Following on from our Ballina Postcard last week members from Ballina Tourism and Hospitality have had discussions with The Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum and several Ballina Shire Councillors and believe that this, The Las Balsas Raft might be an appropriate and unique icon to represent Ballina Coast and Hinterland.
President of the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum, Clem MacMahon, says the Las Balsas raft on display in the museum could be promoted as an icon of Ballina because of its national significance.
WITH the imminent demise of the Big Prawn and Ballina’s search for a new icon before the bypass directs traffic away from the town, Clem MacMahon says don’t forget about the Las Balsas raft.
Mr MacMahon is the president of the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum where one of the three rafts from the 1973 Las Balsas expedition from Ecuador is the centrepiece.
Of course, nothing beats going to the museum and seeing the raft which is the centrepiece of this fantastic museum. The DVD is available for purchase there as a great reminder and would make a great Christmas Gift.
“We are losing the Big Prawn as a landmark, but the raft could well replace it and attract interest,” Clem said.
“I consider it to be of national significance.
“There are only three (rafts of this type) in the world: one is the Kon Tiki raft at Oslo, a La Balsa raft (from the single-raft 1966 expedition from South America to Australia) at Barcelona and this one in Ballina.
“Locals, Australians and overseas visitors express amazement when they see it.”
The Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum are members of Ballina Tourism and Hospitality.
Of course this is very early in the piece and Ballina Tourism and Hospitality will be working with Ballina Shire Council and the industry over the coming months towards conducting a brand audit and from that we will undertake a brand development exercise.
Two more Tourism Graduates head to LA
Two Diploma of Tourism students from Wollongbar TAFE have secured an international internship with Hallmark Aviation Services. Caitlin Smith and Sunilla Wicks will be based at Los Angeles Airport working for an Australian-based Airline.
Last year, four Diploma of Tourism graduates were selected for the internship program and that recruitment was so successful that Hallmark Aviation returned to Wollongbar TAFE this year to offer more graduates internships. Hallmark Aviation only recruit approximately 8 interns each year world wide.
Allyson Taylor, Head Tourism Teacher at Wollongbar TAFE Campus says the company came back to us as they were so pleased with the quality of our students. Hallmark was impressed both with the students themselves and the course content which they thought prepared them well for the operational and customer service role expected of them at Los Angeles Airport.
Hallmark Aviation, is a customer service and flight Operations Management company and is the premier Passenger Handling company for 5 international airports in the United States, including: Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, and is engaged by over 23 international airlines.
“I am looking forward to this new adventure. I always wanted to work for a Airline but never expected to be going overseas” said Sunilla Wicks.
Caitlin Smith said “I have achieved my goal, the process has been challenging but worth it.” Both students say their families are very proud of them for completing their diploma and securing a great job.
Also, Sunilla and Caitlin were successful in the third round of the Galileo ‘Agent of the Future’ competition. Sunilla was 2nd with Caitlin coming 3rd . The competition is open to all colleges throughout Australia and New Zealand. The Travelport Agent of the Future program provides an incentive to travel students to reach greater standards of excellence. Those nominated demonstrate outstanding qualities that are required for the development of travel industry and supports future qualified, passionate and outstanding professionals.
Artist for Special Occasions
Local artist Anna Niblic Heggie was recently commissioned to create a live artwork 'Capturing the Night Fantastic' at one of the Ballina Hinterland Restaurants. She was asked to create an artwork that captured the ambience and paint fast enough to complete the artwork during the evening. Anna is pictured with musician Danny Ross in front of her work in progress from the night.
Anna used her experience from her TV series Arts Masterclass (under hot lights, cameras and only half an hour per episode) to feel confident in handling different artistic situations and she said it was very rewarding.
Anna is now available for bookings as a resident artist for that SPECIAL OCCASION!!
She also has a series of upcoming workshops based from her Studio in Lennox Head.
Some local business Amaze-n-Place and House With No Steps have been suffering the detrimental effects of some of the road works that happening in the area as part of the Alstonville Bypass.
An inconvenience that was to only last for a maximum of nine days has lingered on for over a month and seemed likely to continue over the Christmas period.
One business owner went to the site office and voiced his concerns but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
However, after contacting a couple of the associations that the business is a member of ( including Ballina Tourism and Hospitality) and several Ballina Shire Councillors his voice became much stronger and it looks like something will be done to alleviate the situation before Christmas.
This is the benefit of being a member of such organisations as Ballina Tourism & Hospitality and Chambers of Commerce (both Alstonville and Ballina) – it turns a single voice into one backed by hundreds of businesses. It also allows access to a greater range of knowledge, contacts and ideas to solve. Sometimes this stronger voice and this bigger knowledge base can mean the difference between a business survival and failure.
The business owner thanks all the people in the associations and the Ballina Shire Councillors for their contribution.
Our 'EchoTV ad Campaign' has been running this week in the Lismore region. Website visitations have been going ballistic and hopefully we will be able to see the results with more bookings and visitors during the upcoming holiday season.
If you haven't seen it, have a look and drop us a line to help us with our work in developing Ballina Coast and Hinterland as a tourist destination.
We are planning new television echo advertising schedules, ventures, activities and promotions for the new year but we are a membership organisation and so need your help you with our strategies for promotion.
Yes I was among the many Ballina locals that enjoyed the festival atmosphere along the Richmond River last Sunday. It was very hot and humid and people might not have stayed for as long as they wanted to during the day time.
BUT …
Come evening, the foreshore was packed with families enjoying the lantern parade and then the fireworks.
