Tourism

As Stage Two of the Chinatown Revitalisation Project progresses, the Broome community will start to see the installation of several public artworks to enliven the streets of our town. The Shire of Broome has worked closely with community representatives and local Broome artists to integrate over a dozen artworks into the historic Chinatown precinct, inspired by the rich heritage and culture of Broome.

Janene Carey. A record-breaking number of people poured through the gates of the Bellingen Agricultural Show on the weekend of May 8-9. Show Society President Gillian Anderson said this year’s COVID-safe requirements were also an opportunity to make the administrative side of the show more efficient by moving ticket sales and entries online.

Mark Berg has fished all over the world and been to most parts of Australia – including Cape York – but he’d somehow skipped Weipa. His life changed last week when he returned from a fishing trip with Far North Fishing as part of his television series, Mark Berg’s Fishing Addiction ... “It’s got to be the best place in Australia for fishing offshore with light tackle ... if not the world.

Weipa residents will enjoy a public holiday on Friday, September 3 after the date was able to be changed to accommodate the Weipa Fishing Classic. The annual event will be held from September 3 to 5, with the expectation that the fishing days will be Friday and Saturday in a small change to the format.

Cape York’s tourism season has officially begun after the Peninsula Developmental Road was opened to travellers at 4pm on Friday. Businesses all over the Cape, from Laura to Weipa, Portland Roads to Bramwell Station and the Archer River to Punsand Bay are expecting 2021 to be the busiest season on record.

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th May, 2021. Walgett Show is the main event on Walgett Show Society's calendar. It is held at Walgett Racecourse and Showground, typically on Mother's Day weekend each year. The Show brings together Walgett Shire residents and visitors are welcome.

The Nyngan Show will be held this Sunday 9th & Monday 10th May. We have a great line up of events and entertainment, including Walter Whip who'll be conducting a workshop during both days and performing at the rodeo Sunday night and before the fireworks show on Monday night.

The 20th Ord Valley Muster, from 21 to 29 May 2021, features an outstanding line-up of over 30 events across nine exciting days including two nights of side splitting comedy, a real county rodeo, fringe shows, cultural experiences and performances, a traditional Corroboree, a secret suppers series, Art in the Park, music, early morning bliss with floating yoga boats and a family-friendly closing party that includes a diamond dig.

A derelict building filled with pigeons, broken windows and damp, rotting timber isn’t usually the definition of Art Deco beauty. When that building is scored for an astonishing $1 though and revived, its transformation is just one of many putting Leeton on the map as the Art Deco capital of regional Australia.

The biennial Cornish Festival will be held 17th to 23rd May and will welcome thousands of visitors to Australia’s Little Cornwall to celebrate our unique heritage and culture ... There is something for everyone including heritage, entertainment, Cornish food, Maypole and Furry Dancing, Classic Cavalcade of Cars and Motor Cycles, Art Prize, a street party, concerts, ceremonies, window displays, markets and parades.

Emma Pritchard. If you asked Grafton Show President Rex Green what to expect at the 2021 Grafton Show several weeks ago, he wouldn’t even have been able to tell you if the event would go ahead. On April 23 and 24, it did, and it was a huge success. Close to $90000 in takings was recorded after the popular attraction made a highly anticipated return, delighting Clarence Valley residents and visitors who were forced to wait an additional twelve months for it to happen.

In 1865, a boy named Henry – later known as Harry –was born in Tabulam. That boy grew up to be General Sir Harry Chauvel and he was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general and the first to lead a corps – as commander of the Desert Mounted Corps. At Beersheba in October 1917, his Light Horse troops used speed, surprise and bayonets to capture the town and its vital water supply in history’s last great cavalry charge.

Qantas will add more flights to the Bendigo to Sydney route and has made tickets more flexible to accommodate changing COVID-19 restrictions across Australia. Qantas have announced that from May 24 it will increase to a two flight a day return service. This means there will be two flights a day leaving Bendigo and two flights arriving from Sydney.

Narrandera may be a future home to a critically important research centre for one of the nation’s most iconic species, the koala. A notice of motion was submitted by deputy mayor David Fahey to Narrandera Shire Council to lobby Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke, Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley and the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service to establish a Koala Research Centre in Narrandera. Cr Fahey said the centre would research and protect the koala population in the Shire, create a tourism opportunity and employment for the town, and protect the disease-free status of the local koala population.

The Shire of Toodyay is one of the two WA towns to have achieved ‘wildflower-friendly’ status as a result of the 2020-21 Wildflower Friendliness Award Scheme. The scheme encourages local governments to protect WA’s valuable wildflowers and native vegetation along roads and in nature reserves for visitors and locals to enjoy. WA has one of the largest display of wildflowers with more than 12,000 species – which is a unique selling point for the State.

Rockhampton Airport has today welcomed one of Alliance Airlines new commercial aircraft with a special water cannon salute to mark its arrival. The Embraer E190 is one of 30 newly acquired aircraft Alliance is adding to its regional fleet with an exciting proposal on the cards to build a hangar and maintenance facility at Rockhampton Airport to help service the airlines entire fleet of over 70 aircraft.

Norco Primex director Bruce Wright is ready for the event to roll next month. With all necessary covid measures in place, he is confident this will be the best Primex yet ... Norco Primex calls itself “Australia’s sustainable farm and primary industries exhibition” and says it offers a complete paddock to plate experience where farmers & foodies meet.

Every Friday afternoon stalls selling honey, fruit, vegetables and cinnamon doughnuts are set up close to the beach in the surf club car park. This is Evans Head and the market here is like no other.

A tourism strategy revolving around events in Cape York will be rolled out this year as part of a joint initiative from councils in the region. The Cape York and Torres Strait Regional Events Strategy is an initiative of the Torres and Cape Indigenous Councils Alliance (TCICA). The strategy aims to increase tourism on the Cape and in the Torres Strait by developing frameworks for regional event coordination and event growth.

Tourists wanting a unique Cape York experience are in for a treat this year following the launch of Heartland Helicopters in Weipa. Local pilot Bevan Duke has added a four-seater Robinson R44 to the fleet, which will allow him to offer scenic heli-fishing tours and scenic flights.

Motorsport fans had their popular Easter Brobenah Burnout Championships canned for the second time due to COVID. But the not-for-profit organisation, Brobenah Burnouts, is aiming to stage a three round championship series, kicking off next month, and are also concentrating on raising funds for a new burnout pad.

Nicholas Rupolo. Narrandera’s first major COVID-Safe event has passed with flying colours and organisers deeming the 2021 Easter Rod Run as a spectacular weekend. Organiser Steve Alldrick has applauded visitors and rodders for supporting the 36th annual Narrandera Rod Run and helping the local community and its businesses thrive. The event was boosted by the State Government’s announcement that outdoor restrictions had been lifted.