Summer tourism choices abound

We’re all going on a summer holiday — sand and sun, fun and laughter, and no worries — and for many people, their first in many years.

The 2022-23 summer months have signalled a long-awaited return of the quintessential, carefree Aussie beach holiday.

After two summers heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic — whether by restrictions, impacts to business and services, illness, or a combination of the lot — this summer marks perhaps the final piece in the puzzle of reprogramming ‘regular’ life as we know it.

Inland and closer to home, it is nature-based tourism that is capturing the interest and encouraging the spend of visitors to, and within, the Wimmera and Grampians.

In fact, the Grampians has recorded the thirdhighest growth among Victorian regions of overnight spend increases compared to spend prior to the pandemic. Fantastic.

This isn’t coincidence, of course, with significant effort having gone into marketing and celebrating the region’s unique offerings, far and wide, which is paying dividends in the recovery from long lockdowns and interstate lockouts.

Nature-based tourism is the biggest drawcard for Wimmera and Grampians visitors and the region offers unrivalled opportunities on land and in the water. Add to that the high water levels of our lakes and rivers, following the big rains of 2022, and it’s clear the Wimmera and Grampians offers a plethora of fantastic waterbased activity choices for the remaining warm months of the year, for visitors and locals alike.

Lake Hindmarsh is among headline recreational water choices as people take advantage of inflows to the long-time dry lake. Other places, such as Green Lake near Horsham, are also bustling with locals and visitors.

It must be acknowledged that not everyone can enjoy the privilege of a summer holiday, and so opportunities to cool off in a lake or river ‘just down the road’ are a cost-effective and travelfree alternative to long stretches away from home during our hot and humid Wimmera days.

The beauty of our region’s lifestyle, paired with daylight savings, is that people can also finish a day of work or school and still venture out for an afternoon of exploring our vast backyard.

It’s good for the body and soul.