Following on from RivaFest, there was this story in this week's Ballina Advocate…
Out with the old
CELEBRATING THE RIVER: While last Sunday’s RivaFest celebrated the Richmond River, Ballina’s mayor, Cr Phillip Silver, has suggested the shire could be rebranded using the river for its logo.
FORGET the seahorse.
Ballina Shire’s mayor, Cr Phillip Silver, has put forward the idea that a graphic of a community living by the river and a pathway could be used as the new branding – or logo – for the shire in readiness for the completion of the Ballina bypass.
The seahorse is Ballina Shire Council’s current logo, but Cr Silver said the new branding could help in identifying Ballina Shire post-bypass.
Cr Silver was speaking after last Sunday’s RivaFest, the annual festival celebrating the Richmond River and the communities on its banks.
He agreed the river had played a major role in the development of Ballina, and the shire, and the celebration of the river offered the chance for residents to feel a ‘sense of belonging’.
The council chipped in $35,000 to hold the festival, and raised more than $140,000 in sponsorship.
He said the river ‘was a reasonable thing to hang our hat on’ to promote the shire.
Dave Heggie, secretary of Ballina Tourism and Hospitality, said he wouldn’t be sad to see the seahorse go.
“I have never seen a seahorse in Ballina in 30 years,” he said.
“It’s a logo we’ve had, but it might be time to look at changing it.”
He said Ballina Tourism and Hospitality members were involved in discussions with council about changing the shire’s logo, but those talks stalled due to a lack of funding.
“At that time, we (Ballina Tourism and Hospitality) decided we needed to step outside the framework, and came up with our logo,” Mr Heggie said.
The Ballina Tourism and Hospitality logo is in the shape of a seashell, with colours representing the progression from the ocean to the river and to the greens of the hinterland.
He said Ballina needed to do everything possible to differentiate the shire from every other town in the region, and other coastal towns, particularly as the bypass is scheduled to be completed by 2012.
He said RivaFest was a ‘magic’ festival for locals, but said it didn’t really bring people to town from outside Ballina Shire.
“Maybe we need to create something that is for people outside Ballina,” he said.
Our 'EchoTV ad Campaign' started last weekend in the Tamworth region and follows up next week in the Lismore region. That gives us 320 '30 second slots' promoting the Ballina region over these 2 weeks. Hopefully we will be able to see the results with more bookings and visitors during the upcoming holiday season. The call to action is to our new look main website www.ballinatourism.com.au
If you haven't seen it, have a look and drop us a line to help us with our work in developing Ballina Coast and Hinterland as a tourist destination.
We are planning new television echo advertising schedules, ventures, activities and promotions for the new year but we are a membership organisation and so need your help you with our strategies for promotion.
There is a very cheap and effective way of advertising your operation through the various Website Options, given that all our promotional activities use www.ballinatourism.com.au as the call to action.
Some things to do this weekend.
DAVID LANE’S ANNUAL EXHIBITION AND STUDIO SALE -“THE COLOUR OF LIGHT”
David Lane is an established, well-known regional artist whose paintings are represented in public and private collections throughout Australia and overseas. His home and studio are at 31 Fernleigh Road, Tintenbar in Northern New South Wales just 10 minutes North of Ballina, 20 minutes from Byron Bay.
David Lane’s 2009 exhibition is an exciting contrast of colour and light with subjects ranging from the harsh beauty of the Northern Territory and Central Australia to his more subdued local wetlands and seascapes. Each year David further develops his Artist’s eye bringing a shifting focus to the shadows and form of his subjects. David’s other love is his garden and visitors to his exhibition are also in for a treat in his small piece of paradise at Tintenbar.
David’s 2009 Painting Exhibition opens on Saturday 5 December at 10am. The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 6pm until 20 December.
When: Opening 10am December 5. Exhibition runs December 5 to December 20
Time: Daily, seven days 10am to 6pm
Cost: Free
BALLINA has gained a reputation for poaching music events from Byron Bay, and they’re at it again.
Ballina Shire mayor Phillip Silver, Ballina Tourism and Hospitality spokesman Dave Heggie, and Ballina Chamber of Commerce chairman Glenn Costello have all said they would take Splendour in the Grass off Byron Shire’s hands.
Splendour producers announced this week they would be moving the festival north of the border to Woodford next year after repeated unsuccessful attempts to hold a trial event at Yelgun.
The festival has approval to run at Woodford for two years, but producers hope they will be able to use the Yelgun site by 2011.
Meanwhile, Ballina community leaders are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of festival producers becoming fed up with battling against Byron Shire.
Cr Silver said he would speak to council staff about trying to bring Splendour to Ballina.
“I can’t pre-empt it, but I think it is the sort of thing that Ballina could manage and that would boost our economy,” he said.
Mr Costello also said Splendour would be a terrific boon for Ballina.
“We would obviously like it,” he said.
“You’d be crazy not to.
“Why wouldn’t we?”
Splendour organiser Jessica Ducrou said sites in Ballina had been investigated almost five years ago.
“Since 2005 we searched the Northern Rivers extensively, including Ballina, for a potential permanent home,” she said.
“None measured up to the North Byron Parklands (Yelgun) site.
“We weren’t contacted by the Ballina Jockey Club or anyone else in Ballina, until Wednesday, when our move to Queensland became news.
“We really appreciate their enthusiasm and support for Splendour though.”
Ballina has stepped in twice before to host music events unwanted by the Byron shire.
Reggae festival Raggamuffin was held at Ballina’s Kingsford Smith Park this year after promoters withdrew an application with the Byron Shire Council following concerns over traffic management and parking.
