Puffing Billy bags gold

PUFFING Billy won gold at the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards on Thursday 24 November.
Winning gold for the Outstanding Contribution by Volunteers category, Puffing Billy CEO John Robinson said he was thrilled with the win.
“Our volunteers are the life blood of the railway- without them we simply could not continue to operate- and this award recognises their passion, commitment and dedication,” Mr Robinson said.
“Our volunteers are aged from six to 86, and are involved in every area of the railway.
“With school holidays approaching, we look forward to welcoming everyone to Puffing Billy soon and celebrating this award with our passengers.”
This is the third year Puffing Billy has been named among the best of Victoria’s tourism attractions.
Alongside Puffing Billy, Yarra Valley Estate received bronze in the Events Venues category; Global Ballooning won gold for Tour and Transport Operations and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for their three consecutive wins.
Creswick Woollen Mills, who has a store in Sassafras, won gold in the Tourist Attraction category for their property that sits on the outskirts of Creswick, a Goldfields town out of Ballarat.
Yarra Ranges Tourism also won a bronze award in the Destination Marketing category.