As our 2019 Katherine Outback Experience Tourist season comes close to its end, we are naturally reflecting over the last year. These past 12 months have been a whirlwind of emotions for our team at the Katherine Outback Experience as we’ve gone from one amazing moment to the next. And no one has experienced this more than Tom and Annabel themselves.
Tom & Annabel’s Wedding!
In fact, the year started off with a beautiful celebration of their love, as Tom and Annabel were married on 6 July 2018 right here at Katherine Outback Experience. They couldn’t have chosen a more gorgeous setting or a more beautiful Katherine day.
Tom and Annabel were married under a stand of leafy trees surrounded by family and friends, including Tom’s kids, Charlie and Matilda. At the reception, guests dined at long tables covered with crisp white linens and native blooms under trees strung with dancing lights. There were touching and hilarious speeches and fantastic music by Harry Hookey and Innocent Eve. The guests danced the night away under the stars.
It was a perfect night to celebrate the love of Tom and Annabel. And what a great start to our year!
The Tourism NT Brolga Awards
We were also incredibly honoured to win Best Tourist Attraction and Best Visitor Experience at the 2018 Brolga Northern Territory Tourism Awards, the highest accolade in the Northern Territory tourism industry. It’s very humbling to join with the other amazing individuals and companies that are striving to make the tourism industry in the NT excellent in every facet.
Australian Tourism Awards
We also took out bronze for Best Tourist Attraction at the Australian Tourism Awards, which are the tourism industry’s peak awards. These recognise a commitment to excellence in tourism and we certainly feel proud to have received this wonderful recognition. Unfortunately, we couldn’t be there on the night as we were on tour!
Our New 180-Seat Indoor Arena
In 2018, we officially opened the Katherine Outback Show in our new, massive, 180-seat indoor arena. This has been a fantastic investment and has changed our show capabilities dramatically. We are now able to keep our visitors and team out of the weather, which means happier visitors, happier animals and a happier KOE team!
Biggest Tourist Season on Record
Our 2018/19 year (which runs from July to October 2018 and April to June 2019) was the biggest and best on record here at KOE. In fact, we welcomed 10,000 visitors and put on 141 shows in addition to a further 18,000 visitors and 48 shows on our national Speak Up Tour (December 2018 to March 2019) .
Visitors love coming to KOE because our show is raw and real, and gives them an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse into life on an outback property. Tom’s incredible award-winning music, usually performed from the saddle and at speed, doesn’t hurt either!
Headlined at AIME in Melbourne
February 2019 saw the Katherine Outback Experience and Tom Curtain bring their magic to the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) in Melbourne. AIME is one of the largest industry events in Asia-Pacific, and we got to bring a little piece of Katherine (including the dogs and horses!) to the Melbourne Convention and Entertainment Centre, and the 4,500 attendees of AIME’s 2019 event.
Of course, putting on our signature KOE show (albeit in a mini-format) in such a small, intimate space was challenging, but in the end, it was an incredible experience.
Baby on the Way!
Finally, we’re going to end the year with a … baby! Yes, Tom and Annabel have a little one on the way, due in November 2019. The entire KOE team, including older siblings Charlie and Matilda, are excited to welcome the littlest Curtain. We’re sure it won’t be too long before there’s another little trainer out in the arena.
Be on the lookout for Part 2 of our Year in Review. We’ll revisit all the incredible music moments of the past year including our Speak Up Tour, and let you in on some up and coming happenings (new music, new tour!).
