Tourism

In a major coup for Tasmanian sport fans and the visitor economy, Tasmania is gearing up to host seven major hockey tournaments between 2022 and 2027 in Hobart and Launceston with clinics and training camps held on the North-West Coast. Through its continued partnership with Hockey Australia, the Tasmanian Government is providing $1 million in funding which will support the delivery of six major Australian National Championships and one International Pro League match.

The biggest sporting and cultural event of its kind will come to regional NSW for the very first time when thousands come to see knights and vikings battle it out at the Medieval Faire in Orange next year, thanks to the NSW Government’s Regional Events Acceleration Fund. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said a $200,000 grant will deliver the world-class two-day Orange Medieval Faire, where visitors can wander through a historical village featuring viking battles, archery, birds of prey displays and a giant medieval catapult.

Block your diaries, book your trip and get your tickets to the hottest festival in Australia, the Boab Metals Ord Valley Muster held 13 to 22 May 2022 in Kununurra in Western Australia’s East Kimberley. A highlight of the ten-day festival is the Aviair HeliSpirit Kimberley Moon Experience headlined by Australian rock legend Ian Moss along with Sheppard, Baker Boy and King Stingray held on Saturday 14 May at the Muster Hub, on the banks of Lake Kununurra and walking distance to town.

Today marks a significant milestone for Phillip Island Nature Park and the very popular little penguins − which were put on the map as a must-see experience 100 years ago today ... Penguin numbers on the island have almost tripled since the mid-1980s − from 12,000 to around 32,000 breeding birds today thanks to extensive conservation work.

Last Saturday proved ideal for the second of SteamPacket’s railway platform Blues Masters gigs. The Master this time being the Mistress of the Blues Guitar, Fiona Boyes, who accomplishes the almost impossible task of singing highly expressive lyrics while playing highly complex blues licks at the same time with astonishing ease. (Something B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton never mastered. They sing, then they play: or vice versa.)

Apart from brief periods during April, May and August the Maldon Museum has been closed to the public for most of this past year. Volunteer activities have continued during this time however, and much has been achieved behind the scenes in the way of conservation, cataloguing and indexing. The planned re-opening of the museum is eagerly awaited by the museum’s volunteers who have created a special informative display of Maldon’s mines from days long gone.  

Mountain bike events should be held on private property to avoid conflicting use with culturally-important Noongar sites and fragile biodiversity. So says University of WA professor of biodiversity Stephen Hopper, a view which traditional owner of Koorumdinup (Mt Hallowell), Menang man, Larry Blight shares.

Angela Tillier. We drove our Tesla on a holiday in WA in August and September after buying the Model 3 SR+ - a get to know the car and the charging options. A Plug Share app shows where to charge and I calculated the distances. Wanting to see wildflowers and visit some favourite coastal towns, the trip required careful planning as some areas had no chargers.

A special morning tea event at Sunshine Coast Council’s Nambour and Heritage Library has celebrated the venue’s contemporary and vibrant new look. Division 10 and Community Portfolio Councillor David Law said the Nambour and Heritage Libraries formed an integral part of our hinterland community, with more than 87,000 people coming through their doors during the past 12 months.

The Barossa will host the Women’s Ziptrak ® Stage 1 of the Santos Festival of Cycling with an exciting route from Tanunda to Williamstown on Sunday, 23 January 2022. Sunday will also see the Santos Paracyling Time Trial held at Williamstown, with the opportunity to watch and celebrate our Tokyo cycling Paralympians in action.

Regional Queenslanders will soon benefit from improved air service frequencies between Charleville, Roma, and Brisbane and coach services with stronger route connections following the signing of new regional transport service contracts starting in December and January.

Greg Westcott. More than 40 years on from the demolition of the historic Portland Roads jetty, the community is divided by persistent lobbying by a minority of local property owners for the construction of a rock wall and boat ramp that, when completed, will extend out from “the point” about 190 metres into deep water.

The  Imparja  Cup will draw Aboriginal cricketers to Alice Springs to celebrate cricket, country and culture from 13-18 February 2022. The format of the 2022  tournament will be consistent with previous Imparja Cup events.

Two Maldon businesses are finalists in the Mount Alexander Business Excellence Awards. Warral Maldon and Maldon Takeaway were both selected for demonstrating excellence in their fields ... Since 1896, when the great-great grandfather of the current owner of Warral Maldon, Lindsay Callaway, fell in love with bees, this one family has spent more than 125 years perfecting the art of apiculture ... Maldon Takeaway strive for excellence each day.

Walgett Shire Council, Media Release, 17 November 2021

Mulpha Australia has snapped up a vineyard in Lovedale, growing its tourism reach in NSW’s Hunter Valley wine region. The boutique Emma’s Cottage Vineyard is located on Wilderness Road and comprises a three-hectare established vineyard on 12-hectares of land,   with a fully licensed cellar door and 40-seat café with a commercial kitchen.

Experimenta Life Forms reveals how contemporary artists are exploring notions of life, at a time when technological change and new research findings are making definitions of ‘life’ increasingly difficult to pin down.

Greater Shepparton City Council is excited to announce the official virtual opening of the new Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) building on Friday 19 November at 7.00pm. The virtual opening will be available online for everyone to view and will feature some very special guests and presenters.

A massive expansion is underway at the DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre courtesy of a multi-million Government investment in native fish breeding. The world class centre is Australia’s largest native fish breeding and research facility producing hundreds of thousands of fingerlings annually to stock dams and waterways in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Work has started on what will be one of the most exciting pathways in Evans Head. The pavement along the southern breakwall will have a $150,000 upgrade making it easier to walk along the breakwater with the sea on both sides.

The City of Kwinana is set to light up its City square with its annual Christmas celebration on 26 November in the heart of Kwinana City Centre. The community is invited to celebrate the start of the Christmas season and come down to Chisham Square from 4pm to participate in the free activities on offer.

The park has provided access to a range of wildlife for both the community of Whyalla and visitors over a number of years, helping educate students and enable children to get up-close and interact with some of their favourite animals. However, the economic downturn brought about by COVID-19 and, in particular, the associated restrictions on travel have had a significant impact on the ongoing viability of the business.