinet National Park. Fronting the pristine waters of Nine Mile Beach, Swansea is an easy 20 minute stroll along the beach, or 5 minutes by car.
Abbotsford Heritage B&B is beautiful heritage Victorian home set on 9 acres – and as only one booking is taken per night, you can be guaranteed that you and up to 3 other friends will have complete privacy from which to explore the historic township of Swansea.
Redcliffe House started life in 1825 as two farm labourer’s cottages. The properties have been joined, a first floor added and the 5.5 hectares of grounds along the Meredith River include beautiful gardens and a vineyard.
More great places to stay in Swansea
Author
Lisa Monk is a marketing communications writer with a diverse background that includes experience in travel, hotel, finance, public relations and advertising. She has worked with Club Med, the Holiday Inn group and on a number of other travel projects on a freelance basis. Lisa has travelled throughout Asia Pacific, North America and Great Britain.
Lisa now works with TakeABreak.com.au as editor of the Holiday Inspirations newsletter and other publications. She lives in Sydney with her husband Andy, and sons Joseph and Nicholas.