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Five of the Isle of Wight’s most
eco-friendly tourism businesses have taken the top prizes at
the annual Green Island Tourism awards, sponsored by ferry
company Wightlink and presented by ‘Red or Dead’ design guru
Wayne Hemingway. Held to recognise attractions and
accommodation that have made giant strides in reducing their
carbon footprint, the Green Island Tourism Business of the
Year was awarded to Goodleaf Tree Climbing Adventures.
Founded in 2005 on strictly green
principles, Goodleaf offers eco-warriors of all ages the
exhilarating experience of scaling the heights on supervised
tree climbing sessions led by New Zealand arborist Paul
McCathie and his wife Abigail. Under their guidance,
novices can climb 50 feet into the air and swing safely
between oaks on private Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
land near Osborne House in East Cowes (www.goodleaf.co.uk).
More information on Goodleaf Tree Climbing Adventures is
available in Wightlink’s A Wighter Shade of Green booklet,
available free from the operator.
Wightlink (0871 376 4342/www.wightlink.co.uk)
has added this year’s most eco-friendly Isle of Wight
property to its Green Getaways holiday programme after the
geothermally-heated Orchard Lee carried off Green Island
Tourism’s Accommodation Provider of the Year award at the
2007 awards ceremony, which was held at Cowes Yacht Haven on
4th October.
With heating provided by geothermal
energy to its under floor heating system, topped up by a
wood burning stove and a policy of extensive recycling,
Orchard Lee is already accredited as one of Green Island
Tourism’s gold standard properties but owners Jill and Steve
Cowley were judged top accommodation providers for taking
the greatest steps forward this year in providing
eco-friendly stays for guests.
Located in a meadow setting at Wellow,
near Yarmouth in West Wight, Orchard Lee offers modern
self-catering accommodation on one level for up to eight
people and its grounds, planted with hedging using old
varieties of fruit bearing trees and bushes, follow through
the green holiday theme. Low season prices start from £300
for a three night weekend break or £400 for a full week and
can be combined with return Wightlink car ferry crossings
for up to four people which start from £51.
Viv McGuiness of Southland Camping Park,
another Wightlink Green Getaway, won the Sustainable Tourism
Award to add to eight major prizes already notched up
nationally, including the David Bellamy Gold Conservation
award. Located on the outskirts of Newchurch in the Isle of
Wight’s rural heartland, Southlands extends over nine acres
– two of which have been given over to a conservation meadow
in which happy campers are encourages to scatter seeds
collected elsewhere in the park. Two night Wightlink Green
Getaways ferry-inclusive breaks at Southland Camping Park
start from £90 for two people and car.
The other award winners were Afton Park
Gardens, Green Island Tourism Service of the Year, which
features in the new Wight Taste Trail guide to the best
local food producers and places to eat local on the Isle of
Wight and, for the second year running, Silverglades,
Camping Park of the Year.
ENDS
Issued on behalf
of:
By:
WIGHTLINK
LTD
Christine Ball PR
11th October 2007
Tel: 01798 874177
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