QHA-Review_April

NEWS
WELLSHOT WIN
QHA REVIEW | 6
The mighty Wellshot Hotel at Ilfracombe has been
awarded a Gold medal in the 2021 Grey Nomad
Awards for the Best Grey Nomad Pub Stay.
The pub itself shares a nomadic past with the guests
who have voted in its favour.
Built prior to 1890 it was originally a travelling hotel,
pulled along on sleds to serve the workers building the
next railway station on the line.
It’s known that it was once in the main street of
Barcaldine, 80kms to the east, and suspected that its
real life started further down the line, about 300km to
the east.
The hotel offers a range of powered and unpowered
sites for guests next to the beer garden, as well as
seven airconditioned rooms, a donga and two selfcontained
units nearby.
Owned by Tracy Hatch and her husband Paul since
October 2016, the pub has made a name for itself
on social media for its quirky bar stools shaped like
cowgirl’s bottoms and a unique fundraising system
that involves throwing money at the ceiling.
The Wellshot was one of 20 tourism experiences
named the annual awards program which is designed
to shine a light on the best places for older travellers to
stay and play around Australia.
Awards director Liz Rivers said the Awards provide
verified information for Grey Nomads, helping to
guide decisions on where to stay and play around the
country.
THE WELLSHOT WAS ONE OF 20 TOURISM
EXPERIENCES NAMED THE ANNUAL
AWARDS PROGRAM WHICH IS DESIGNED
TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THE BEST PLACES
FOR OLDER TRAVELLERS TO STAY AND PLAY
AROUND AUSTRALIA.
“Australians have long enjoyed epic trips, starting in
the post-war period when economic prosperity and
the launch of Holden collided,” Ms Rivers said.
“That love of the open road has never dimmed, and
as Australia is a big country knowing where to visit to
experience something extraordinary is highly valuable.”
She said Australians over the age of 55 represent
one of the biggest opportunities in domestic tourism
recovery, possessing 32% of Australia’s disposable
income, along with the flexibility and motivation to
travel.
Tourism operators enter the Awards and are judged
by tourism leaders from across the country who
offer feedback to each entrant in each category and
practical tips to improve their tourism offering in the
future.
The judges said: “This year’s winners reflect the
exceptional experiences on offer to senior travellers.
Each winner is playing a small yet critical role in
assisting the Australian tourism sector recovery.”