Windmill Cafe reopens with fresh new look and visitor services
Kaniva's Windmill Cafe and Visitor Information Centre has officially reopened, unveiling a stunning transformation that blends modern outback style with enhanced visitor services. The renovation and rebranding, led by Jemma Hill, have given the cafe a stylish new look...
Coffee makers bring warmth to reopening of hospital kiosk
For 18 months the kiosk at Casino Memorial Hospital was closed ... Now Kellie and Geoffrey Clarke from Evans Head have taken over the kiosk.
A dream ’10 years in the making’
Hugh Schuitemaker. The decade-long dream of a well-known Waikerie Football Club figure has been realised with the completion of a major new community facility ... “They say it takes a village to bring up a child. It has taken much more to get this facility funded and built”: WFC Build Committee chair Brendan Sidhu.
Gold for Comfort Inn Bishop’s Lodge
Comfort Inn Bishop’s Lodge in South Hay has been recognised among top performers in the Choice Hotels Asia-Pac 2024 Gold Awards for its outstanding performance and dedication to delivering exceptional guest experiences. Comfort Inn Bishop’s Lodge is among a select group of 20 hotels across Australia and New Zealand to receive an accolade.
Festival frenzy returns in 2025
Madison Eastmond. The Riverland Food & Wine Festival is back to take over the Berri riverfront this March, with the revamped event preparing to showcase the best local produce, wine, and entertainment. With a focus on local wine and cuisine, sustainability, and safety, the classic event has been reimagined for the Riverland community since it was last held in the region six years ago.
Don’t forget: Lilier Lodge is always there
Katerina Pastellis and her family have been pleasantly surprised over the years, realising home away from home for cancer patients, Lilier Lodge, is not actually only there to support cancer patients and their families. Whenever vacancies allow, this haven will open its doors to people who are needing to be in Wagga for any medical reason.
Goldfish racing brings community together
Australia Day was celebrated in style at Get Chopped Pub in Greenmount with the Smile for Sophie Goldfish Races attracting a large and joyous crowd.
Six figure win at pub
A punter at Get Chopped Pub Greenmount is over $300,000 richer following a massive win on New Year’s Day. It took until the following day for a Toowoomba woman to realise she had scored a Keno Classic prize worth $308,777 in draw 272 at the Greenmount establishment.
Rapper posts about Balranald racial slur
Australian rapper Briggs (Adam Briggs) posted a message to fans on Sunday evening, of a racial slur that occurred in Balranald ... On his social media platforms, Briggs posted a story, describing an incident that occurred at an unnamed motel in the town.
Tourism started as a do-it-yourself venture
Keith Castle, now aged 93, was one of the most influential figures in The Centre’s budding tourism industry. Editor Erwin Chlanda picked some gems from his 164 page memoir about the people who devoted their lives to developing the region’s visitor industry. They are only a handful of men and women but they all had skin in the game ... Governments barely get a mention.
Should stays be extended at Washpool Reserve?
Southern Downs Regional Council is inviting community feedback on a proposal to increase the maximum short-term camping stay at the Washpool Reserve, Leslie Dam from three nights to seven. Popular with campers and day visitors, the 24-acre reserve is a haven for nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers, offering access to a range of recreational activities and breathtaking scenery.
The Queen’s Loxton arrival
Sebastian Calderon. Loxton has become the Murray River Queen's (MRQ) new home after the boat’s successful voyage from Renmark ... The Paringa Bridge crossing was one of the highlights during her trip, as cars and people gathered to see the bridge go up and give way to Donna Neale and her team steaming the MRQ.
Bringing them in by baring all at the Bowlo
When is a bowlo more than a bowlo – when it’s at Bonalbo and the bowling club is a place to meet, eat, have a drink and even get your kit off. Bonalbo Bowling & Recreation Club is making sure it’s doing what it can to thrive. Club board president David Whitney ... quoted a shocking statistic that one bowling club a week is closing.
Holiday levy from January: Stress for BnBs
The Victorian State Parliament has passed the contentious ‘AirBnB Tax’ law to impose a 7.5 per cent levy on short-stay accommodation platforms ... Michele Waddington, owner of Fairbank House holiday home rental, believes the levy will have an impact on local accommodation providers and beyond: "The legislation, which taken with other recent taxes, has significantly impacted Maldon’s economic recovery."
Get ready, basketball stars, young and old!
Australian basketball legend Aaron Bruce has relocated to Birchip to manage his Uncle Des Ryan’s Hotel, and he is eager to share his skills, knowledge, and passion for the game with people of all ages. Aaron, who starred in college basketball at Baylor University before making his mark in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Adelaide 36ers and the Sydney Kings…
Argyle Hotel set to open
Lynne Mowbray. The scaffolding on Maclean’s historic Argyle Hotel is about to be removed, as the long-awaited opening is finally here. Hotel owner ‘Dhugal’ said that the unofficial opening will take place ... “It will be a bar and restaurant dining, with a beer garden,” said Dhugal.
Food, friends and fun: the ladies behind Foodie Friends
With good friends, there are no limits to where life can lead. This is certainly true for Lisa Headon and Iona Lilburne. The dynamic ladies behind Foodie Friends are faces which most Hay people would know. The story behind their inception and rise from strength to strength is a fascinating one.
5-star accommodation for Naracoorte
Naracoorte will soon boast a hotel with five-star accommodation. Dean Group, a family-owned and operated South Australian group – consisting of the Largs Pier Hotel, Walkers Arms Hotel, Macs Hotel, Peninsula Hotel Motel, and London Tavern – have taken ownership of Naracoorte’s Kincraig Hotel on Smith Street...
Temperance is at the top
A community-owned Riverland hotel’s restaurant was cemented among the best culinary destinations in the state at a recent major industry award event. Hotel Renmark’s Temperance restaurant last week won the best country restaurant award at the 2024 Australian Hotels Association SA Awards for Excellence, with executive chef Hugh Hazelwood also being named Chef of the Year.
Getting tourism back on the rails
For most people travelling is a means to an end – getting somewhere. For us in the vastness of outback Australia it’s an end in itself, an adventure, a buzz, something you brag about to your mates ... the five star hotel on rails, The Ghan, named after the Afghans who were doing it on camels ... may well have the formula for rescuing our ailing tourism industry.
Roseneath, Allora’s first self-contained B&B
Looking back on how Roseneath started 25 years ago with Lynn Close. "Our journey to Roseneath really started back in 1985 when we moved with our 3 children to acreage at Mt Marshall 6kms out of Allora. For 18 years afterwards we built a house and gardens, had thoroughbred horses, a Southdown sheep stud and numerous bird life.
60 Day Cap kicks in today for Byron Shire: Smith
From 23 September the community in Byron Shire is the first in NSW to have a legally enforceable means to regulate holiday letting beyond the State caps. After a decade of campaigning Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) in Byron Shire is capped at 60 days for un-hosted holiday lets in most of the Shire.
