By Michael Burt
Bellingen Shire Council has joined forces with neighbouring councils in northern NSW fora tourism built around five road trips that run from the beaches to the high country.
The Ways’ campaign was launched at Coffs Harbour Airport as the first initiative of a new alliance between Armidale Regional, Bellingen Shire, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Valley councils. The five councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the wider region together.
Together, the five local government areas cover an area larger than Wales. The combined region stretches from the Solitary Islands Marine Park, through World Heritage rainforest and historic river towns, up to the waterfalls and rugged escarpments of the Northern Tablelands.
“Waterfall Way, one of the five ways featured in this collaboration, takes people from the coast through the heart of Bellingen Shire and up to the plateau and Armidale,” said Bellingen Shire Council Acting General Manager Todd Williams.
“It’s a great example of how a road trip can connect extraordinary landscapes, communities and experiences, encouraging people to venture further and discover more along the way.”
“Our Shire holds eco-destination certification for very good reason. From the lush river flats and green pastures of the Bellinger Valley to ancient World Heritage Gondwana rainforest, spectacular waterfalls and the majestic gorge country of the plateau, there’s an incredible diversity of landscapes to discover.”
“But sometimes the most memorable part of a journey isn’t the scenery you came to see, it’s what you stumble across along the way. An unexpected roadside food experience, a conversation over great coffee, live music or a hidden creative space.”
“From our seaboard hamlets of Mylestom and Urunga, Bellingen and Raleigh to Thora and Dorrigo, it’s these little discoveries that become the stories we share, the memories that stay with us and the reasons we come back. “
Under the theme ‘One Region. Endless Possibilities’, The Ways links towns and experiences across council borders through five key touring routes including Solitary Islands Way and Orara Way, Giinagay Way, Waterfall Way and Big River Way.
The Ways will roll out across digital and social media channels and electronic signage, including a lightbox billboard in the arrivals hall at Coffs Harbour Airport. The Airport has provided the advertising space as in-kind support of the campaign and the promotion of tourism across the region.
City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams said visitors and local can start planning their trip at www.theways.com.au
“This initiative celebrates the bigger picture of what we have to offer,” Ms Williams said.
“Our beaches are as famous as the Big Banana, but there’s so much more: World Heritage rainforest on our doorstep, cultural experiences, Grafton’s Instagramable jacarandas, and the waterfalls and rugged beauty of the high country.”
“The partnership aims to see more visitors staying longer and spending more across the region, and that in turn supports local jobs, accommodation providers and our small business economy,”
The councils will also work closely with Coffs Harbour Airport, Destination North Coast, Destination NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and other key organisations to promote The Ways.
Destination North Coast General Manager Michael Thurston said the collaboration reflected the way people actually travel.
“Visitors don’t see boundaries,” Mr Thurston said. “By working collaboratively, the region gets more marketing bang for its buck, and we can tell a stronger, more compelling story about the diversity and appeal of the entire region.”
