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MAKE MAY THE TIME TO VISIT TWEED
It’s all happening in the Tweed this May, with a swag of events from the Harvest Festival, to the Farm2Plate exchange to the Murwillumbah Arts Festival (MAT’19), set to entertain and inspire visitors and locals alike throughout the month.
The Harvest Festival kicked off on 24 April, with the 12-day program set to delight the senses, jam-packed with food tours, education sessions and the inaugural Harvest Autumn Fair. Including local food offerings, live music, cooking demonstrations and a pop up bar, with the finest cocktail mixologists of the region set to serve up some of their finest cocktail-crafts, featuring Northern Rivers' local spirits.
Next up on the menu is Regionality’s Farm2Plate Exchange from 13-17 May. Here, the food industry will gather to share ideas, discuss agri-tourism trends, network and present ideas to sustain farming into the future. The forum is held over two days at Mantra at Salt, allowing attendees to meet industry members straight from the farm, to the award-winning chefs the region has on offer. There is a farm to bottle tour, followed by a farm to plate feast at Husk Distillers, a key attraction on the event’s calendar!
For lovers of art, the MAT 19 festival, is running from 16-19 May throughout the art deco town of Murwillumbah. The area will become a cultural canvas, showcasing more than 80 selected contemporary and indigenous artists, circus performers, pop up galleries, plus much more.
Whether you are feasting at the Husk long table opening for the Harvest Festival or learning from the industry’s finest food specialists at the Farm2Plate exchange, or even swooning at the arty party for the official opening of the Imperial Hotel for MAT 19, there’s certainly going to be something for everyone in the Tweed region this May!
To find out more, see Harvest Festival, Murwillumbah Art Trail and Farm2Plate.
CALLING ALL FOODIES! HARVEST AUTUMN FAIR TO SHOWCASE FINEST FARE
The inaugural Harvest Autumn Fair promises to be a spectacular stage for showcasing the Northern Rivers amazing chefs, farmers and food and beverage producers.
Running from 10am-4pm on Saturday 27 April at North Byron Parklands, the fair will be a family friendly event, set to celebrate the region’s harvest.
Three of the area’s iconic local restaurants – Harvest Newrybar, Beach Byron Bay and Three Blue Ducks – will be providing delicious tasting plates, while Stone & Wood, Cape Byron Distillery, Husk Distillery, The Bucha of Byron and Happy Belly Probiotics will be ensuring everyone keeps well refreshed!
There will also be an array of Northern Rivers Food stallholders providing samples and selling produce, including Bun Coffee, Brookfarm, Salumi and Sweet n Sourdough Donuts, to name a few.
The Harvest Autumn Fair will feature live cooking demonstrations, a cocktail completion, a sausage making masterclass, food competitions and plenty of activities for the kids.
To discover the full schedule of sights set to be showcased at the fair, click here.
NATIONS LOCKED-IN FOR RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 9s
Teams from the Pacific Islands, Europe and the Middle East will join Australia and New Zealand in the 2019 Downer Rugby League World Cup 9s, kicking off in Sydney this October.
This week, the NRL confirmed the 12 nations playing over the course of two days at the new Bankwest Stadium, Parramatta on 18 and 19 October.
The men’s tournament will feature: Australia, New Zealand, England, PNG, Tonga, Fiji, France, Samoa, Wales, Lebanon, Cook Islands and the United States, with the women’s tournament set to feature Australia, New Zealand, England and PNG.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the event represented a significant opportunity for NSW.
“This blockbuster event will showcase Western Sydney’s world-class new facility, Bankwest Stadium, and is anticipated to generate $11 million for the NSW economy courtesy of 13,000 overnight visitors,” Mr Ayres said.
Tickets will go on sale for the tournament later this year. Supporters can register via a waitlist at nrl.com/waitlist
QWEEN'S BALL ROLLS OUT ROYAL LINEUP
As part of an already stellar Vivid programme, the Qween’s Ball at Sydney Town Hall is set to sparkle, announcing a stellar line-up, comprising of some serious Australian musical royalty.
