Tourism

Mining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and his wife Nicola have expanded their lifestyle portfolio, with the Margaret River’s Cape Lodge Hotel the latest acquisition for their investment firm Tattarang.

Abalone season starts this Saturday for licensed recreational fishers in the West Coast zone extending from Moore River to the Busselton jetty ... Due to an increase in sea surface temperatures in recent years, the sustainable recreational catch target range of 25 tonnes to 29 tonnes has been set for the 2021-22 season.

Rockliffe Winery’s summer events, six in all, have been cancelled, a move which both the Shire of Denmark and winery owner Steve Hall call disappointing ... Via an email he received ... from the Shire, Mr Hall was informed that 30 days was necessary for an event application to be lodged because he did not have an event-approved venue ... Mr Hall has been running events at the winery for 18 years ...

The new dog-friendly loop trail of the Harewood State Forest on Scotsdale Road, Denmark is finished ... The project was awarded to Monkey Rock MTB Co, a new trail building company in Denmark. Monkey Rock has specialised in building mountain bike trails and this was their first walk trail project.

Perched on the Banks of the Cygnet River, the Kangaroo Island Racing Club is a proud country racing club, with one of the largest membership bases of any country racing club in South Australia.

Country racing always has a story to tell, but none like King Islands. Situated in the middle of the Western Entrance to Bass Strait. The King Island Racing Club Incorporated should logistically not have survived over 125 years of racing.

This years event will be a little different! We will be hosting a range of new entertainment including, jumping castles, water slides, petting zoo, mechanical bull and so much more! Join us on Friday the 17 of December from 5:00 pm for the festivities!

Emma Pritchard. Grafton has officially welcomed the newest members of its royal family ... two beautiful ladies and two gorgeous young girls, proudly walked up to the stage in Market Square after their names were read out to formally assume their new roles and begin another chapter in the long and proud history of the Jacaranda Festival.

The federal government has released draft legislation on the reinsurance pool for cyclones and related flood damage which could bring down costs for Cape York residents ...Member for Leichardt Warren Entsch said it was anticipated more than 500,000 residential, strata and small business property insurance policies in northern Australia were expected to be eligible to be covered by the reinsurance pool.

After a year of lockdowns the Moooving Art herd have broken loose to explore the region and the Greater Shepparton Visitor Centre needs your help rounding them up! Wandering away from their usual sites, the cheeky cattle have left behind a list of clues to solve before they return home. The treasure hunt consists of several cow locations around the region including Shepparton, Mooroopna, Merrigum, Murchison, Tatura and Dookie.

The Regional Venue Collective is a co-operative approach to venue management between three venues, the Byron Theatre, The Regent in Murwillumbah and Star Court Theatre in Lismore in the adjoining LGAs of Lismore Shire, Tweed Shire and Byron Shire. The venues have come together to host nominated shows and tours and to incubate the creation of original works to tour the region and further afield.

Sheryl Lowe. Father Woods Park statues will be the focus of discussions between Wattle Range Council and the Penola Catholic Community in coming weeks ... Cr Price successfully moved for Council to approach the Catholic Church leaders at Penola to see if they would support the relocation of the statues to Penola due to the safety concerns at the current site.

Workers from the EPIC (Employment Preparation and Inclusion in the Community) program have been assisting in the restoration of Porcupine Village since July this year. The group, which rotates its participants through the village twice a week, initially began by clearing out the historic buildings, and are now focused on doing a number of other jobs around the place, including yard work.

The community is awaiting follow up from local Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, regarding the petition to close local wetlands to recreational duck shooting and instead make them a sanctuary for the threatened species which call them home. The petition attracted just under 500 signatures, mostly local, compared to a petition by shooters to have duck shooting remain which obtained 21 signatures (11 local).  

Three regional NSW hotels have been snapped up by prominent publicans, with the Sir George Hotel setting a record. One of Australia’s oldest and most iconic hospitality venues, the iconic Sir George Hotel in Jugiong has sold to long time publican and hotel operator Fraser Short for a reported $14 million.

Kirstin Nicholson. The Cohuna community was treated to a gala event at the weekend which involved a host of celebrities, fine dining and entertainment. The Apiam Chef and Chandeliers Gala was organised by the Cohuna and District Progress Association (CDPA) and over 200 guests attended the event at the Memorial Hall where they dined on a meal prepared by celebrity chef, Manu Feildel, using produce from the region.

Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan said he was delighted to launch the 160 km world-class hiking trail Grampians Peaks Trail, starting at Mt Zero in the north, passing through Halls Gap and with highlights including Redman Bluff, Major Mitchell Plateau and Mt Abrupt before reaching Dunkeld in the south.

Lord Howe Island Marine Park staff have recently commenced a trial of environmentally friendly mooring designs to reduce impacts on coral and seagrass in the lagoon. There are 11 courtesy day-use moorings in the Lord Howe Island lagoon which are maintained by the Lord Howe Island Marine Park ... These moorings were originally installed as traditional block and chain swing moorings, which can limit the growth of coral and seagrass within the mooring footprint.

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.