The Covid pandemic swung a wrecking ball through the events calendar across regional Australia over the past year … but there are signs things are getting back on track.
Leading the way is Winton’s Way Out West Fest, which has just got underway in Outback Queensland and some 4,000 people are expected to pass through the festival gates over the next few nights.
With the town’s population swelling fivefold for the event, it’s a huge shot in the arm for local caravan parks and tourism operators after what Has been a difficult 12 months.
Festival director Jeff Chandler told the ABC he had remained optimistic that the show would go on despite a few nervous moments while Brisbane went into lockdown.
“I can’t tell you, it’s just been the best feeling for the festival to start,” he said. “We had to make a few changes obviously, as the rest of the state did, so all our indoor venues everyone is wearing masks, that’s fine … no one is complaining, everyone’s been really good, we’ve got the check-in app and everyone’s been sanitising so it’s been great.”
Headline act Lee Kernaghan will return to the Winton stage and says it’s great to be back.
“I’m so rapt to be part of such an epic festival,” he told the ABC. “I know there are people coming from all over Australia for it, so there is going to be a fantastic atmosphere.”
The ABC reports that the festival has attracted people from far and wide, and the knock-on effect has seen shopkeepers in other central-west Queensland towns having their busiest trading days in months, if not years.
So disappointed that the Matilda Museum – while advertising on TV – only has the cafe open. The Stockman’s Hall of Fame – the same, and the Bilby display at Charleville also closed. Thousands of travellers have paid lots to come “out west” to spend their hard earned and help the country towns – only to find these venues closed! Very disappointing!!
The Matilda Museum is open. Went there last week.