On 8 June, Sydney’s LGBTQ+ community will be taking over the iconic venue for another year with a special appearance from 2000’s songstress Vanessa Amorosi of Absolutely Everybody fame. Taking place on one of Sydney’s most grandiose stages, the inaugural event will feature queens in all their glorious forms.
Presented in partnership with Vivid Sydney, Young Henrys, Archie Rose and Sparkke, 2019’s theme for the ball is Winter Is Coming - a homage to Game of Thrones last season and all things dark winter fantasy.
Other musical royalty will include pop electronic singer and songwriter Kota Banks of Nina Las Vegas’ NLV Records, experimental pop duo Collarbones and some of Australia’s best DJs including MIMI, Mowgli May and Fur Coat.
Attendees for the ball are encouraged to get their best op-shop glam winter look together with a Queen of the Ball best costume winner being crowned at the close of the night. The event will be hosted by top shelf comedians Victoria Zerbst and Jenna Owen of Freudian Nip and The Feed (SBS VICELAND).
For more information on Vivid’s stellar event line-up see here.
HANDA OPERA 2019 THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YET
West Side Story has secured its place as Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s most successful production to date, smashing all previous box office records out of the water.
More than 65,000 tickets were sold to this year’s unique retelling of the legendary Broadway musical, surpassing the previous record held by Aida on the Harbour in 2015.
The NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW has supported Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour since its inception in 2012.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said it’s no surprise Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour has been such a hit with audiences once again.
“This production of West Side Story boasts all the elements that make for an unforgettable performance – fantastic singing and dancing, dazzling costumes and sets, and spectacular fireworks set against the iconic Sydney Harbour backdrop,” Mr Ayres said.
“Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour has attracted thousands of visitors from all over the globe every year. From 2012 to 2018, this has included over 74,000 overnight visitors who have generated $66 million in visitor spend for NSW.”
Details of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s 2020 production will be announced later this year.
WARM UP THIS WINTER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
Visitors to the Blue Mountains are in for a cool Yule this July. Get ready for bon bons and plum puds, among a myriad of teapots, river cruising, and luxury digs and dining, accessed by vintage motorcar and modern glitzy wheels. There’s even a chance of snow flurries around one of the most famous landmarks on the planet.
A regional tradition since 1980, mid-winter Yulefest is the season for which Australia’s first tourist destination is most famous.
After the exhilarating zing of a chilly day spent exploring the lookouts and bushwalking tracks of the magnificent Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and shopping at charming villages, attendees are warmly invited indoors for steaming drinks, fireside dining and rousing entertainment.
Book your adventure here.
EXPERIENCE THE WONDER SHOALHAVEN'S ART AND CULTURE TRAILS
Shoalhaven Tourism has launched eight arts and cultural trails throughout the stunning coastal region, with each unique trail highlighting the charm of the South Coast.
The trails showcase a diverse range of the top 80 fun things to do across the region in the following categories: museums, galleries, public art, heritage, craft and artisan, music and performing arts, events and festivals and workshops and talks.
The adventures bring hidden gems together in bespoke trails for visitors and locals alike, to inspire new adventures or holidays away, offering a plethora of enriching experiences to participants all year round.
The trails guide can be found here.
20,000 LIVES SAVED THANKS TO REPTILE PARK
The Australian Reptile Park is proudly celebrating the accomplishment of over 20,000 lives being saved thanks to its life saving antivenom program. The Central Coast wildlife sanctuary is the only facility in Australia that milks terrestrial snakes for the production of antivenom. In Australia there are about 3,000 snake bites per year, resulting in about 500 hospital admissions with over half requiring antivenom treatment.
The Australian Reptile Park has been involved in the production of antivenom since 1951 with staff still risking their lives daily to milk terrestrial snakes for their raw venom to be made into antivenom. 250 snakes are a part of the Park’s antivenom program and are milked on a fortnightly basis by dedicated staff.
To find out more, visit reptilepark.com.au
