Sean Cunningham, Narrandera Argus

This year’s Narrandera Koala Fest at the Brewery Flat Reserve attracted a large number of wildlife enthusiasts.

The event is designed to celebrate Narrandera’s furry friends and to raise awareness about their conservation.

A Narrandera Shire Council spokesperson hailed the event as a success with many koalas being spotted.

The sunset bushwalk featured native animals, birds, and indigenous knowledge, with a choice of guides.

“The koala habitat saw four koalas on each trip and the bush walks saw a further 12,” the spokesperson said.

“We also had a firepit evening with food stalls, singalongs and story sharing – Sunday food stalls, market stalls, children’s upcycling workshop, outdoor games, face painting, wildlife and environmental information stalls, a snake show, entertainment, a quirky koala walk and three koala habitat tours.

“The reptile show was very successful, and there was a steady crowd at all times,” the spokesperson said.

“We received a lot of positive feedback.”

Some of the other groups involved during the event included Gillenbah RFS, VRS Narrandera, Rotary, Narrandera Lions, Fusion, WIRES, Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Lands-Natural Resource Management, Charles Sturt University, FLOW MER, The Hive, and Sandhills Artefacts.

Although the annual koala count is a separate item which took place as part of the Great Southern Biodiversity Weekend last month, there are plans to have both koala-themed events on the same weekend next year.

The council spokesperson said the Koala Fest could not have been successful without the support of “amazing sponsors”, which included Narrandera Shire Council, Narrandera Exies, Bendigo Community Bank, Manildra Group, Narrandera Fisheries, Stromlo Energy, ProTen and G and S Skip Bins.

“It was all free to attend so everyone could join in the fun,” the spokesperson said.

Attendees were able to camp out at Brewery Flat free camp sites as the festival used only a portion of the camping area. 

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 24 October 2024.