Silver for Heifer Station, bronze for Byng Street Boutique Hotel at Australian Tourism Awards

Heifer Station won the silver medal in the Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries category, an outstanding achievement considering gold went to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Visitor Experience, which was also the evenings Hall of Fame recipient.

In just its second year of operation, The Byng Street Boutique Hotel won a bronze medal in the 4 to 4.5 star accommodation category with Queensland's Empire Apartment Hotel taking gold and MACq 01 Hotel in Tasmania winning silver.

To make the Australian finals, both business had won gold in the NSW Tourism Awards announced in February.

Heifer Station's Michelle Stivens, who owns the business with husband Phillip, said they were humbled by the award.

"We're very impressed and very happy, humbled and proud of our team," Mrs Stivens said.

Mrs Stivens said the quality of the competition, which included Bundaberg, Seppeltsfield Wines from South Australian who won bronze.

"It's lovely to get that recognition and its lovely for the region, to keep things happening for our region, especially after the last two years that we've had.

"We just can't believe, we're happy, excited, so proud of our team, proud of the resilience and the kindness that our team has shown each other in support in the last two years. This is just a testimony to all that."

This was the first year Thomas and Kristen Nock had entered The Byng Street Boutique Hotel in the awards with Mrs Nock also delighted.

The Hotel has been in operation for two years, opening just after a major drought, only to have the pandemic hit. This was all after enduring a convoluted development process prior to opening.

The award goes a long way to proving what an asset the Hotel is for Orange.

Other Central West medallists were the Taronga Western Plains zoo with a bronze in the major tourism category and Mudgee Regional Tourism, winning a bronze for a tourism and marketing campaign. Mudgee's Sierra Escape won silver in the Unique Accommodation category.

Mudgee also won gold as the top tourism town, beating Noosa Heads into silver.

To make the Australian finals, businesses had to have won gold at state level, with five winners from eight coming from the Central West.

There were 25 categories recognised with NSW business earning five medals, four of which came from Central west business.

"Destination NSW should be loving the central west right now," Mrs Nock said.

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