NEWCASTLE TO WELCOME INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTSThe Hunter region is set to welcome more international visitors, with Virgin Australia confirmed to commence direct flights to Newcastle Airport from Auckland on a seasonal basis. The Trans-Tasman service will operate thrice weekly from 22 November 2018 through until 17 February 2019. Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack said the Australian Government had committed more than $2 million a year over the next four years to facilitate international flights at Newcastle Airport. “Local tourism is set to benefit, with flights across the Tasman moving a forecast total of 9,000 passengers over the initial season,” Mr McCormack said. “We look forward to seeing these flights take-off – just in time for Newcastle’s Supercars event and the busy end-of-year travel period.” NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the creation of a new international gateway at Newcastle Airport would help drive more international visitors to regional and rural NSW. “The creation of this new international gateway is a huge win for regional NSW and will help funnel international visitors to some of the State’s most impressive destinations, from the Hunter
Valley to the New England region,” Mr Marshall said. Flights are on sale now.
BADU GILI 2018 TO SHOWCASE NEW FIRST NATIONS ARTThe striking artworks of six First Nations artists will soon be projected onto one of Sydney’s most famous cultural icons, with the Sydney Opera House announcing the first refresh of the Badu Gili light installation since it was launched in 2017. Badu Gili, which means ‘water light’ in Gadigal language, celebrates the ancient stories and rich contemporary culture of Australia’s First Nations. The seven-minute animation appears on the Sydney Opera House’s eastern Bennelong sail year-round (twice each night, at sunset and 7pm, or 9pm during daylight
saving). NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said, “The sails of our national icon are an unparalleled medium for sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art with the world. Badu Gili is visual storytelling at its finest. It is a captivating spectacle that unites Australian and international communities through the celebration of culture and heritage.” The new artworks trace songlines across shifting terrain, from the far corners of the Australian desert to the waters of the Torres Strait and will be projected onto the sails from next Tuesday. Image: Badu Gili artwork by Mervyn Rubuntja
HAWKESBURY IN NEW WEB SERIES COOKS
CO-OPHome Beautiful Magazine’s new web series Cooks Co-op, has partnered with chef Martin Boetz and Destination NSW to take visitors on an incredible food adventure in the Hawkesbury region. Boetz – the former executive chef of Sydney’s iconic Longrain restaurant – left Sydney for a ‘tree change’ back in 2013 and established his thriving Cooks Co-Op providore business on the mighty Hawkesbury River. He supplies local farm-fresh produce and his own home grown fruit and vegetables to top Sydney restaurants, such as Kitchen by Mike and Pilu. In this original series, hosted at homebeautiful.com.au, Boetz shares and celebrates his passion for the great produce of the Hawkesbury, providing audiences the opportunity to meet the local food producers, hear their stories and sample fresh produce through his delicious recipes. During the Cooks Co-op series, Martin collaborates with high-profile chefs, including Colin Fassnidge, Christine Manfield, Alex Herbert, Scott Williams, Allesandro Pavoni and Giovanni Pilu to craft recipes with produce sourced from Sydney’s food-bowl region. Image: Martin Boetz on the Hawkesbury River; credit: Cath Muscat
REFURBISHED ALPINE LODGE OPENS IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINSThe National Parks and Wildlife Service’s refurbished Numbananga Lodge at Smiggin Holes has recently opened for the 2018 ski season. The lodge offers contemporary accommodation for up to six people at a time, has ski in and ski out access during Winter, and is superbly located in the heart of Smiggin Holes, near Perisher. National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman Mark Lees said, “It’s wonderful to see Numbananga Lodge, which is of local heritage value and is part of the cultural landscape of Smiggin Holes, transformed into
nature-based accommodation which makes best use of the building.” The refurbishment was funded by the NSW Government, with $7.6 million allocated over three years for the re-use of existing buildings in national parks for short stay visitor accommodation. Bookings can be made via the NPWS website.
DEVELOP YOUR TOURISM PRODUCTDestination NSW is holding a series of workshops to help tourism operators unlock the potential of their businesses. The full-day Tourism Development Workshop is designed to help business owners understand their target market, create and refine a bookable tourism experience, learn about funding opportunities and promote tourism products via media and digital marketing. The workshop suits accommodation providers, tours, attractions, wineries, breweries, artisan food producers, unique dining experiences, galleries and gardens. Part
of the NSW First Program, the workshop series will be held between August and October 2018 in regional NSW. To find out dates and register, visit Destination NSW.
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF TOURISM TO NSWDestination NSW in partnership with Tourism Research Australia has released 13 new fact sheets on tourism’s economic contribution based on the 2016-17 State Tourism Satellite Accounts report for NSW. In 2016-17, the tourism industry contributed $34.2 billion to NSW – $19.2 billion to Sydney’s economy and $13.1 billion to regional NSW (note: the rest of Australia indirectly contributed $1.9 billion to NSW). The tourism industry directly and indirectly employed 127,500 people in Sydney and 124,100 people in regional NSW. Sydney accounted for 47 per cent of direct tourism jobs in NSW, while tourism in regional NSW directly accounted for one in 14 local jobs. Visit the Destination NSW website to download the regional factsheets.
2018 HELPMANN AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEDThe winners of the 2018 Helpmann Awards were announced this week in a star-studded ceremony at the Capitol Theatre Sydney, with the main accolades going to musicals secured by Destination NSW. Muriel’s Wedding the Musical, which will return to Sydney in 2019, won five awards; David Campbell won Best Male Actor for Dream Lover - the Bobby Darrin Musical; and Beautiful: the Carole King Musical won five awards, including the coveted title of Best Musical. The Helpmann Awards are the premier celebration of Australia’s vibrant live
performance industry. Image: Cast from Beautiful: the Carole King Musical
QUAY RESTAURANT RE-OPENS WITH NEW LOOKSydney dining institution Quay re-opened this week following a major refurbishment which has transformed the dining room, state-of-the-art kitchen and guest experience. The interior was conceived as an organic space reflective of Executive Chef Peter Gilmore’s nature inspired cuisine with added glamour embracing the restaurant’s location in the dress circle of Sydney Harbour. The new dining room comprises 80 seats across a number of small, intimate dining spaces, each of which are looked after individually by a dedicated manager. To further emphasise the
personal experience, all tables feature independently controlled lighting which changes throughout the evening. To celebrate the re-opening, Peter Gilmore has created a signature ten-course tasting menu to guide diners through his new dishes, with a six-course menu also available Sunday to Thursday for dinner, and Friday to Sunday for lunch. Find out more.
WONDER OF WINTER IN GLEN INNESThis weekend, Glen Innes will host a two-day Winter spectacular, the Chill N Glen, with games, international food and more. On Saturday at the Main Street Fair there will be an ice-skating rink, over 50 market stalls to explore, guided tours of the historic street, dance performances and vintage car displays. Sunday
will showcase community-based activities with artisan workshops and live music.
SENIORS FESTIVAL PROGRAMLocal organisations and community groups are invited to apply now for a 2019 NSW Seniors Festival Grant. The grants program provides $200,000 in seed funding to organisations and councils to run local community events across the State during the 2019 festival. Applications are open now and will close on Friday, 10 August 2018. Click here to apply.
REGISTER FOR CONVENTION The annual Australian Regional Tourism Convention is an important event for industry, practitioners and government agencies engaged in regional tourism throughout Australia. The Convention in the Tweed region from 22-25 October 2018 provides a forum to discuss, debate and investigate solutions to challenges and opportunities facing regional tourism. Register now for our early bird rate here.
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