“There’s nothing like sharing a few drinks with friends overlooking spectacular Sydney Harbour.” “There’s nothing like snorkeling with my friend Wally in the Great Barrier Reef. The huge Maori Wrasse is a bit slimy and smooth with lots of colours.” “There’s nothing like the view to Antarctica from Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island.” “There’s nothing like going on the back of a camel at dawn to see the sunrise in the heart of my beloved Australia - Uluru.”

These are just a few of the unique and iconic experiences to be found in Australia and the foundation for Tourism Australia’s (TA) new campaign, “There’s nothing like Australia.” 

With research showing that 80 percent of Aussies want to promote their country as a travel destination, Australians were invited to submit photos and brief descriptions of their favorite experiences.  More than 29,000 submissions were received in just one month and an interactive map was created to highlight them.  The map is searchable by experience type and keyword.

The map is now available for Americans to search with 3,500 experiences featured, information on trip planning and sample itineraries.

Now the call is out to U.S. travelers to help further populate the country map by uploading their own photo and up to 25 words describing their “There’s nothing like Australia” experience for a chance to win a trip to Australia valued at USD $10,000.

The contest timeline is as follows:

  * Submissions: Sept. 2 – Oct. 13
  * Finalists selected: Oct. 25
  * Finalist voting: Oct. 25 – Nov. 8
  * Winner announced: Nov. 11

“There’s nothing like looking up at an Outback sky and feeling as if you can run your hands through the stars of the Southern Hemisphere,” said Tourism Australia Regional General Manager, Daryl Hudson.  “Anyone who has been to Australia knows there are magical experiences that can’t be had anywhere else.  We look forward to sharing and seeing the moments that have most captivated our travelers.”