Mildura Holden Motor Museum Celebrates 10 Years

One of Sunraysia’s more unique attractions is about to clock up a pretty impressive milestone, with the Mildura Holden Motor Museum celebrating its 10th birthday.

The museum opened in 2016 and this September will celebrate a decade of showcasing one of Australia’s most recognisable motoring brands.

🚗 Mildura Holden Motor Museum 10th Birthday

📅 Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026

🕤 Time: From 9.30am

📍 Where: 58 West Road, Buronga

View Birthday Event Museum Facebook Page

The museum grew from the passion of the late Ron Morello, who spent decades collecting Holdens before eventually turning that collection into something everyone could enjoy.

And the story of how it all started is a good one.

Years earlier, while working as an earthmoving contractor, Ron was clearing a property when he accidentally crushed a pristine 48-215 Holden, better known to most of us as an FX, that had been sitting inside a shed.

It obviously stuck with him.

A few years later he went looking for another one, eventually buying an original local blue FX Holden in 1981 with just 42,000 miles on the clock.

From there the collection continued to grow.

Decades later, that collection became the Mildura Holden Motor Museum.

Today the showroom generally features between 28 and 35 Holden vehicles, covering the history of the brand from the early years right through to much later models.

There are plenty of cars in there that will bring back memories too — the sort of place where you hear plenty of “Dad had one of those” or “I should never have sold mine.”

Sadly, Ron only got to enjoy his museum for around nine months before passing away, but what he created has continued on and has become part of the local tourism scene.

The museum has continued to grow under Kayleen Morello, with the attraction also including a café, kids activities and plenty of Holden and motoring memorabilia.

And with Holden no longer producing cars in Australia, a collection like this probably means even more now than it did when the museum first opened.

For a lot of Australians, Holden wasn’t simply a car brand.

It was the family car, the farm ute, the first car, the Bathurst rivalry and, in plenty of cases, something that sat in the driveway for decades.

For the Mildura Holden Motor Museum to now reach 10 years is a fair milestone — and a good excuse to get across the bridge, have another look through the collection and help them celebrate.

More Information

Follow the Mildura Holden Motor Museum on Facebook for updates.

You can also check out the official 10th Birthday Facebook event .

Just Like Flicking a Switch – Spring Arrives in Mildura

It’s almost like someone has flicked a switch.

After a pretty solid run of cold mornings and winter weather, spring arrives in Mildura on Tuesday — and the temperature is going with it.

The Bureau of Meteorology has Mildura reaching around 20°C Friday, 21°C Saturday, 20°C Sunday and 22°C Monday, before spring officially kicks off on Tuesday with a forecast top of 25°C. Wednesday is currently sitting around 21°C.

And this is probably one of the best times of the year to be living in Sunraysia.

The days are getting longer, the sun has a bit of warmth in it again, but we haven't reached that stage where you're looking for shade by 10 in the morning.

For anyone who likes camping along the Murray, the next month or two is just about perfect.

You can have a nice 20-something-degree day sitting beside the river, then once the sun disappears the temperature drops enough to make sitting around a campfire pretty bloody inviting — where fires are permitted and conditions allow.

Wentworth Show Keeps It Country This Weekend

One of the best things about the Wentworth Show is that it still feels like a country show.

The 139th Wentworth Show is on this Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, with two days of horses, dogs, shearing, woodchopping, whip cracking, animals, machinery, pavilion entries, food and plenty for the kids.

The Wentworth Show is an authentic country show that retains its rustic, rural flavour, with Agriculture and the traditional show competitions still right at the centre of the weekend.

Saturday

Saturday gets going with the Mallee Sunset Ute Competition, with registrations opening at 9am.

At 10am the Quick Shear Competition gets underway on the Sheep Shearing Stage, while the Conargo Whipcrackers begin their first appearance of the weekend.

There is plenty happening through the day, including Frank Finger from Muster Dogs, who will talk about his dog-training methods and show footage from his Queensland property. Finger was the winner of the first series of Muster Dogs.

The South Australian Axemen’s Association is another feature this year, with woodchopping demonstrations at 10.45am, 12.45pm and 4pm on Saturday. The demonstrations are set to include woodchopping, crosscut sawing and chainsaw work. 

The John Conrick Whip Cracking Competition is at noon, followed by the Mildura District Brass Band at 12.45pm.

At 2pm the Wentworth Public School Band will perform the National Anthem before singer-songwriter Josh Arnold officially opens the 2026 Show.

The Mallee Sunset Ute Competition winners are presented at 2.45pm, with Junior Show Girl judging at 3pm.

Horse events run throughout Saturday as well, including show jumping, Show Horse and Show Hunter, Standardbreds, the Miniature Spectacular, HRCAV and the Encouragement Ring. 

