Tourism

The wait is finally over. Truffle Kerfuffle has unveiled a delectable program and an incredible line up of chefs and culinary talent for Western Australia’s most decadent food festival held in the heart of Australian truffle country, Manjimup, from 23 to 25 June 2023.

Two 52-year-old Queensland-built, 2000 class ‘Silver Bullet’ railmotors are part of 29 new Outback Queensland visitor experiences for 2023. Longreach-based Outback Rail Adventures’ facilities including workshop and storage area and rail sidings were officially opened by Assistant Tourism Minister Michael Healy.

Kevin Moloney. So anticipation built when news broke that a new food offer was to open in the same building as its antecedents ... We also learned the restaurant would be called Franco’s, so we started Googling to check the pedigree of the new kid on our food block.

A new plan developed by Gannawarra Shire Council in partnership with more than 30 agencies will guide the Gannawarra’s recovery from the October-December 2022 floods. The Gannawarra Municipal Flood Recovery Plan features 48 priority actions across 11 recovery target areas that Council and other agencies will work on to guide recovery efforts.

Denmark aims to gain international tourism exposure by luring the Danish women’s soccer team to the town before the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July and August. The FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand with two of three group stage matches in Perth/Boorloo.

Restoring the Nhill Silo isn’t a small endeavour, nor is it a cheap or an easy one. Nevertheless, a passionate group of local volunteers is committed to making it happen. The Nhill Silo Heritage Project was incorporated in 2021, following the purchase of the structure on behalf of the community.

Patrick Goldsmith. Celebrations have commenced to mark the 2023 Kernewek Lowender Copper Coast Cornish Festival, now in its 50th year. Locals and visitors will have the chance to soak up traditional Cornish events and displays throughout the week (Monday to Sunday, May 15-21).

A commitment to preserving and celebrating the heritage of the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) has been acknowledged with an award at the prestigious National Trust Heritage Awards. The Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail took out first place in the Conservation – Landscape category of the Awards at a ceremony in Sydney on Friday 12 May.

Birchip, Nullawil and Donald will host the first Royal Historical Society Victoria  (RHSV) seminar held in rural Victoria in 2023, between Friday, May 19, and Sunday, May 21, incorporating visiting presenters, local speakers from the different societies telling their experiences, and lots of opportunities to enjoy the Wimmera-Mallee.

Visit Lismore - Come play, come stay. LisAmore! takes place in the middle of winter, on Sunday 18 June. It’s a wonderful time of year to visit Lismore, Nimbin and Villages. There is so much to see, do and explore in surrounding towns, villages and national parks, plus Lismore is in the heart of the Northern Rivers, making it the perfect location to discover the entire region.

Michele Waddington. This is the first part of a series on Maldon’s application for listing by the Australian Heritage Council as the outstanding 19th-century Australian Goldfields central precinct ... Part 1 claims that Maldon’s authentic and integrated streetscape was the impetus for heritage protection in Australia.

Sunday, May 7 saw a strong crowd gather at Myall for the unveiling of the Myall Historical Timeline and Myall Remembers service personnel honour board. The day was the fifth attempt to hold the event since 2019. With the pandemic behind us and the flood water receded, attendees braved the frigid conditions to soak up the rich recent history and live music. 

On Sunday the Upper Murray Historical Society conducted a Corryong Pioneer Cemetery Walk, the first since 2018. The society was well-pleased with the community support with attendance estimated in the high 40s. Six early pioneers were remembered on the walk. The first grave visited was that of Elizabeth Playle, one of the founding members of Corryong.

CWA Narrandera Evening Branch was delighted with the huge success of its International Food Fair at the Marie Bashir Park on Saturday ... "It was fabulous to see so many people there, enjoying the entertainment, purchasing food and items from the stalls and the children having fun with the activities/amusements": branch spokesperson Josie Marks.

West Wimmera Shire Council is pleased to announce that construction has commenced on the new cabins for the Kaniva Caravan Park. The new cabins are part of the 'Cabins Across the Wimmera Mallee: Strengthening the Visitor Economy' initiative, a collaboration between Council, the Wimmera Development Association, and Hindmarsh, Buloke, and Yarriambiack shires.

As the cost-of-living crisis hits Clarence Valley families and individuals hard, people across the region are still pouring their money into gaming machines, with the latest data revealing pokie profits have increased by $1.5 billion in NSW on pre-pandemic levels with locals contributing more than $20 million ... In clubs across the Clarence Valley LGA between June 1 and November 30, 2022, 465 gaming machines across 11 clubs in the Local Government Area LGA generated a profit of $12,925,359.00.

Alyssa Walker. The Charlton Show ‘N’ Shine started with a sound. A low roaring, a rumbling you could feel in your chest, reverberated throughout the community, as the Ford Coupe Club of Australia drove down the highway. It was one of those whims of chance that Craig, the Ford Club president, had chosen to stop in at the Charlton bakery; and it was even more coincidental that Greg had happened to be in said bakery when he heard the thrum of the engines.

After smashing records last year with attendance figures increasing an astonishing 28 per cent to 364,775 and generating $22.61 million in direct and incremental spending in Queensland, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will this year bloom across all of September, with Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio launching the 2023 program at long-time Exhibition Garden host, Val Peachey’s garden.

Natasha Hall. My guitarist and lead vocals Jarron Hall, guest vocals Indiga Hall and bassist and vocals Timothy Marshall played as the group Delicscape at the Wimmera Steampunk Festival.

Fin Hansen. A shared path for cycling, walking and running on the Copper Coast has been fully connected. The final stages of Copper Coast Council’s $1.6 million project were completed when the final section from Cornish Terrace to Magazine Road, Wallaroo, was sealed recently. The region’s trail network spans about 25 kilometres and links the Kadina to Wallaroo Copper Rail Trail with the Wallaroo to Moonta Shared Path, which finishes/starts at the Moonta Tourist Office on Blanche Terrace.

Patrick Goldsmith. Five troublesome parcels of unalienated Crown Land within the Yorke Peninsula Council area will stay in the care and control of the state government after discussions regarding the environmental impacts of increased visitation numbers ... Unalienated Crown Land is public land which is owned and managed by the state government, giving council no authority over the activity which takes place on it.