Coonamble Shire Tourism Newsletter Page 1

Text Box: Australia Day celebrations will be held in Coonamble and Gulargambone on Friday 26th January 2007. In Gulargambone the activities will be in Lions Park from 8am until 11.30am and include breakfast and rabbit trap races. In Coonamble the activities will be held at the Coonamble Swimming Pool in the afternoon from 4pm –9pm. There is free entry to the pool, BBQ dinner, announcements of Australia Day award winners and entertainment by a local band. Take your digital camera for the chance to win $100,000 in prizes Click here for poster Click here for program

Text Box: Welcome to the first edition for 2007. It’s Australia Day today and if you are in Coonamble be sure to get down to the celebrations at the Coonamble Swimming Pool from 4pm. There have been many events and new dates added to the calendar so be sure to check page 3 for all the details. One of the first events is the annual Welcome to Coonamble Dinner on 23rd February. Please let us know of any new arrivals in the last 12 months ? It’s been encouraging this month to have a number of enquiries from prospective tourism businesses and the ‘Barking Owl’ Bed and Breakfast in the old Gulargambone Westpac Bank is nearing completion. Outback Arts is holding a planning day in February. If you are from a member organization and have some input or thoughts please contact either myself or Outback Arts and let us know. Prior to my arrival many of you may have met Peter Handcock, the former long serving Regional

Text Box: manager for Tourism NSW. Sadly Peter lost his battle with cancer in December and will be sorely missed. Also sorely missed will be Kerry Kelly, president of the two eight two eight committee at Gulargambone who has resigned from the committee. two eight two eight reopens next week and will also be holding a workshop in February to look at future directions. The project is representing NSW at the National Tourism Awards on 23 February. The success of the Coonamble Photos web site set up by former resident Sedg White has been nothing short of phenomenal and at last count had registered over 30,000 hits. Click here to visit It’s also pleasing to see the Coonamble Polocrosse Club reformed and planning a festival in September (well done Helen) There’s a wealth of material inside so enjoy the newsletter and feel free to contact me and tell me what you want to see this year. Happy Australia Day ! Steven Baldwin Tourism Development Manager Coonamble Shire Council

Text Box: conditioning the cabins fill a significant gap in the accommodation currently available. Visitors expect cabins to be available and the park operator had indicated that people were continuing on to Lightning Ridge when they weren’t says Council Tourism Manager Steven Baldwin. Council leases the park to Denise Furner who has gained a considerable reputation for the attention given to her visitors and in September was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding Customer Service’ award at the Coonamble Shire Business Awards The cabins are currently awaiting installation of steps and occupancy approval.

Text Box: 26 January 2007

Text Box: Tourism Update

Text Box: Special points of interest: Full contact details for Coonamble Shire Council, Rates payment information, plans, business papers and minutes are listed at: www.coonamble.org NOTE: Council is still experiencing Email problems-Please check important emails have been received ! Coonamble Shire Council meeting 14 February 2007. Public Question time between 9.30-10am Did you know Australia is the favorite Honeymoon destination for the Korean market? Click here for more Click here to view previous editions of the Tourism Newsletter

Aboriginal Tourism	2
Free IT Workshop	2
Coonamble Spirit	2
Summer Events	3
Coonamble In the Past- 1996, 1986,1956 & 1919	4
Welcome to Coonamble Dinner	4
Industry meetings	4

Text Box: DIARY NOTE: Coonamble Waste to Art The Waste to Art competition and exhibition will be held from 2nd to 9th March with the official opening on 1st March. Visit www.coonamble.org/WTA.htm

One of the two new Jayco Cabins that arrived on 22nd December 2006

Text Box: The Coonamble Riverside Caravan Park received an early Christmas present when two new two bedroom cabins arrived on 22nd December direct from the Jayco factory in Melbourne. There was a flurry of activity as unloading and postioning the 7.16 x 4.5metre cabins took a little longer than expected. Keith Wheeler, Matt Cock and council works staff were required to manhandle the cabins into their new home. The cabins are fully self contained and include a kitchen, full bathroom/toilet, double bed and two sets of bunks. With air-