In 2001 the legendary Bob Dylan moved his concert to Kingsford Smith Park after there were objections to a development application to hold the event in Byron Shire.
Ballina also hosted New Year’s Day music festival Beats on the Beach in 2006 at Kingsford Smith Park.
Cr Silver was unwilling to nominate a specific Ballina venue to host Splendour, but Mr Heggie suggested the Ballina Jockey Club.
“I think the Ballina Jockey Club would be a splendid place to have it,” he said.
“The racecourse is reasonably away from a lot of people, and they’re used to dealing with largish crowds out there.
“The horses might get a little bit upset, but I have talked it through with people from the racecourse and it would be possible if it was held when there wasn’t a race meeting.
“There’s also plenty of space for parking and there’s plenty of grass on the paddock so the name (Splendour in the Grass) would still fit.”
Jockey club CEO Sarah Wills said the idea of Splendour moving to the site had been suggested to her, but it would have to be supported by the board before any decisions were made.
Mr Heggie also said if Splendour was held in Ballina, Byron Bay would continue to benefit economically.
“The jockey club is close to the regional airport at Ballina and if Splendour moved to Yelgun a lot of people would probably fly into Tweed anyway,” he said.
"So Ballina and Byron would miss out in that case.
And the move to Woodford would mean that the beachside feeling would be lost from Splendour.
If in the future, Splendour moved to Ballina, especially post bypass, then it would be great for the region.
A lot of people could stay in Ballina Alstonville Lennox and as well in Byron Bay and travel to Ballina for the festival.”
Our 'EchoTV ad Campaign' starts this weekend in the Tamworth region followed up thenext week in the Lismore region. That gives us 320 '30 second slots' promoting the Ballina region over the next few weeks. Hopefully we will be able to see the results with more bookings and visitors during the upcoming holiday season. The call to action is to our new look main website www.ballinatourism.com.au
If you haven't seen it, have a look and dop us a line to help us with our work in developing Ballina Coast and Hinterland as a tourist destination.
Recently one of our members, Northern Rivers Trike and Bike Tours recently held a promotion in Guyra, followed up by our TV advertising. Ballina Tourism and Hospitality's DVD was shown extensively there with a very good reaction from those that have seen it.
We are planning new television echo advertising schedules, ventures, activities and promotions for the new year but we are a membership organisation and so need your help you with our strategies for promotion.
‘NEVER TO LATE TO JOIN’
Our Membership Prospectus and Invoice can be downloaded from our site here . There is a very cheap and effective way of advertising your operation through the various Website Options, given that all our promotional activities use www.ballinatourism.com.au as the call to action.
Our 'EchoTV ad Campaign' starts shortly and hopefully we will be able to see the results with more bookings iand visitors n the upcoming holiday season. The call to action is to our new look main website www.ballinatoursism.com.au and now shows all the current members as well as updated information. If you haven't seen it, have a look and dop us a line to help us with our work in developing Ballina Coast and Hinterland as a tourist destination.
To help you with your strategies for promotion we are providing the following information. Rembere if this is all too much for you, then contact us to assist.
Tourism e-kit
Highlighted at the recent Northern Rivers Tourism Symposium, was the fact that the tourism industry is way behind other industries in making best use of the internet to market itself and draw customers to its' websites.
The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse have produced an online tourism education e-kit, which is an initiative of the National Online Strategy Committee and is funded by all Australian State and Territory tourism offices.
Written by experts but understood by everyone, the online marketing e-kit covers everything from the basics of developing a good web site to advanced topics like search engine marketing and online product distribution.
This week the Big Prawn has been in the news again with Toursim Ballina being interviewed for the Land newspaper about what will happen in its unfortunately now short future.
One of our Members has had an epiphany.
There is much controversy in Ballina on the Far North Coast surrounding the possible demise of The Big Prawn. Will it be destroyed, or will it be moved somewhere else?
Rik Dillon, who is the owner-operator of one of Ballina Shire’s tourist attractions, Amaze ‘n’ Place, feels he knows the perfect place for The Big Prawn’s relocation…….atop the proposed new Ballina Coastguard Tower.
Ballina’s current Coastguard Tower (which is beginning to resemble a certain tower in Pisa) is in dire need of replacement. Its site is at the mouth of the Richmond River, with (naturally) gloriously expansive views of the Ballina river mouth and the ocean.
The Prawn connection is an ideal link with the fishermen who rely on the Coastguard as their emergency backup. What a comfort it would be to have a prawn to provide their livelihood as well as to protect their lives. The big googlie eyes of The Prawn would also symbolise the watchfulness of the Coastguard.
This unique use of the Prawn would also raise the profile of the Coastguard, increasing the fundraising abilities of this vital, voluntary service.
What an opportunity it would be for Ballina’s tourism too, with a lookout and restaurant incorporated above or below the coastguard headquarters. The Big Prawn is known worldwide and, with Ballina soon to be by-passed by the Pacific Highway, people would be lured into Ballina to see the Big Prawn in its new location, to eat and to enjoy the view.
Ballina Shire Council is apparently willing to spend $1.7m on the new tower and restaurant. Incorporating the Prawn would be a small extra expense – especially considering the benefit the town would get from the publicity.
Let’s combine two great icons of the ocean – the life saving Coastguard and the Big Prawn.
Rivafest set to be bigger and better than ever
THIS year’s Rivafest is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever.
And it’s all thanks to the local community groups and businesses which are getting on board and supporting the event, being held in Ballina on November 28 and 29.
“It’s a fantastic community celebration with so many people from within the community actively involved.” Ballina Shire Council’s corporate communications and tourism manager, Liz Shepherd, agreed that the event was successful because of the community support.
