The Tourism Board of Australia is pushing a campaign for Aussies to vote for their national icons, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, in their bid to become two of the world’s New 7 Wonders of Nature.
The New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign is a global search to recognise the seven most wondrous natural sites in the world as voted by the general public. Both Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef have been shortlisted as two of the 28 finalists, and, as voting draws to a close, they are facing stiff competition from other countries around the world including New Zealand’s Milford Sound, South Africa’s Table Mountain and The USA’s Grand Canyon.
From voting booths in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef to Uluru-inspired hats at Melbourne Cup, Tourism Australia has been campaigning hard for the patriotic vote.
“We’ve spent the last few months raising as much support as possible for our national icons, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef. Now we need help from the Australian public,” said Steve Liebmann, award-winning television anchor and campaign ambassador.
“If you’re proud of these two incredible icons and haven’t already voted, then now’s the time to make sure your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues all do the same,” Steve Liebmann said.
Executive Director of Earth Hour Global and fellow campaign ambassador, Andy Ridley, added: “The competing countries have also been working hard to get their candidates into the list. The final vote is very close so this is a really important chance for Australians to show how much they care for the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru.”
Tourism Australia’s Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said that it’s important for Australians to get behind our treasured national icons: “Being home to two of the world’s seven natural wonders would reinforce our message that There’s nothing like Australia to the rest of the world.
“While many of the world’s most remarkable destinations are also in the running, we know that Australia’s candidates are truly phenomenal, highly worthy and stand a very strong chance – we just need the support of all proud Australians.
How to Vote:
You can vote once through the website http://www.new7wonders.com/ or as many times as you like by telephone voting.
Online voters can vote once for a total of seven destinations so make sure to nominate the Great Barrier Reef and
Uluru plus five other international sites you think should be part of the final New7Wonders of Nature.
To vote for Uluru go to www.n7w.com/uluru or SMS “Uluru” or “Ayers Rock” to 197 88 555
To vote for The Reef go to www.n7w.com/gbr or SMS “GBR” or “Reef”
For terms and conditions: www.new7wonders.com/en/terms_and_conditions/.
Voting will end at 11.11am GMT on November 11, 2011 (AEDT 10:10pm).
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.