Lake Jindabyne. Photo: Tourism Snowy Mountains.
A Snowy Mountains couple brought together by a sense of respect and fairness has been in Canberra pitching their property overlooking Lake Jindabyne to same-sex couples looking to tie the knot in 2018.
Every love story is unique and Anton and Bibi Wiesmann, owners of the Panorama have their own tale to tell, one they shared at the Canberra Wedding Expo over the weekend.
“There is much to celebrate in 2018, with many same-sex couples planning to mark their love and relationship with marriage,” Anton says.
“There is some magic about the Panorama that allows people to be themselves, it’s a space that brings people together, but also allows for people to retreat for some time out.”
Bibi and Anton’s own relationship was built around social activism, equality, and fairness – the very themes that won out in the discussion around same-sex marriage during 2017.
Exposing slavery in the shrimp trade in Thailand was the mission that sparked their love.
Anton, born and bred in Austria, was working for the United Nations out of Bangkok.
“But nobody would talk to me, I am a white looking researcher, the cultural barriers were hard to break down,” Anton says.
“Until I started working with Bibi. She was recommended to me and started opening doors, building trust, and translating for me, she helped make it very successful work.”
Their final report was presented to the U.S Congress, where American retailers were put under pressure to support a more ethical shrimp supply chain.
“Thai shrimp farms were going to lose business unless they cleaned up their act,” Anton says.
“People were being trafficked from Myanmar and Cambodia and totally exploited, I believe that is starting to change.”
With Thai-born Bibi completing a Masters in Business Admin, and Anton keen to travel less, the pair spent six months in 2014 looking for an accommodation business to take on.
“We travelled Australia and did over 15,000 kilometres looking at hotel after hotel and then we came to this place – absolutely magic,” Bibi says.
“People come, share a meal, have a party, enjoy the big view from the balcony, ride a bike, go kayaking – it makes me happy to see that.”
Owners of the Panorama at Jindabyne, Anton and Bibi Wiesmann. Photo: Supplied.
Bibi and Anton’s own love story drives their vision for the Panorama – a place where people of all backgrounds are welcomed and invited to come together and celebrate love and friendship.
“Marriage is a fusing of two families and I just love seeing it all come together,” Bibi says.
*This article was first published on RiotACT
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