Missingham Bridge will be the scene of the activities on Saturday, November 28, from 3pm until 9pm. Rivafest moves to Fawcett Park on Sunday, November 29, with activities from 9am until 9pm. The Northern Star and Ballina Shire Advocate are also sponsors of Rivafest.
'Rivers of Life' campaign in full swing
Television advertising in target markets is set to kick off on the 10 November driving traffic to the Rivers of Life cooperative marketing campaign website www.riversoflife.com.au. This will be complemented with comprehensive search engine marketing and optimization and print advertising in key titles.
New international tourism partnership a windfall for Northern Rivers
A tourism partnership announced today by the NSW and Queensland governments is one ofthe most important announcements for international tourism to Australia in a decade, according to Northern Rivers Tourism.
“This recognizes NSW and QLD’s importance to international tourism to Australia, with eight out of 10 international holiday visitors visiting NSW and or QLD during their stay in Australia” said NRT CEO Russell Mills.
It’s a shot in the arm for Australian tourism and provides massive opportunities for the Northern Rivers region to grow its share of international visitor nights and expenditure. Both Premiers Nathan Rees and Anna Bligh announced the three year, $8.8 million marketing partnership to attract more international holiday visitors to the East Coast of Australia. The $8.8 million partnership includes a number of international airlines including V Australia, Singapore Airlines, Jetstar and Emirates.
“This presents us with a vast array of opportunities including the promotion of multi-stop destination holidays like Sydney – Byron Bay – Cairns, more scope to link the coastal and hinterland parts of our region and work strategically with other regional destinations and industry partners“ says Russell. Northern Rivers Tourism also believes it will provide a solid platform to cooperatively promote several of our tourism experiences. “It will allow us to capitalize on our geographic positioning in the middle of the Pacific Coast Touring Route and raise awareness of Australia’s Green Cauldron, the National Landscape straddling our two states, and the established Rainforest Way touring route that traverses it,” says Russell.
The Northern Rivers region has a natural competitive advantage to benefit from this partnership, being the eastern-most region of mainland Australia and sharing the state border. We look forward to working with Tourism NSW and Tourism Queensland to promote our region through trade and consumer marketing initiatives over the three years of the partnership and beyond. Locally, the partnership can be linked to new initiatives such as Tourism NSW’s ‘Catching The Wave’ Surf Tourism Action Plan. It will also augment NRT's own marketing partnerships with V Australia, Air Asia X, Southern Cross University and North Coast TAFE to attract inbound study visitors.
“This is a great week for Northern Rivers Tourism. The announcement comes on top of – our cooperative marketing campaign Rivers of Life launching, a very successful Tourism Symposium that enthused more than 100 delegates from the region’s tourism industry, local government and educational institutions and extra $300,000 to market North Coast NSW domestically to families this summer,” adds Russell.
$300,000 funding boost for Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast tourism
The Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast regions will receive $300,000 from the NSW Government to boost the local tourism industry.
Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay, who was in Byron Bay today for the inauguralNorthern Rivers Tourism Symposium said the new funds would support North Coast tourism operators affected by the region’s recent floods.
“NSW is Australia’s premier domestic and international tourist destination, and the Northern Rivers region is one of our most spectacular areas,” Ms McKay said.
“The NSW Government has committed $300,000 towards promoting travel to the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast during the summer months.
“We will be supporting the region through a print, television and online campaign targeting families in South East Queensland and Sydney and encouraging them to travel between December and February next year.” Ms McKay said the campaign will kick off at the end of next month and run through until the end of February 2010.
“Last year, the Northern Rivers Region had more than 4.9 million domestic and international visitors, who stayed 8.3 million nights, injecting almost $1.3 billion into the region’s economy,” Ms McKay said. “The region has a wide variety of attractions and experiences available, including great surf beaches, magnificent World Heritage-listed rainforests and whale watching opportunities. “We want to encourage Sydneysiders to visit the region and take advantage of the best the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast have to offer.” Ms McKay said the funding was in addition to the support given for Northern Rivers Tourism’s new ‘Rivers of Life’ campaign, which received $88,000 under the NSW Government’s Regional Partnership Funding Program.
“This initiative is a partnership between Northern Rivers Tourism, the NSW Government and the local tourism industry,” Ms McKay said. “There will also be a dedicated website that will link visitors to a range of travel and accommodation deals during the campaign.” Ms McKay said the Rivers of Life campaign, which will run until the end of February next year, will use television, print and online media to promote the Northern Rivers in Sydney and regional New South Wales, South East Queensland and Melbourne. Northern Rivers Tourism CEO Russell Mills welcomed the NSW Government’s initiatives to support the local tourism industry.
“It’s great to see the Northern Rivers region being supported by the NSW Government with this much needed funding boost, “ Mr Mills said. “This injection of funds will help attract visitors to the region and promote the Northern Rivers as a destination of choice.” Ms McKay also introduced the NSW Government’s new Surf Tourism Action Plan at the Northern Rivers Tourism Symposium. “Surfing and beach culture are part of our national identity and a surf holiday is a great way for visitors to experience our coastal regions,” Ms McKay said.
“We want to highlight the beauty of our coastline and the large number of surf beaches available in the region. “Surfing is great fun for the kids and the whole family and we will be working closely with surf schools to let Australian mums and dads know about some of the great experiences on offer in NSW.
“We will also be targeting the youth market, including backpackers, international students and working holiday makers who want to experience Australia’s surf.” Local surfing icon and personalised surfing instructor Rusty Miller welcomed the NSW Government’s surf initiative and its support for local tourism. “Surfing and beach culture is a vital part of the identity of Byron Bay and it’s a great way for visitors to connect with local people and our lifestyle,” Mr Miller said.
