Tourism

The age-old appeal of flying a kite provided plenty of fun for young and old at Ardrossan recently when the Adelaide Kite Flying Association put on a display on the clifftop near the town’s foreshore. The event was held by Ardrossan Progress Association in conjunction with the local Christmas street party on December 20.

In this interview with ARR.News, Jo Wills shares some insights into museum practices that can inspire and inform the sustainability of museums in regional Australia.

Rachel Hagan. If you have only visited the iconic Harry Butler Red Devil Memorial and thought you have seen all Minlaton has to offer, you better turn back and make another stop to check out the Minlaton Museum. Inside the historical 1889 building, the near 150-year-old history of the colonial town is jam-packed into two rooms, and set out to resemble the old Trehearne general store which once occupied the museum’s space.

A new model of Thylacoleo, Australia’s once-fearsome carnivorous marsupial lion, was unveiled at the Victoria Cave visitor complex at the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves ... The updated fossil model, a new installation at the Caves’ Megafauna Experience, features for the first time the missing tail bone and other anatomical features of the backbone revealed by Flinders University Palaeontology researchers in recent years.

Picture yourself sitting on the banks of an idyllic creek, listening to wonderful music played by some of Australia’s most talented musicians and celebrating local traditional music and dance… Imagine no more! Upper Murray residents are invited to come and join in the fun and music at the Nariel Recreation Reserve on the banks of the beautiful Nariel Creek and also at the Memorial Hall Corryong, to welcome in the 2025 New Year.

Around 900 people attended the 143rd Moulamein Races on Saturday, December 14. The friendly and joyful crowd made the most of the six-race meet in the warm summer sun. This year marked the loss of the historic bar after the structure was removed due to safety concerns.

A new grant is set to enable a Riverland tourism business showcase the region’s environmental sites to increased numbers of visitors ... Canoe the Riverland operator Brenton Carle said the grant would enable the purchase of a 12-seater pontoon boat to conduct tours with larger groups.

The annual Boxing Day DMD Nhill Cup is set to take place once again and the scene is set for it to be one of the biggest yet. The Nhill & District Racing Club have catered for everyone with Col Williams who will keep everyone entertained off the track.

Work on the Mallanganee observatory project is expected to start within the first three months of next year. At the Kyogle Council meeting on Monday, December 9, the meeting went into confidential to discuss the tender for the construction of the Mallanganee observatory at the Mallanganee Lookout.

The 2026 South Australian Country Swimming Championships are coming to the Port Pirie Aquatic and Leisure Centre, running from 4–7 January 2026. This highly anticipated event, secured by the Port Pirie Regional Council, will showcase the best of regional swimming talent while bringing families, supporters, and the wider country swimming community together in the heart of the region.

Karen Welsh. The Nimbin Diversity exhibition, held at the invitation of the Gunnedah Bicentennial Regional Gallery, has been a new and interesting experience for both the Nimbin Artists Gallery and many of our local artists. Gunnedah could be considered to have many different values to our local region – a hot dry climate, large monoculture agriculture and a vast coal mining industry across the scenic Liverpool Plains.

Locals and visitors made another huge turnout for this year’s Allora Bush Christmas celebration.

Griffith Regional Aquatic Leisure Centre is set to host an exciting showcase of regional swimming talent as over 500 athletes from across New South Wales converge for the 2025 Country Regional Swimming Championships. Taking place on January 18-19, the event will highlight the state’s top regional swimmers as they compete for a place at the prestigious NSW Country Championships in February.

Tweed Regional Museum is excited to announce the launch of its latest exhibition, How to Draw a Dinosaur, an innovative fusion of science and art bringing the captivating world of dinosaurs to life. The exhibition celebrates the creativity and collaboration that help us imagine and understand the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.  

Lachlan Dand. For the first time since 2021, one of the most prestigious events on the Rowing SA calendar last weekend returned to Renmark ... Renmark Rowing Club president Tony Townsend said the weekend was a "success" as over 740 rowers hit the water for more than 185 races across the two days, including some competitors coming from interstate.

The Nhill Lake and surrounding recreational area has and still continues to attract many users. The ongoing maintenance under the guidance of Dale Stanford and a small group of volunteers is very much appreciated and valued.

Georgie Ah Ling, Donald’s famous market gardener has been immortalised on the wall of the town’s “modern market” thanks to a Donald 2000 initiative and the creative talents of Melbourne-artist Heesco. This incredible artwork tells Georgie Ah Ling’s story and his remarkable contributions to the Donald community.

For many, the idea of being suspended at 7,000 feet is daunting, but for a number of hang gliding enthusiasts, it’s the thrill they eagerly seek year after year. It’s all part of “Big K Week”, a competition that draws participants to the Mallee for a week of hang gliding — aimed at developing their skills and achieving personal bests.

The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash has won gold at the 2024 NSW Tourism Awards in the festivals and events category. "This is a fantastic achievement and recognition for a festival which only commenced in 2022, having been created from scratch on the red dirt of the Mundi Mundi Plains 40km outside Broken Hill," Outback Music Festival Group founder and MD Greg Donovan said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised the Armidale Regional Council (ARC) that the $5.4m grant received to build the first stage of the New England Rail Trail has been withdrawn. NEMA is the Federal Labour Government body tasked with administering the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Program (BSBR).

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.

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.