An eight-month-old koala joey from the Gold Coast has been crowned the country’s cutest following a nation-wide search by Tourism Australia.

More than seventy cute and cuddly snaps of koala joeys were submitted by wildlife parks and photographers from around the country, with Tourism Australia’s social media team shortlisting its favourite 13 before putting it to a public vote on Facebook.

The album of shortlisted entries reached over 1 million people and received thousands of comments and shares. After 24 hours of voting, koala joey Tallow from Paradise Country on the Gold Coast was named the winner, securing the most likes in the period.

“It was great to have so many operators get involved in our competition and send in such great shots of our native koalas,” Tourism Australia Global Social Media Manager Nick Henderson said.

“Not only does it give our followers an opportunity to enjoy their cuteness, but importantly it allows us to showcase local tourism operators from all around Australia and provide them with exposure to our millions of followers.”

Paradise Country Curator of Wildlife, Deane Jones, said this was wonderful recognition for the successful koala breeding program at the park.

“While we think all of our koalas are cute, Tallow now has the title of officially being Australia’s cutest koala joey, which is a pretty big deal in the koala world,” he said.

“Tallow has a special place in the hearts of everyone at Paradise County as she was the fiftieth joey born and raised at the park. She is such an adorable joey and her personality is really starting to develop as she spends more and more time out of mum’s pouch.

“In addition to being named ‘Australia’s cutest joey’, Tallow also has the important task of playing a vital role in raising awareness and conservation efforts for her wild counterparts through the Save a Mate Conservation Program at Paradise Country.”

Social media is an integral element of Tourism Australia’s marketing strategy by providing an up-close and personal way for followers to engage with tourism operators and everyday Australians, and gain an understanding and appreciation of the unique, world-class tourism experiences on offer here.

With more than 15 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as well as Chinese social media platforms WeChat and Weibo; Australia is the most-followed destination in the world.