Alstonville Show was the ‘biggest one ever’, according to the event’s publicity officer, Bob Wilson. More than 14,000 people went through the gates over the two days, compared with about 10,000 last year. “It’s an enormous amount. The crowd was constant all day on Saturday, and Saturday night was absolutely packed,” Mr Wilson said. “When you’re running a show you’ve got to get good attractions. You need a good variety. “We had monster trucks, a good fireworks display and good entertainment. We had belly dancers, bands, a mechanical bull – there was a bit of everything. “And sideshow alley is just growing and growing each year.”
Ballina resident Nikki Walsh, 19, was named the Alstonville Agricultural Society’s showgirl, but Mr Wilson said all the entrants were winners. “It was a tough decision for the judges because they were all good girls,” he said. Nikki said she was surprised to be named Miss Showgirl. “We had to meet the judges two weeks before the show. We were told that we’d need to know about politics and agriculture in the area. We were also judged on our personalities,” she said.
“I knew the answers to every question, bar one. The other girls were great – we all helped each other. “I would have been quite happy to not win – I was just happy to be there on the day.” Nikki now progresses to the Zone One competition, which covers Gloucester up to the Queensland border. If she wins there, she will compete at the Royal Easter Show.
“I’m a bit nervous about the next one,” she said. “I wasn’t even expecting to win this one. “I guess I’ll have to study up and find a new dress.”
Big Prawn still pulls crowd
Big4 Ballina Central Caravan Park managers Erin and Brad Scofield, are optimistic that they will have a busy Christmas season, with around half of their sites already booked for the period.
ATHY ADAMS TOURISM on the Northern Rivers could suffer this Christmas, with a new report showing almost a third of NSW residents are cancelling travel plans in an effort to save money. However, mangers of the Big4 Ballina Central Caravan Park, Brad and Erin Scofield, rejected the report’s findings. “Only about half the sites here are still available for the Christmas period,” Mr Scofield said. “People are booking anywhere from seven days up to four to six weeks.”
The study found 82 per cent of people were ‘stashing’ their cash. Northern Rivers Tourism chief executive, Russell Mills, said he was still positive about the approaching summer season. “It doesn’t surprise me that people are watching what they are spending,” he said. “But not everyone will cancel. We know holidays are good for the soul. “This just points out the importance of having an effective marketing campaign for our destination. We have a TV advertising campaign starting on November 1.”
Tourism Ballina secretary, Dave Heggie, admitted there was some concern in the industry about people cutting back on travel over the Christmas holiday period, so his organisation is also about to start a major advertising campaign. “We’ve made some TV advertisements about the Ballina coast and hinterland, and we have about 320 slots over two weeks.
That will start next month,” Mr Heggie said. “We really want to promote the region in the lead-up to the Christmas holidays. “People want to save money and at the moment, the Aussie dollar is good, so a lot of people are travelling overseas. Mr Heggie also said the impending demise of the Big Prawn was attracting visitors. “We’ve had emails from people who are coming to this area because they know that the Big Prawn is going to get demolished and they want to see it before it goes,” he said. “Whether you love it or hate it, the Big Prawn is promoting our region.”
Westpac’s state general manager, Damien Macrae, said the results of the survey showed people wanted to ‘get back to basics’ after battling through a ‘tough 12 months’. Results
54 per cent of people support local business
25pc eat at restaurants close to home and
14pc are looking for a job closer to home
Global Environmental Trends and Drivers for Business Managers in a Climate of Change
From a recent resentation by Prof R.L MILES Sustainable Regional Development
"We do not inherit the world from our ancestors – we borrow it from our children” 1900 anon Miles Consulting Services St George Bank State of the Region Summit Oct 2009
An example of the effect on an industry Tourism Increased Temperatures
Discomfort for visitors and staff
Increased risk of heat related fatigue
Impact on food hygiene and shelf life
Changes in tourism seasons
Reduce boating activity due to increased wind speeds and wave heights Impacts on Tourism Increased intensity of rainfall and storms
Disruption to tours and activities – visitors stuck in doors
Disruption to transport/deliveries and access due to flooding
Erosion and damage to beach environments
Decreased visitation and lower occupancy rate
Something to think about while the Federal Govt debates the climate change issue.
‘NEVER TO LATE TO JOIN’
Our Membership Prospectus and Invoice can be downloaded from our site here . There is a very cheap and effective way of advertising your operation through the various Website Options, given that all our promotional activities use www.ballinatourism.com.au as the call to action.
Lots of people have been in touch since the last newsletter so I thought another prompt might get a few more responses.
I will hold off changing the websites till close of business tomorrow, so if you wish to rejoin or become a new member, then please get in touch.
And remember, it is never too late to
join Ballina Tourism and Hospitality.
Our Membership Prospectus and Invoice can be downloaded from our sitehere and will also be available on the night. This is a very cheap and effective way of advertising your operation through the various Website Options, given that all our promotional activities use www.ballinatourism.com.au as the call to action.
Non renewed members please note if you do not contact Dave secretary@ballinatourism.com.au (0266192470) or renew by Friday Oct 23 your listing and any associated advertising will be removed from all our sites. This will mean that you will miss out on all our advertising inititives in the upcoming year.
Tourism Ballina AGM
Thursday 29th October 2009
Tourism Ballina's Committee are please to invite you to their Annual General Meeting. You do not have to be an existing member, but why not come along and found out more about what we have to offer.
