IN 1987 I took three of my children on a car trip to Central Australia.
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At a camel farm near Alice Springs, we were offered a quick ride until the coach with Japanese tourists arrived.
Within minutes the coach was there. Out poured the male Japanese tourists in their workaday black trousers and white shirts. They wanted my kids to ride with them for photos.
The kids had a great time camel riding, while I talked with the Japanese tour guide.
She explained that it was a week-long holiday.
They came straight from work, flew to Darwin, onto the coach for a week’s lightning tour of the NT, flying out again from Uluru.
Another group would arrive at Uluru and she would lead the same pressure-cooker tour in reverse.
“But what can they see in just one week?” I asked.
“Space. They love the outback. They step out of the coach in the middle of nowhere, and run around in the fresh air,” she laughed.
It may seem odd to us, but overseas tourists that I have spoken with during my outback travels tell much the same story.
A big plus for Australian tourism is wide open spaces, and the friendliness of country communities.
The NSW Government is to be congratulated for launching a Hong Kong campaign to attract Chinese tourists to the bush.
Statistics show that 1.2 million Chinese visited Australia last year, of which 850,000 visited NSW, spending an estimated $2.67 billion.
The advertising campaign on buses and trams at this stage is targeting Dubbo and Mudgee, with pictures of the zoo, and fine dining.
Destination NSW is offering country itineraries in conjunction with a Hong Kong travel agency.
They claim that NSW’s clean environment is a major drawcard.
And it could be in this category that Wagga could latch onto this campaign. Within a two hour drive of Wagga we have the mountains, the Snowy Scheme, canola crops, various cattle, sheep and horse properties, and just the sheer joy of the open road.
We also have some quirky attractions that could become major drawcards. Just last week Daryl Maguire unveiled the plaque celebrating the centenary of the Ladysmith Railway Station, riding a fettlers' trolley the length of the railway yards to mark the occasion. But at the moment this attraction is only able to reach a mere fraction of its potential.
Red tape has held up permission to take the public for rides on their railway trolleys. This buck-passing has apparently gone on for years. Offers have had to be declined from tour companies looking for extra attractions in the Wagga area.
I would like to see the rails remain when the “rail trail” is built because a longer trolley ride would increase the attraction. All types of tourists will walk and ride along the trail. In Ladysmith they will pass the restored railway station. Taking a ride on the railway trolleys would be a great reason to rest, and perhaps buy lunch at the shop opposite. After all, the whole idea of promoting tourism is to get tourists to spend their money!
So what has this to do with Chinese tourists? If Japanese tourists would stop to ride on a smelly camel, a nice clean railway trolley ride on a 100-year-old railway line would be a great hit with the Chinese!