Travel

From vintage treasures to cult vinyl and rare collectables, shoppers can snag all sorts of epic stuff at retro prices when the Garage Sale Trail comes to the Port Pirie region this month ... Australia’s festival of pre-loved stuff will see 13 garage sales happen locally, with thousands more across the nation.

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.

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.

With the 2023 harvest now underway truck drivers are being urged to slow down to 70km/h to help preserve the condition of unsealed rural roads in the Midwest. Corrugations, or washboard effect, caused by acceleration and deceleration pose the greatest risk to drivers and their vehicles.

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.

Situated in the Goomburra Valley The Long Neck Farm has now re-opened. Tanya and Corrie Ross of Long Neck Farm tell us that the renovations are now complete so the welcome mat is out ready for visitors to call in and enjoy the fun attractions and facilities.

The Vintage Drivers Club of Victoria organised a tour through parts of Western NSW with a stay of a couple of days in White Cliffs. The Club had liaised with the White Cliffs Historic Vehicle Club and met for an evening meal at the Pub.

A draft strategic plan to bolster the Hume and Hovell Track has been released ... [following] consultations and workshops with tourism groups, community members, local councils, Aboriginal organisations, and agencies including the National Parks and Wildlife Service and NSW Forestry Corporation.

Michelle Daw. The RAA is set to install its second electric vehicle charging station on Yorke Peninsula, part of a planned total of eight within the region. Barunga West Council has accepted an offer by the RAA to replace its two existing Teslabranded chargers on Harvey Street, next to the Port Broughton council chambers by the end of the year.

Murtoa’s Big Weekend will bring the region new and exciting elements in the 3-day event during October 6 to 8, 2023. A stunning line-up will offer the local community and visitors to Murtoa an opportunity to come together and enjoy a large variety of features to suit every age.  

Rex said the airline is forced to make further reductions to its regional network as the major carriers, particularly the Qantas Group, continued their relentless pillaging of Rex’s pilot group. The reductions, effective from 30 October, all involve the regional routes serviced by Rex’s fleet of Saab 340 turboprop aircraft.

Rex has again been officially recognised as Australia’s most punctual and reliable airline according to Federal Government data for the month of August ... "Besides being consistently Australia’s most reliable airline, we are proud that during COVID we did not de-staff the call centre in a disingenuous attempt to discourage requests for refund," said Rex Deputy Chairman, John Sharp AM.

ABC Trailblazer winner Hayden McDonald will fly into Charlton next Monday, September 25, for a special community event at The Rex Theatre ... Hayden is autistic and a pilot, and has established “Wings Without Barriers” to combine his passions for aviation and promoting real inclusion for people on the spectrum.  

In a major boost for domestic tourism,  Bonza  has revealed Darwin and Alice Springs as the airline’s newest destinations. The airline will add 12 new flights per week to and from the NT with three new routes - Sunshine Coast to Darwin, Gold Coast to Darwin and Melbourne to Alice Springs.

Maldon Cycling Group has just published a book with information about 16 local bike rides ... Peter Strang, one of the team who produced the book said, “There are some great rides around Maldon.  Hopefully, this book will help some locals and visitors explore the area by bike”.  

The Unit Two Agriculture and Horticulture students as well as the Years Nine and Ten Geography class attended the Agsmart expo in Bendigo ... The expo highlighted the newer technologies available and currently being developed in the Agricultural and Horticultural space.

Rural Road Safety Month urges all road users to fix the alarming issue of rural road crashes. September is Rural Road Safety Month and with over 90 per cent of camping trips regional, this is an important message.

The mass frog mortality event occurred at the lagoon last week, prompting the immediate closure of the popular nature park near Naracoorte. While DEW has confirmed a suspected chytrid fungus outbreak in the area, it has cautioned the public to stay on paths and help reduce the potential spread of the disease.

Cuttlefest has proven a success again this year, with more than 10,000 people from across the globe enjoying the natural spectacle and associated events! Themed around the return of the Cuttlefish to Spencer Gulf waters, Cuttlefest provided an abundance of opportunities and experiences from May to August.

Quill. It would appear that in my enthusiasm for  everything equine, I'm gathering a collection of Coffeys! There is often mention in my regular race reports of thoroughbred trainer Austy Coffey, and his son, Harry, a successful jockey, both based in Swan Hill, but regularly attending the Donald and District Race Club meetings ... This time my equine adventures led me a little closer to home, with a visit to one of the local Coffey horsemen, Ted, who took me for a tour of Birchip like I’ve never had before.

Recent DownsSteam steam engine trials have been successful through Wyreema, likely to be followed by passenger journeys in the region as soon as 2024. A couple of weeks ago, C16 Steam engine 106 went on its maiden trip having departed Drayton station at 10am before a large crowd of train enthusiasts.