If you are in the tourism or hospitality industry then this might have an influence on your bottom line.
Tourism Ballina is the peak body in this region for promoting tourism and hospitality for the Ballina coast, hinterland and beyond.
As you know, we try and move this event around to various Member Operations and this year, Jason Mumford has kindly offered to act as host the AGM and social evening at The Point Restaurant, part of The Ramada Hotel and Suites located in Martin St Ballina.
We welcome you all both members, interested operators and friends from 6pm, with formalities starting at around 6.30pm.
Each year at this time, we seek nominations for the election of seven Committee Members for the year to the 2010 Annual General Meeting, from those of you that are currently Members of Tourism Ballina.
If you are interested in getting more involved in Tourism Ballina as Ballina Shire & Hinterland's Private Sectors Tourism Body, at a time when we have a number of exciting marketing initiatives in the pipe line, then please download the Nomination Form from our site as pdf document or word document
Russell Mills from Northern Rivers Tourism will be there to give a short presentation on tourism news for the region.
Ballina Tourism – Dragon Boat
O.K. so who is strong and willing with a sense of humor and not afraid of water?
We are considering running our own boat in the 'business class' Dragon Boat Race at Rivafest and need a mixed crew of twenty people to power us to the finish.
Dates are Saturday 28th November 2009 for a couple of hours practice followed by the race on the Sunday.
If you would like to join us (cost $35 incl. insurance), then please e-mail secretary@ballinatourism.com.auor ring Dave on 6619 2470 by close of business Friday 30th October 2009 and we will make all the arrangement
NRT's 2009 Tourism Symposium
For those of you that did not attend the symposium on Monday and Tuesday, you missed a great event. More than 100 delegates listened too, debated and networked tourism issues and opportunities over the two days. Northern Rivers Tourism should be congratulated on a job well done and we look forward to this being a annual fixture on our calendars. It was the inspiration to motivate us to move forward.
TV Echo Advertising
It is great news that four operators have expressed an interest in joining us in our TV Advertising Campaign at the end of November 2009. This is a fantastic opportunity to blitz both the Lismore and Tamworth regions with what we have to offer for the the summer holiday season. We will be talking to PRIME early next week to finalise the details and airtime scheduling.
If there are any more of you who have your own TV Commercial and want to take 40 slots for $495 (incl. GST), please let us know before next Monday 26th October 2009. You do not need to be a member of Tourism Ballina to participate. If this proves to be a success, which I'm sure it will, we will be looking to repeat the exercise again next year.
NRT's River of Life Campaign
We are pleased to tell you that we are forming closer ties with Northern Rivers Tourism as the leader in promoting our region to the outside world. Not only has Tourism Ballina become a Member of NRT, but we also have a listing on the Rivers of Life advertising campaign call to action website www.riversoflife.com.au . This not only promotes ourselves but also our Member's operations.
Alstonville Agricultural Show
30/10/2009 to 31/10/2009
There`s something about the atmosphere of a show. The sights of akubra hats floating around the ring where prized animals are paraded, the smells of fairy floss and pluto pups, and the sounds of children yelling with pleasure as they enjoy a ride in a sideshow alley.
You can capture this and more at the Alstonville Show – one of the oldest shows on the North Coast circuit.
The show – Ballina Coast and Hnterland's only show – celebrates its 121st birthday this year !!
And remember, it is never to late to
join Ballina Tourism and Hospitality.
Our Membership Prospectus and Invoice can be downloaded from our site here and will also be available on the night. This is a very cheap and effective way of advertising your operation through the various Website Options, given that all our promotional activities use www.ballinatourism.com.au as the call to action.
FREE to all Tourism Ballina Members this year, is a DVD copy of the brand new Promotional DVD, which many of you have already viewed at www.ballinatourism.com.au
The DVD will be available for distribution to new Members on the night.
Once the formalities of the AGM are complete, we will take the opportunity to update on what we are concentrating our effort on over the next year.
Don't miss this opportunity to get together with your fellow Tourism and Hospitality Operators.
If you were among the 30 milion viewers who watched The Late Show with David Letterman last night then you would have seen the Ballina Big Prawn.
In an interview with Diane Kruger she tellsDavid that on a road trip through Australia with her husband they made it to Ballina, but were so tired they decided to sleep under teh Giant Shrimp.
I can assure her that there is LOTS of great Motels in Ballina, if she had just continued down the road as little as 100 metres.
Maybe we really need the Tourism Office in The Big Prawn if and when it is moved.
Seems an obvious choice for tourists.. what do you think?
David informs Diane that the shrimp is actually life size!!!!!
Can we really lose this our most famous attraction???
This is hot off the presses, even before they roll
Make sure you read about it in tomorrow’s Northern Star (Friday).
Keep Your Hands Off Our Prawn!
That’s the message from Tourism Ballina Inc secretary Dave Heggie, after reports the Gold Coast Fishermen’s Co-operative is willing to take the Big Prawn across the Queensland border.
“I don’t think that is something that should be happening – how dare they try and steal it,” he said.
“I would rather see the old prawn dead and buried before we give it to the Gold Coast.
“Ballina is known world-wide as the King of Big Prawn and it should stay that way – we shouldn’t lose it.
“We will have a big problem getting people to stop in Ballina once the bypass is complete and it will be important to have significant gateway signage and the Big Prawn is synonymous with Ballina and would be ideal for just that purpose.”
Chris Condon is willing to build a new one at his proposed new service centre at the Ballina Gateway.
But what to do about the old one once it is demolished???
What do you think post your replies here or on the facebook page or through The Northern Star letter’s page.
