It’s Springfest time in Wellington!
THE new Dubbo Regional Council could become a tourism powerhouse and council wants you to help make it happen.
Wellington Caves will be holding a community open day this Saturday, September 16, from 11am to 4pm. Caves coordinator Jodie Anderson says it’s hoped people will take advantage of a free tour and then have their say on future directions.
“Wellington Caves was successful in securing $2.5 Million from the NSW Stronger Communities Fund for a new Visitor Experience Centre and has recently received an additional $1.3 million of State funding for facility development to support growth in the education market,” Ms Anderson said.
“To ensure this funding is maximised to its full potential in delivering social, cultural and economic benefits, Dubbo Regional Council is investing in the development of a Wellington Caves Master Plan, which has been developed by TRC Tourism following an initial round of targeted stakeholder consultation,” she said.
The masterplan is currently at a draft stage and Council are keen to gain further input from the community to finalise this very important plan.
“We want the complex to be somewhere that is not just for visitors, but somewhere that locals can enjoy as well,” Ms Anderson said.
“Some of the options we are investigating include picnic and barbecue areas as well outside dining area for the café.
“I encourage the community to take this opportunity to come and visit us, have a look around and share their thoughts on what can make this important asset even better in the future,” she said.
You can view the draft Wellington Caves Concept Master Plan at www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au.
That’s not all that’s happening in Wellington with preparations for this year’s Springfest well under way.
The annual street parade will kick off at 10am on Saturday, September 23, and the committee is calling on people to, “Walk, ride, drive or decorate a float.”
The parade’s theme is celebrating Wellington’s Bicentenary, with many participants expected to dress in period costume.
Activities include chariot races, a free movie in Cameron park, the Quota Art Show, market stalls, live music and a Burrendong Arboretum open nursery as well as the street parade itself.
Two minutes before the street parade kicks off, the starting gun will see cyclists ace down the closed main street to begin the 70 kilometres of pure pleasure that is the Springfest Cycle Classic Run. The course starts and finishes next to Cameron Park in the centre of town, and proceeds in an anti-clockwise direction on sealed roads through some of the Wellington Valley’s most beautiful agricultural country.
“It really is a spectacular course with paddocks of yellow flowering canola, rich green cereal crops and livestock peppering the landscape,” Springfest organiser Emily Falson said.
“It’s a lovely scenic route which avoids highways and takes riders along country roads with little ton no traffic.
“It can be whatever you choose to make it. If you want to push yourself, the route is sufficiently challenging, however there is certainly an option to adopt a more leisurely approach,” she said.
There’s an aggregate climb and descent of 542 meters over the 70km which all riders with a reasonable level of fitness will not find too daunting. There’ll be drink stations along the route and support vehicles will continually traverse the course.
Marshals will control all highway crossings and participants have four-and-a-half-hours to complete the course.
The event’s divided into four classes: open men’s, open women’s, veteran men’s and veteran women’s, with a $40 entry fee for all classes.
For more information and to register call Richard Ivey on 0428 284 283.