With the fuel crisis keeping some grey nomads off the road, some rural communities are finding innovative ways to persuade travellers to keep on coming.
A case in point is the St George region in southwest Queensland which is preparing to kick off its winter visitor season by giving away three $500 fuel vouchers … and doing it in an unusual way.
On Monday, June 1, the Great Hook Drop will see hundreds of mysterious hooks appear overnight across all seven Balonne towns – St George, Dirranbandi, Hebel, Thallon, Bollon, Nindigully and Mungindi.
Each hook will hold an invitation to join the fun and get hooked on the region but hidden among them will be three Golden Hooks that will unlock a prize of a $500 Fuel Voucher for those lucky enough to find them first.
Visotrs finding one of three lucky hooks will land a $500 fuel voucher. PIC: Balonne Shire Council
Balonne Shire Mayor Samantha O’Toole said the Great Hook Drop was designed to spark curiosity and encourage people to experience the region differently.
“This is about creating a sense of discovery,” she said. “You might set out to find one thing and end up uncovering so much more, that’s exactly what we want people to experience when they visit the St George Region.”
The Great Hook Drop will officially launch the ‘I Got Hooked on St George Region’ Scavenger Hunt, which invites visitors to travel across the region solving riddles and collecting fish tokens that form part of a highly sought-after collectable key ring.
“This is just the beginning,” Mayor O’Toole said. “Once the hooks are discovered, the real adventure starts.”
Running through until the end of October, the ‘I Got Hooked on St George Region’ Scavenger Hunt encourages travellers to slow down, stay longer and truly experience each of the region’s seven towns.
The ‘I Got Hooked’ campaign follows in a rich tradition of inventive ideas to attract more travellers that range from the Big Thing craze to Silo Art to the likes of dark sky communities and the NT’s Million Dollar Fish campaign.
WIN IT-FIT CARAVAN SHEETS
Grey Nomad members are being given the chance to win some specially made caravan sheets, courtesy of competition sponsor, It-Fits.
It-Fits caravan sheets are made from soft, 100%-Australian, cotton jersey and naturally stretch and flex to adapt to different mattress shapes and sizes without needing custom-made sheets. They fit rounded corners, narrow caravan beds, bunk mattresses, and non-standard sizes while still staying smooth and secure.
Click here to learn more about the competition and how to enter.
