From Metropolitan Munich to the Buloke Bushlands
To be more precise, the two young ladies, both nineteen, are from Furstenfeldbruck, within the Munich (now Munchen) area of Germany. In their Travellers Autobarn camper van, they have motored down Australia’s east coast, arriving at the Donald caravan park in time for the out-of-town Esoteric Festival.
Action-packed Active Games
Titilua Ikenasio. Active Farmers in Coleambally held their second ‘Active Games’ event over the weekend. The event garnered 180 participants from Coleambally and other areas where Active Farmers’ regular classes run including Wagga, Griffith, Sydney and Bridgewater (Vic).
Allora welcomes back the Heavy Horse Festival
Two full days of Activities, Displays and Demonstrations. You’ll be amazed by the gentle giants such as Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, Australian Draught Horses and Belgians. This year sees 120 magniï¬cent horses displaying their versatility in Breed Led Classes, Working horses and Ridden events including hack, dressage and barrel races.
Act Belong Commit Darkan Sheepfest – A show that is good for a town
Act Belong Commit Darkan Sheepfest is now more than a sheep and wool show. The event is a testament to the cultural and economic value that a show can provide to a community and town.
Esoteric a sellout success
Seven years in the making and interrupted by a Covid cancellation, Donald’s 2023 Esoteric festival, “Wild Wastelands”, proved to be a sell-out, with a gathering of 7,500 paying patrons converging on the site, just north of Donald for the five day event. Local promoter, Sam Goldsmith, has invested heavily in the continued development of the location, spending months upgrading infrastructure for this year’s event.
Don’t miss the inaugural York Writers Festival, 18-19 March 2023
Fancy a writers' festival with a bit of rustic charm and some good old-fashioned country hospitality? This March, head to the historic Avon Valley town of York in Western Australia's Wheatbelt for a unique event: a weekend featuring some of WA's finest authors and poets in conversation with each other, unmediated and unplugged!
Cooktown Discovery Festival 2023: Good for business, great for the community
Cook Shire Mayor, Peter Scott is looking forward to the upcoming festival, stating, "The Cooktown Discovery Festival is a celebration of our community's rich cultural heritage and the special place Cooktown has in Australian history. It is a time for us to come together and celebrate all that makes Cooktown and this region so special."
Step back in time at Ganmain historical open day
A portal to the past is opening in Ganmain on March 18 with the annual Ganmain Historical Society Open Day ... ‘Step Back in Time’ and be transported and immersed in history that includes static displays and working demonstrations of machinery, tractors, home appliances and farming equipment.
River Daze amazes
The 2023 River Daze festival thrilled attendees with talented musicians, great food and reasonable prices. “It’s such an intimate setting to have over 1,000 people in here, the river in the background and a family friendly atmosphere,” said Paul, who had travelled from Melbourne for the event.
Nhill Visitors Information Centre volunteers
HM Woodhouse-Herrick. The first day of Autumn was a beautiful cool day for our day out for the Volunteers who man the Visitors Information Centre Nhill one day a month. With thanks to the Hindmarsh Shire, we filled the bus with those who were able to come along and familiarised ourselves with places such as the grand old Church at Pella out of Rainbow, the painted Silo at Albacutya ...
The Channon Craft Market back in action
The markets are back in their home at Coronation Park, eager to bring the community back together to create the famous iconic event. Held on the second Sunday of the month since 1976, the market is renowned for its colour and atmosphere.
Bago State Forest Masterplan reveals tourism, art, health and environmental goals: FCNSW
After years of careful planning, interrupted by bushfire, floods and a global pandemic, the Bago State Forest Nature-Based Tourism Enhancement program was launched with reveal of its long-awaited Masterplan ... the Masterplan aims to deliver growth in the local and regional tourism economy through improved forest-based visitor experiences incorporating art, health and wellness, and environmental projects.
Esoteric weekend approaches
Now in its sixth year, Donald’s annual Esoteric Festival continues to evolve and grow, with this year’s event, to be held over over 5 days from Friday, March 10 through to Tuesday, March 14, having the potential to attract an estimated attendance of 7,000 patrons. Speaking to the "[Buloke] Times" on Monday, with final preparations being carried out at the site, off Harris Road, promoter Sam Goldsmith said everything was in readiness for the region’s biggest event.
Visitor numbers to some of South Australia’s most iconic national parks have skyrocketed: Close
More and more people are rediscovering South Australia’s natural beauty with visits to some national parks skyrocketing 35 per cent over the past year. Naracoorte Caves saw a 35 per cent increase in visitors in the past 12 months while Seal Bay had a 33 per cent increase over the same period as tourists and locals head back out to explore our unique national parks.
Letter from the LHI Signal Editor
February is always a busy month, and even more so this year with the Lord Howe Island Festival happening - including Discovery Day, which was held on the 16th of February ... The tourist incentive to visit Lord Howe continues to be high with many visitors struggling to find seats on QantasLink and Eastern flights or accommodation on the Island.
Board ends support for tourism
The Lord Howe Island Board has formally notified the LHITA that it is no longer in a financial position to support the LHITA and is terminating all funding support for the Association. Tourism is the economic life blood of the Island, delivering incomes to businesses, residents and their families and of course revenue to the Board ... If alternative funding cannot be secured rapidly from the NSW government, the LHITA will have to consider restructuring options involving dramatic reductions in services and closure.
Rex announces 1hfy23 financial results
Regional Express Holdings Limited (‘Rex’) announced an after-tax loss of A$16.5 million (M) for the six months ended 31 December 2022 (1HFY23), an improvement of 55% over the prior corresponding period. This loss includes a negative impact of A$23M related to mark-to-market valuation of the Convertible Note and Warrant facility entered into with PAG in 2020.
Plans for Allora’s two museums
A proposed development application was submitted to the Southern Downs Regional Council late last year by the Allora & District Historical Society, for the relocation of two buildings on the original museum site on Drayton Street to the site of the old Shire Hall on Warwick Street Allora.
Largest ever acquisition for NSW national park estate: Perrottet, Griffin
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the 437,394 hectare site between Tibooburra and Bourke will become the third largest national park in NSW and a major new tourism drawcard for the region. “This is the largest ever single parcel of land to be acquired for the national park estate in NSW,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Motels” revival “OK” for Charlton
Jenny Pollard. It starts with a road trip and bridges the city / country divide. There’s a playlist for the road and it brings some of the biggest names in indie music to the “bush”. But above all, what makes the “OK Motels Festival” such a hit is the positive focus it brings to Charlton and the energising momentum that results.
2023 Antique Fair
The annual Antique Fair, now in its 15th year, was a resounding success last weekend, drawing in delighted sellers and buyers alike. The event saw an increase in attendance compared to last year, with an estimated 4,000 people passing through the gates.
$10m plan debated
A town Centre Rejuvenation Plan has been described as “fantastic” but should not ignore Naracoorte is a service centre with an economy underpinned by agriculture. Explaining his concerns, Cr Peter Ireland believed expenditure featured in the plan – a maximum of $9.7 million in the first three years – had a focus on tourism at the expense of Naracoorte being a service centre for agriculture.
