Tourism

The stunning beauty of Grafton’s famous jacaranda trees is being captured forever on canvas by internationally acclaimed South Korean artist Kim Chang Han, who is visiting the Clarence Valley for the 2023 Grafton Jacaranda Festival … Mr Han said painting is one of his greatest enjoyments in life…

A partnership of key local agencies will rejuvenate the bush to improve biodiversity at one of Coffs Harbour’s most visited natural assets.  Forestry Corporation has partnered with Envite Environment and the Gumbaynggirr Ranger team of the Ngiyambandigay Wajaarr Aboriginal Corporation (NWAC) to undertake weed management and staged bush revegetation work within the Bruxner Park Flora Reserve.

The Mallee Root Round Up committee was delighted to welcome almost nine hundred revellers back to the Mallee Root Roundup B&S ball last Saturday, October 21, after a three-year hiatus caused by unprecedented circumstances. In the 1980s there were up to 500 balls across Australia, but now it is more like thirty.

Kangaroo Island has been named one of the world’s top destinations to visit – and is the only Australian destination to make the list. Ranked as #2 by global travel authority, Lonely Planet, in its 2024 Top Regions Hotlist, Kangaroo Island is recognised as a premier eco-tourism destination which offers distinct local produce, abundant native wildlife, natural experiences, and some of the nation’s most pristine beaches.

The air was filled with excitement on Friday night as the Koondrook Barham Show celebrated its 60th show ... The night air was abuzz as the volunteers’ efforts of attracting a wide variety of attractions fired up the crowd in perfect weather.

In the fifth year of the Waveski Australian Open being held at Yamba the standard of surfing reached new heights in 2023, with several divisions coming down to the last wave of the final before the champion could be crowned ... “Rees Duncan, multiple world champion was a standout in the Open division...": Organiser and competitor, Dave Andrews.

Hundreds of admiring spectators gathered beneath the glowing purple petals of the jacaranda trees in See Park, Grafton ... for the opening night of Illuminate Jacaranda ... “It was a stunning way to show off the beauty of the jacaranda trees”: Cherie Goodwin.

The 137th Annual Nhill Show is now done for another 12 months and boy, what a show it was ... The food van did a great trade for the day and side show alley had a constant buzz.

Jenny Pollard. Finally! Following three years of “No Show” the Charlton A & P Society could at last breathe a sigh of relief as the 140th Show returned to the annual calendar and - for the first time – was held in the new Charlton Park Complex ... As just one of the 580 agricultural shows which take place across Australia, Charlton has fought doggedly to retain its big day.

Organisers of the all-new Bundanoon Folk Festival this November 24-26 say it’s heart-warming to see the village community rally to lend their time and skills to bring the Festival to life ... The vision is to build an annual Folk Festival unique to Bundanoon, that connects and showcases the village, supports local businesses, and creates gigs for regional artists along with crowd-pleasing national talent. Among fun live performances will be music, song and spoken word.

It’s the Byron Bay Film Festival, so there's always going to be  surf  films ... Topping the bill is Emmy-winning filmmaker Paul Taublieb’s documentary Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear, which poses the question: what prompts big wave surfers to travel the globe to find absurdly colossal waves to throw themselves into, tackling natural forces in a contest that any rational human would see as insane?

Sheafs tossed, utes pushed, gumboots thrown, horses paraded, Clydesdales ‘clopped’, sheep shorn, ribbons worn, bands delighted, puppets thrilled, dogs jumped, flowers impressed, quilts amazed, artwork admired, photos discussed, bars attended, food tempted, smiles beamed, children played, laughter echoed, winners cheered… yes, the 159th Maldon and Baringhup Annual Spring Show was a crowd-pleasing success last Sunday.

The Corryong Historic Machinery Club is welcoming returning participants, visitors and locals to its 2023 Rally this weekend; the first event since 2019 following the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, the pandemic and a ‘big wet’.

Many visitors and locals are preparing for this year’s 7th Annual Khancoban Poker on Saturday October 28th. This year proceeds from the day and the auction that night will be going to Country Hope which provides emotional and financial support to country families who have a child diagnosed with cancer or other life- threatening illness.

Quill. Who said Friday the 13th is supposed to be unlucky? It certainly wasn’t for Donald’s Annual P & A Show, which opened its gates on Friday for two days of fun for the whole family ... Of particular interest, and new to the Donald Show was Stewart Bryant’s literally cracking performance.

Port Broughton’s ornately decorated hotel and its stately Norfolk Island pines, the Alford Institute Hall, churches at Bute and a farmhouse at Mundoora are among 46 sites which could be heritage listed by Barunga West Council ... Council has proposed new planning rules to protect the area’s local heritage, which would make it the first council to utilise South Australia’s code amendment process for this purpose.

Mandurah, Western Australia’s largest regional city, has been named a finalist in the 9th annual international City Nation Place Awards alongside Fiji, Cape Town, Iceland, London, Switzerland, and others. The only Australian city named in the category for Best Communication Strategy – Tourism, Mandurah is one of eleven finalists in recognition for its outstanding 'BIG reasons to visit Mandurah this summer' campaign in 2022/23.

Not to be missed this Sunday (15 October) is the Maldon & Baringhup Agricultural Show, which runs from 9am to 4pm (with free entertainment for the children starting at 10am) at the Maldon racecourse ... The [Tarrangower] Times caught up with Kristina Forbes last weekend, who was in the process of finalising arrangements for entries into six (that’s right, six!) categories of the floral art section of the Show.

Are you ready for the 159th Naracoorte Show? As gates open on October 14 at the Showgrounds, organisers are promising a jampacked event with many new things to look forward to ... Naracoorte Community News caught up with Show publicity officer Catherine Miller, and here’s all you need to know about the show.

The 114th Corryong Show at the Corryong Recreation Reserve on Saturday has been hailed a great success, particularly in the face of similar events across the country going into recess. The twilight event again proved popular with healthy numbers going through the gate.