Read the rest of this story in tomorrow’s edition of The Northern Star.
Earlier prawny stuff…
This week, the 52 page Ballina Coast and Hinterland tourist guide, produced by Ballina Shire Council, was released with no mention of the Big Prawn.
The new Guides are supposedly the authority on all there is to see and do in the Ballina Coast & Hinterland.
It features stunning imagery from around the Shire and captures the essence of the beautiful hinterland and our magnificent waterways. But it does NOT feature The Big Prawn.
If you would like to get your hands on a copy, drop by the Ballina Visitor Information Centre at 6 River Street Ballina.
However, according to Ballina Shire Council general manager Paul Hickey, the Big Prawn hasn’t been featured in the guide for more than a decade.
“The guide is focused on a wide range of activities in the shire,” Mr Hickey said.
I believe this could be a clown fish on the cover ( I could be wrong)… perhaps it would have been more appropriate to have The Big Prawn there, at least that is associated with Ballina worldwide or maybe one of the many other visual aspects that abound in this wonderful region.
Do you agree?
Remember be part of this region’s promotional campaign. Forward this newsletter using the link at the bottom or join Tourism Ballina so that you may benefit from our promotional activities.
See our Ballina Postcard Blog for some of the comments and why not
Last night on The 7pm Report on Channel 10 Dave Heggie, Secretary from Tourism Ballina was able to get confirmed, absolutely unequivocally and guaranteed that Chris Condon CEO Condon Goup would build a new BIG PRAWN at his proposed new mega service centre.
This would be fantastic gateway signage and an obvious place for the council to move it’s Visitor Information Centre to attract more tourists to the Ballina Coast and Hinterland, especially once the highway bypass is completed.
Chris said last night, “The Big Prawn is iconic and not an eyesore.”
This is apparently what most people who have contacted Tourism Ballina feel as well and would hate to see the existing one demolished, not moved or replaced.
This message below is just a sample of the emails we have received:
I was watching on the edge of my chair, the news about the proposal to get rid of The Big Prawn. I am one of those people who love travelling around visiting these places and have been horrified at the news for two days as the prawn is one I haven’t gotten to yet. Do you have any information about when it could occur if it is passed (heaven forbid) as I need to hurry up my plans and even consider taking long service leave if it doesn’t coincide with NSW school holidays?
Thank you for speaking so well, putting the case for keeping this ‘original icon’ that others have tried to copy. I am a teacher and my class and I have just spent last term studying a unit on Australia and the bit that they loved best was when I showed them, my scrapbooks on Big Things and we plotted their locations on our large scale wall map. The kids even looked them up on the internet and brought in their souvenirs and stories. So don’t let it die. The next generation love them and need them. It is just a happy simple dream that brings people together and lets people laugh, de stress and have fun and dream. We need more of them in our hectic world. Please let me know if you have any news about dates. Keep up the fight.
Regards,
Michelle
Imagine if Ballina became known as the town that destroyed one of Australia’s famous big things….
I can hear the conversation from the back seats of cars now… small agitated voices…
“Are we there yet?
“Are we there yet?”
From the front set in a very passive voice, “No not just yet, wait till you see ‘The Big Prawn’ and then you will know we have arrived in Ballina. PSBallina Coast and Hinterland has a LOT more to offer then just the Big Prawn,
the panoramic vistas, the other attractions, the cafe and restaurant scene and well the whales as they migrate along the shoreline, because you can easily see them from your car, (not the driver of course, for they are watching the road!) as you drive along the coast road hugging the escarpment between Ballina and Lennox Head. You can of course, park and watch in amazement and these wonderful migratory creatures who put on such a fantastic display.
More on TV
The Maze at Alstonville, one of our members was the ‘STAR ATTRACTION” last night on Channel 9’s Australia’s Perfect Couple
Anna Niblic Heggie’s TV series ‘ Arts Masterclass’ has just finished it’s Brisbane TV season and will soon be run on Melbourne television. For those that cannot see it, Anna is running an innovative weekend workshop called
Yoga Arts Fusion
This is a great way to experience the benefits of yoga and the creative aspects of drawing and painting with guided instruction from a professional. This workshop has the added bonus of working some of the time with a live model and also the fun of using store mannequins in the process. A truly exceptional workshop!
Remember be part of this region’s promotional campaign. Forward this newsletter using the link at the bottom or join Tourism Ballina so that you may benefit from our promotional activities.
Though never thought I would say this, we could do with some rain, but light steady rain and only at night, well at least I can hope that will be the case …
Lots have been happening with the school holidays just finishing and of course Splendour…
I don’t think I have ever seen so many young people in the cafes on the morning following the music festival.
And now some controversy …
The Big Prawn in Ballina...(note faded red like the big prawn colour now!)
This story has gone national and even international this morning. We have had several requests from local and national media on the proposal to demolish the Big Prawn.
In fact Tourism Ballina should be live on TV tonight on The 7pm Project on channel 10.
So keep an eye out and watch.
The Big Prawn has been with us for over 20 years and you either love it or hate it, it has been and still is a drawcard for this region.
So if this proposal goes through perhaps we should have a campaign to see the Big Prawn before it vanishes.
Maybe it could be moved to another site? The new service centre on the new by-pass, an ideal place for this promotional iconic gateway signage? The fish co-op, or perhaps the prawn farm?
Who knows, but I bet even now there is a car stopped on the road with a group of tourists taking its photo to add to their collection of things I saw whilst on holiday. Bet you even got a photo of yourself with a big thing somewhere.