How a Eppalock Rise Could Be Good News for Spring Fishing Around Mildura

Things are starting to look a little better for spring fishing in the Murray around Mildura, and Lake Eppalock is one worth keeping an eye on.

Eppalock has climbed to 92.92%, holding around 283 GL and gaining almost 39 GL in just seven days. That leaves only about 21.6 GL of room before it reaches full supply level.

That doesn't mean it's definitely going to spill, but with the lake now nudging 93% and the catchment wet, another decent rain event could make things interesting.

And for those of us fishing the Murray, even a bit of extra water would be welcome.

Water leaving Eppalock heads down the Campaspe River before eventually joining the Murray at Echuca. If Eppalock does reach full and starts sending additional water downstream, it's certainly not going to create a flood or massive rise by the time it reaches Mildura.

But it doesn't have to.

A bit of extra flow moving down the Murray heading into spring can help freshen things up, get water moving around river edges and backwaters and potentially get native fish moving as the water begins warming.

That's where it becomes interesting for yellowbelly and Murray cod.

River Dream Boatel going for three in row!

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how well some of our local businesses stack up when they are put alongside the best in the world.

But one Mildura tourism operator is once again doing exactly that.

River Dream Boatel, based on the Murray River at Nichols Point, is back in the running for the 2026 World Luxury Travel Awards, with public voting now open.

And this isn't River Dream's first crack at the international stage either.

The locally based luxury houseboat has already been recognised as a Global Winner in both 2024 and 2025, meaning a win this year would make it three years in a row.

Rain Forces Mundi Mundi Bash to Close Further Entry

The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash will go ahead, but some would-be Bashers will now miss the event after continuing rain forced organisers to close the gates to later-arriving ticket holders.

In an important update issued at 2:30pm Wednesday 19 August, Bash founder and organiser Greg Donovan announced the festival no longer had enough suitable camping space to accept people holding 1 Day Early Entry or Standard Vehicle Entry passes.

That includes people planning to camp at Mundiville as well as those intending to attend the festival as day-trippers.

The decision follows an extremely wet period across the Mundi Mundi Plains and Broken Hill region, which has left sections of the normally dry festival site saturated and muddy.

Organisers estimate around 25 to 30 per cent of the site is now unsuitable for camping, significantly reducing the amount of space available.

Importantly, the Mundi Mundi Bash itself has not been cancelled. The 2026 event is scheduled to run from 20 to 22 August on the Mundi Mundi Plains near Broken Hill.

Those already onsite can remain, while the few remaining patrons holding 2 Day or 3 Day Early Entry passes who have not yet arrived are still being accepted.

Organisers said those eligible campers could enter until 5pm Wednesday, with entry reopening from 7am Thursday. With further rain forecast, they recommended arriving Wednesday where it was safe to do so.

An exceptionally wet lead-up

Organisers say the festival site initially held up well following a 42mm rain event across 8 and 9 August, but further rain during the Roll In period fell onto already saturated ground and caused conditions to deteriorate.

According to the statement from Donovan, rainfall over an 11-day period was close to, and likely to exceed, the all-time Broken Hill August rainfall record of around 74mm set in 1973.

Wentworth has its Big Yabbie back!

Wentworth has its Big Yabbie back, and Herbie’s return is a pretty good example of what can happen when a community decides an old local icon is worth saving.

Herbie the Giant Yabbie has officially returned to Wentworth, taking up his new home at Strother Park near the Wentworth Pioneer Museum and Old Wentworth Gaol.

For long-time locals, Herbie isn’t exactly a new face. The giant crustacean was once a familiar Wentworth landmark, sitting opposite the Old Wentworth Gaol alongside a small aquarium before eventually disappearing from public view and spending a number of years on private property.

Now he’s back, restored, repainted and once again ready for locals and visitors to stop and grab that almost compulsory photo with one of Australia’s Big Things.

Mildura Didn't Get the El Niño Memo

Photo Credit - Ross Stone

After plenty of talk earlier this year about El Niño and the prospect of drier than average conditions, Mildura's rainfall figures are telling a very different story.

And for farmers across the region, particularly those relying on winter rainfall, that's not a bad story to be telling.

As of Friday, August 14, Mildura Airport has recorded approximately 318.5mm of rain for 2026.

Mildura's long term average for an entire year is 285.1mm.

That means we've already received around 33mm more than our normal annual rainfall, with more than four months of 2026 still remaining.

A big chunk came from the extraordinary 166.6mm recorded in March, but importantly the rain hasn't completely disappeared since. June delivered 43mm, July added 29.6mm, while August has already produced around 33.4mm, exceeding the month's long term average of 25.1mm.

