Tourism

Eighty-three events and activations (making up a combined total of 1025 days) will be on offer at this year’s 75th anniversary Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. The Carnival is taking place over four weekends in Spring from 13 September to 7 October.

Preparations are in full swing for this year’s Man From Snowy River Bush Festival (April 11th-14th) which is expected to be one of the best attended and most successful in its 29-year history. "We are genuinely excited with what we have in front of us in delivering the 2024 festival," said festival chairman, Cameron Jackson.

Competition was tough among the hundreds of rodders at this year’s Rod Run, with a record number of entrants and over 500 cars at Sunday’s Show and Shine. The competition was made up of old and new entrants with cars of all makes, models and colours competing  for five prize categories - Top Rod, Top Kruiser, Top Ride, Young Rodder and Top Kustom.

First, there was a ban on climbing Ayers Rock, gasp - what did he call it… where are the name police when you need them, or the indoctrinated millennials, I am referring to the rock you know as Uluru, and believe it or not, once upon a time your parents were allowed to climb it. Now the hunt is on to ban the Kimberley's Horizontal Falls experience, no doubt accompanied by a name change to the Garaan-ngaddim Non-Experience ... Are we heading back to the dark ages in Europe when the local lord charged you to cross his land and only the wealthy could hunt and fish on it? You bet we are.

Pia Funch & Trina Shepherd. Congratulation to Love Lord Howe for winning Gold at the Australian Tourism Awards! ... The  Destination North Coast Board (DNC) visited Lord Howe Island ... for the first time to hold their annual Board meeting and to meet and discuss tourism with local businesses and stakeholders.

Starting tonight with the Great Aussie Scone Bake, there's plenty of fun at the five-day Maldon Easter Fair. There'll be a range of family-friendly events at the 147th Fair.

Steve Alldrick. We are excited to be back for another wonderful Easter, with a good number of entrants and we expect similar numbers around the Narrandera Sportsground Oval as there were for last year's Easter Sunday Show 'n Shine which had 500 cars in attendance ... The usual Show and Shine will take place on Easter Sunday again at the Narrandera Sportsground like last year...

The Harcourt Applefest sets out to showcase local produce – in particular, with a name like Applefest (DRUM ROLL)... yes, apples ... At the recent Applefest, one of Maldon’s-own was also showcased … The award-winning Gluten-free Poached Apple Tea Cake will be available at Maldon Rose over Easter.

Narrandera's Easter Rod Run actually originated in a modest kitchen of Narrandera milkman Mal Christie. In Graham Smith’s fourth edition of his full colour glossy magazine The Australian Hot Rodder, Christie told Smith that it all began on Boxing Day 1970 when Victorian drag racer and show judge John English stopped over in Narrandera with his family on their way to Queensland.

Join us on Sunday 7 April 2024 for a fun filled day with activities tailored for dachshunds, small dogs, locals, and visitors alike. Day of the Dackel is in its 5th year of running with visitors and hounds coming from as far as Queensland and Tasmania. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Henley Park, on the banks of Lake Wallace, Edenhope, the festivities kick off at 9 am with our market offering an array of dog and human merchandise.

As if all the promise to see a Grumman Avenger, a Delorian, or Paul Bennet performing his acrobatics is not enough, the Airshow Committee are pleased to announce yet another exciting surprise for those planning to attend. Jane Bunn the popular, Channel 7 weather forecaster, has agreed to be the ‘Guest of Honour’ on the day.

Following several years of significant rainfall and higher river levels in the Murray during Autumn, river users can expect a return to lower levels this Easter. The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is reminding river users to check conditions and advised communities downstream of Hume Dam that the river may be lower than in recent years over Easter.  

It’s been 10 years in the making – the rail trail is complete and you can ride, walk, take a trishaw, take the dog or run the Casino to Bentley Rail Trail. It is more than 13 km tracking through farmland with cows grazing against a backdrop of soft, green hills.

Mark Blythe. It was a Goldilocks day for a Swap Meet, ‘not too hot, not too cold, it was just right’. And a smidge over 2,000 people made the effort to trek over to Maldon, and enjoy the March Maldon Swap meet along with the 300-plus sites that stalled up and made the valiant ... The classic car owners totally filled the classic car ‘space’ to capacity...

REX last week unveiled its new interline partnership with one of the world’s leading airlines, Etihad Airways. This exciting partnership between Rex and Etihad, the UAE’s national carrier, provides passengers on Rex’s domestic routes convenient connections with Etihad’s global network.

World Bowls has announced that cluBarham will be hosting the 2025 and 2026 World Bowls Champion of Champion events. World Bowls CEO, Neil Dalrymple advised that the Board of World Bowls had made its decision last week following an expression of interest process.

The Pacific Belles will perform at the Nhill Airshow on April 13. Swing to their dulcet tones as they sing these war-time classics. Their vintage repertoire includes songs like "Don't sit under the Apple Tree" and "We'll Meet Again." The Pacific Belles are Australia’s hottest retro-style singing trio, inspired by the music of the 1940‘s and have been referred to as "Melbourne's very own Andrew Sisters'.

Clarence Valley Council has taken the silver award in the Australian Street Art Awards in the Best Monument or Memorial category for the 2022 Flood Memorial Murals project. The 2022 Flood Memorial Murals project was one of thirty- four public art experiences recognised as the best in the country at the Australian Street Art Awards.

The Quambatook Tractor Pull will be back in the Home of Tractor Pulling on Easter Saturday, March 30. This will be its 46th time putting the pedal to the metal and strain on the chain in the Mallee town of Quambatook.

Some of Sunraysia’s most successful motorsport exports will take centre stage for the official launch of the Mildura Regional Motorsport Strategy this month ... featuring a panel of home-grown motorsport champions including, world ski race champion Chelsea Blight, V8 Supercars champion Rick Kelly, multiple Australian Top Fuel drag racing champion Phil Lamattina...

More $10,000 tagged barra have been changed to be worth a million dollars each, taking the grand total of Barramundi worth a million dollars to more than 80. There are still $10k fish waiting to be reeled in, but from today the chances of hooking a red tagged barra worth a million dollars are through the roof.

From the Australian Street Art Awards – an Australia-wide organisation established in 2018 – comes the following message: "We have a surprise! Making good on our promise that size really does matter, we are announcing three extra awards this evening – for Best Small Town Street Art Festival or Event.