But wait breaking news …
BALLINA’S Big Prawn has a big fan in Chris Condon, who still sees big value in having a big crustacean encouraging big numbers of people to stop in town once the big new highway is built.
And the Lennox Head developer is not alone, with a Facebook petition to save the prawn attracting more than 400 names – while about 70 people have signed up to an opposing petition on the online networking site calling for the prawn to be ‘killed’. See FaceBook
This, along with national media attention on the prawn on the popular morning television show Sunrise on Tuesday, and on The 7pm Project tonight and national radio, has all come about after a development application was lodged last week by Dojoo Pty Ltd – Santo Pennisi’s company – to demolish the icon which has stood at West Ballina since 1990.
Mr Condon said he wouldn’t like to have Ballina known as the town that demolished one of Australia’s 150 or so big things.
But if it were to go, he said he would like to build another Big Prawn at a service centre he is proposing, in a joint venture for the Teven Road interchange on the Ballina bypass route.
Mr Condon said the Big Prawn was ‘synonymous with Ballina’ and its loss would be a ‘detriment to the town’.
The Big Prawn was built in 1990 by Goulburn-based developers Louie and Attilla Moknay, of LA Developments, who also built the Big Merino at Goulburn and the Big Oyster at Taree. Read more in The Northen Star
Speaking of TV The Maze is the star attraction on another show on Wednesday night on channel 9, from 7:30pm Australia’s Perfect Couple, See the couples Get Lost and find their way out of Amaze ‘n’ Place.
One of Tourism Ballina’s Members is offering something a bit different in a weekend workshop.
Yoga Arts Fusion With
Anna Niblic Heggie
Try something different and have a fabulous weekend with Yoga and Art beautifully balanced in this unique workshop for all levels. A great way to experience the benefits of yoga and the creative aspects of drawing and painting with guided instruction from a professional. This workshop has the added bonus of working some of the time with a live model and also the fun of using store mannequins in the process. A truly exceptional workshop!
When: Saturday19th and Sunday 20th of September. 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Where: The new big space behind Still@TheCentre Art Gallery 3 Centennial Drive, Byron Bay Arts Industry Estate. Cost of Workshop: $290
Bookings and Payments: Pay Direct Debit, PayPal or Cheque via the website www.niblic.com Contact: Anna or Dave on 02 66 192 470 Email Anna:niblic@niblic.com
Anna Heggie signs her work Niblic and is a Professional Painter, Photographer and Tutor with many exhibitions, workshops and presentations behind her. She is also a qualified Yoga Instructor and finds the fusion of Yoga and Art to be complimentary. Anna believes that a gentle and mindful yoga is a great way to release, open and focus before a creative session. Visit www.niblic.com for more on Anna.
PLEASE JOIN
TOURISM BALLINA
As a major stakeholder for the local Tourism Industry, we continue to represent you in discussions and working groups with Council and other Organization and will continue to run Tourism Evenings a couple of times a year. Our Newsletter’s circulation now exceeds 1,200. You can view and download our prospectus and download just the membership form here
Remember be part of this region’s promotional campaign. Forward this newsletter using the link at the bottom or join Tourism Ballina so that you may benefit from our promotional activities.
A great opportunity for regional tourism operators to
build knowledge,skills and contacts to grow and prosper
in business
The inaugural Tourism Symposium is now locked into place and the dates are set – Monday and Tuesday, 19 & 20 October at the wonderful Byron at Byron Resort and Spa.
A range of talented speakers will be presenting and involving delegates in topics of direct interest. The keynote address is to be given by Dick Porter, co-founder of STA Travel, one of the world’s travel business success stories.
Dick Porter is an Australian who began STA Travel in London in the 1970’s. It went on to become the world’s largest youth, student and budget travel business, operating in 75 countries and employing over 3,000 people.
Dick will address the Symposium’s theme ‘Innovate and Prosper’. Having experienced the highs and the lows of the tourism business he will share his experiences and his advice with industry delegates.
It is most exciting that Dick has agreed to be the keynote speaker on his upcoming trip to Australia – it will be one of the few opportunities the tourism industry in Australia will get a chance to hear him speak.
The Symposium theme ’Innovate and Prosper’ reflects a commitment to help our regional tourism businesses flourish in a volatile global environment where constant innovation can be the difference between survival and success.
To read the media release dispatched to regional media in NSW today,click here.
Registration is now open and a dedicated website provides you with the major details of this highlight of the tourism industry calendar in regional NSW. Visit the website and see what this special event has to offer to help build your business into the future.
2009 Tourism Symposium – simply click on this link below to be part of a positive future for our industry and your business.
Local artist Anna Niblic Heggie was recently commissioned to create a live artwork 'Capturing the Night Fantastic' at one of the Ballina Hinterland Restaurants. She was asked to create an artwork that captured the ambience and paint fast enough to complete the artwork during the evening. Anna is pictured with musician Danny Ross in front of her work in progress from the night.
Come evening, the foreshore was packed with families enjoying the lantern parade and then the fireworks.
The seahorse is Ballina Shire Council’s current logo, but Cr Silver said the new branding could help in identifying Ballina Shire post-bypass.
Dave Heggie, secretary of Ballina Tourism and Hospitality, said he wouldn’t be sad to see the seahorse go.
David Lane is an established, well-known regional artist whose paintings are represented in public and private collections throughout Australia and overseas. His home and studio are at 31 Fernleigh Road, Tintenbar in Northern New South Wales just 10 minutes North of Ballina, 20 minutes from Byron Bay.
Television advertising in target markets is set to kick off on the 10 November driving traffic to the Rivers of Life cooperative marketing campaign website 
