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GT Travel Awards 2008: Best tourism innovator

Outback Encounter, SA
After working for exclusive East African safari lodges, Drew Kluska returned to Australia in 1997 determined to replicate the mix of upmarket accommodation and unforgettable experiences here. Kluska researched the nation’s most remote and outstanding locations before launching Outback Encounter in 1998, as a bespoke tour operator with exclusive access to one-of-a-kind Australian adventures. Kluska’s portfolio spans cattle stations and private islands, rural homesteads and urban mansions, all run by people who are ‘incredibly passionate about their piece of the world’. His clients might combine a stay at the iconic Bullo River Station with a spell on the 4000-acre private residence Woodwark Bay, in the Whitsundays, then embark on a helicopter safari from Cairns to Cape York, stopping en route at the Coen pub for a beer. “A lot of the things we do, you can’t Google them,” says Kluska. “They are made to order, almost like a pair of R.M. Williams.”
Outback Encounter, (08) 8354 4405, www.outbackencounter.com.