Orchid Hunting in Mt Walsh National Park

The park was alive with wildflowers after the recent rains and it seemed that each new gulley held a flower we hadn't seen previously. The hunters closed in with their macro lenses, being very careful to record the orchid without trampling the surrounding vegetation.

Rail Trails in the North Burnett

There are currently two rail trails in the Bundaberg and North Burnett region. One at Gin Gin called the Watawa Trail and one at Perry the iconic Boolboonda Tunnel. The thing about rail trails is they are relatively easy to maintain once established and they are often multi-use, that is horse riders, walkers, and cyclists are all usually welcome.

Cycling represents the fastest growing outdoor recreational pursuit in society and there are good reasons for this; firstly, its a great family activity and after the initial outlay for the bicycles there are no major costs involved (a decent bike can be had for as little as $100, secondly, with major health and well being initiatives being promoted by all levels of government, cycling fits the bill beautifully and is not bound by age or skill, everyone can ride, finally and possibly most importantly cycling represents a form of sustainable tourism.

In the North Burnett we have miles of disused rail easements that are exactly what is required when looking to develop rail trails and the scenery through which they travel is simply magnificent. The State government has recently indicated its intention to promote rail trails but its up to us the people of the region to identify and lobby for our slice of the funding in order to make them happen!

North Burnett prepares to Mobilise

The North Burnett Region is set to gain a substantial boost in terms of realising its tourism potential. Too long a poor relative in terms of funding assistance for tourism development, there are finally moves afoot that will see positive economic and social outcomes for the region. Local Tourism Development Coordinator Andrew Penney stated "I have been working on building relationships within the R & D side of the tourism industry and am now starting to see some response"

The North Burnett has long been earmarked as having wonderful natural assets and yet very little business development has occurred that promotes these attractions.

"Its not rocket science, its business science! The natural assets of the region are continually referred to in planning documents on the North Burnett so people are aware they exist. Apart from Cania Gorge, nature tourism is almost non-existant, basically the first (investors/operators)who get wind of the potential will be in a position to control the market.... Its a natural progression, places like Fraser Island are already overcrowded and demanding huge sums from the government simply to save the product from overuse whereas regions such as the North Burnett sit as a viable alternative but receive almost no funding for infrastructure development at all"

View from a hill

The view from the lookout at Mt.Perry is quite breathtaking and few people realise the size of the valley

Paradise Parrot

Farmers Market in the North Burnett?

Can anyone tell me if there is a Farmers market operating in the North Burnett?

Transitions for North Burnett

Transitions for North Burnett Tourism

Although many of you will be sick to death of hearing about the Council Amalgamations it is useful for us to pose the question: What will that mean for tourism in the region?

Simply put, we now have one council that will oversee the entire North Burnett Regional Area. It is therefore of critical importance that any decisions being made on tourism have wide support and participation throughout the region. The formation of a Tourism Action Group (TAG) will occur early next year to coincide with the formalisation of the North Burnett Regional Council. The participants will be drawn equally from each of the former shires (at this stage two from each) and they will need to reach consensus on issues such as a North Burnett Regional Tourism map, a new regional web presence and , which of a number of major tourism projects destined for the North Burnett do we pursue first? It will all be happening!
In order to facilitate nominees for these positions it is important that each of the former shires has its own Local Tourism Association (LTA). Ideally, it would be strategically adept to have the TAG made up of people from diverse backgrounds so that we are equipped to deal with and make decisions on variety of topics. Perhaps a legal representative, a grazier, an accounting type, an orchardist, a media mogul, perhaps an historian or two, a greenie will be important and finally a transport tycoon. Yeah right I can hear you all say and your point is well taken! Regardless of the make up of the TAG to be honest the most important component will be commitment.