‘Four regional Australian festivals to put on your bucket list’

When I retired one of the most frequently asked questions from friends was about the holidays and travel I had planned. They meant holidays to places like Venice, Santorini or even New York. Well, sorry to disappoint, but I have been having far too much fun chasing the festivals closer to home in Australia to even consider going further afield. My only overseas trip has been three days on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane, welcoming the arrival of the whales during the Quandamooka Festival.

Goomeri, in the Gympie region of Queensland, celebrated its annual Pumpkin Festival on the last Sunday in May. As the name suggests this is the perfect opportunity to buy pumpkins, eat pumpkin scones and even roll a pumpkin down a hill. There were markets featuring pumpkin chutneys, shop windows had displays of … pumpkins … and there was a real sense of community involvement. No wonder nearly 15,000 visitors made the effort to spend time here on this one weekend.

The population of Tara, 3.5 hours west of Brisbane, spiralled in August with their Festival of Culture and Camels. Yes, camels, popular for racing. Who knew? This was a weekend targeted at campers and independent travellers and received rave reviews from locals and visitors alike.

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I’ve only recently returned from The Peter Allen Festival held in Tenterfield, in northern New South Wales.

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The Australian singer-songwriter, musician and entertainer was born in Tenterfield and went on to be a huge success in the 1970s. Who could forget his flamboyant stage presence and over the top costumes! There are many who think his song ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ should be the country’s national anthem.

Tenterfield is in the grip of drought and was surrounded by bushfires during the festival weekend. Regardless, ‘the show must go on’ and my three days spent listening to music, eating local produce, and chatting with Tenterfield natives was simply inspiring.

Why is it important to attend these festivals? Obviously, if it’s a festival that centres on a personal interest then you’re bound to have a lot of fun.

But there are other considerations too. The country pubs always put on a more than reasonable counter lunch, and for the shopper among you, country towns generally have good dress and shoe shops, especially for the ‘more mature woman’. Our rural sisters are canny shoppers and tend to purchase better quality products that last too.

The history I’ve gained from visiting these towns is phenomenal and is not included in school curriculums. Did you know that JF Thomas, the solicitor who represented Breaker Morant in South Africa during the Boer War, was a Tenterfield lad? Go to the School of Arts Building to see the chain that bears a bullet hole that The Breaker was wearing at his execution. The hairs at the back of my neck stood up when I saw it.

Most importantly, our country towns are doing it tough. By dropping a few dollars in these towns, whether it be the purchase of a sausage roll, some petrol, or a coffee, I know I am helping to keep the doors of a small business open.

Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of domestic duties. A two- or three-night break means I can pack a bag with enough clothes to get me through without a trip to the laundromat. Now is that bliss or what!

I’ve already booked into a long weekend of bush poetry, literature and poetry at The Oracles of the Bush Festival next April, and have been assured that the Melon Festival at Chinchilla is good value too.

Of course, there is the added bonus of expanding my knowledge of Australian trivia … Who knows when such information will come in handy!

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