Spotlight on Award Winning Yondah Beach House
Following its induction into the SA Tourism Awards Hall of Fame last year, Yondah Beach House was named Australia's Best Deluxe Accommodation (for the second time!) at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Darwin. Ecotourism Australia would like to acknowledge and congratulate the efforts of its owners, Michele Bain and Nick Cureton, for conducting their business in an environmentally responsible manner.
Located on the wild southern coast of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, Yondah is a deluxe architect-designed (and pet-friendly!) beach house set on 300 stunning oceanfront acres where nature-lovers can enjoy panoramic sea views to Kangaroo Island, their own private beaches, dramatic cliff top walks and opportunities to view iconic marine wildlife including sea eagles, fur seals, and whales.
Yondah Beach House achieved Ecotourism certification in 2014 by incorporating environmental interpretation into its guest experience, protecting and restoring surrounding habitat, and by monitoring and reducing its contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
For example, Yondah Beach House received, in conjunction with Trees for Life, an Australian Government Biodiversity Fund grant in 2011 to re-vegetate its entire 300-acre site. This has allowed Nick and Michele to restore dune vegetation, coastal heathlands, native grasslands and mallee woodlands, and to create new habitat for rare local species including the malleefowl, heath goanna and western pygmy possum. Yondah is also hosting a landmark 5-year climate change study by Adelaide University.
In addition, Yondah Beach House is now largely powered by a 5kW ground-mounted solar system that also feeds power back into the grid, and the property is 100% water self-sufficient following the installation of a simple gravity-powered on-site water harvesting system. The team at Yondah Beach House also contributes to environmental monitoring and conservation programs, supports indigenous cultural tours, and has implemented green purchasing strategies.
We are proud to have Yondah Beach House as one of our members here at Ecotourism Australia. They are one of six Ecotourism Australia members who were presented with a prestigious Gold Medal at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.