For Mallee farmers, winter rain arriving while crops are growing is particularly valuable, helping maintain soil moisture and giving this year's season every opportunity to keep moving in the right direction.

Of course, around here nobody starts counting bags of grain before they're in the silo. A dry spring, frost or a hot finish can quickly change things.

But for now, after the gloomy talk earlier in the year, there would be plenty of farmers happy to keep seeing rain gauges with a bit of water in them.

Austin Sevens Gather in Mildura

Photo credit - www.theclassicvaluer.com

They may be small, they may not be particularly fast by today’s standards, but when more than 35 Austin Sevens start winding their way around Sunraysia in September, they’ll certainly be hard to miss.

Members of the Austin 7 clubs of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales are heading our way for Sunraysia Sevens, with the little vintage cars spending several days exploring the district.

During their stay they’ll be doing a decent lap of Sunraysia, travelling through places including Red Cliffs, Gol Gol, Dareton, Merbein South, Wentworth, Irymple and Nichols Point.

There will also be a chance to get a closer look at these little pieces of motoring history when they gather for a public display at Psyche Pumps on Saturday, September 5.

And they really are an important part of motoring history.

The Austin Seven first appeared in Britain in 1922 and remained in production until 1939. It was designed as a small and relatively affordable car at a time when owning a motor vehicle was still well beyond the reach of many ordinary families. Over its life it appeared as tourers, saloons, sports cars and even little vans.

Australia added its own chapter to the story.

Farewell to Mr C – A Mildura Legend

Mildura has lost one of its great characters with the passing of Don Carrazza, a man whose name will forever be closely linked with the Grand Hotel, tourism and the story of our city.

But for many of us, Don Carrazza was simply Mr C.

I worked at the Grand Hotel in the early 1990s, straight out of school, as did so many young people around Mildura over the years.

Looking back now, it was much more than just a first job.

For many of us, Mr C helped shape the young adults we were becoming.

He was a strict boss. There is no point pretending otherwise.

Mr C expected things to be done properly. Attention to detail mattered. Presentation mattered. How you spoke to people mattered. Being on time mattered.

Near enough was rarely good enough.

At the time, as a young bloke just out of school, you probably didn't always appreciate those lessons.

More than 30 years later, you certainly do.

Many former Grand Hotel employees would probably admit that some of the standards Mr C drilled into us have stayed with us throughout our working lives.

But behind that demanding exterior was also a compassionate man who looked after his people.

I remember one occasion when I had a misunderstanding with someone who shall remain unnamed. Mr C could quite easily have stayed out of it, but instead he stood up for me.

I have never forgotten that.

It showed another side of a man who could certainly make you nervous when something wasn't up to standard, but who also cared about the people working for him.

His own story was a remarkable one.

Mr C came to Australia as a young immigrant with very little, but through hard work, determination and an enormous belief in what Mildura could become, he built a life and reputation that became part of the fabric of the city.

Through the Grand Hotel and his involvement in tourism, Don Carrazza became one of Mildura's great ambassadors.

He understood that visitors weren't simply coming to stay in a hotel.

They were coming to experience Mildura.

And he wanted that experience to be a good one.

That pursuit of quality became part of the Grand Hotel's reputation, but his influence went well beyond the walls of the building.

For decades, countless young Mildura people walked through those doors looking for a job.

Many walked out years later with a work ethic, confidence and standards that stayed with them for life.

I was one of them.

When someone like Mr C passes, it reminds you that a person's legacy isn't only measured by the businesses they built or the awards and recognition they received.

Sometimes it is measured in the people they influenced along the way.

There would be hundreds, perhaps thousands, of former Grand Hotel employees around Mildura and beyond who still carry a little bit of what Mr C taught them.

Attention to detail.

Take pride in what you do.

Do the job properly.

And look after your people.

Not a bad legacy for a young immigrant who arrived in Australia with very little and went on to become a legend of Mildura.

Rest easy, Mr C.

And thanks for the lessons.

Rain brings widespread road closures across Wentworth Shire

The rain may be welcome across much of the district, but it has also brought travel on Wentworth Shire’s unsealed road network to a near standstill.

Wentworth Shire Council’s latest Road Condition Report, issued at 8.40am Monday, 10 August, shows every one of the 33 roads and road sections listed in the report as CLOSED following the recent rain event.

It is a dramatic change from the council’s previous report on 24 July, when the majority of the same roads were open, with only Milkengay Road closed and a handful carrying caution warnings.

The latest closures stretch right across the Shire, affecting roads around Pooncarie, Pomona, Buronga, Rufus, Scotia, Wentworth and the Anabranch.

Among the better known routes currently closed are Arumpo Road, High Darling Road from the end of the bitumen, Low Darling Road from the end of the bitumen, Ivanhoe Road, Renmark Road from the end of the bitumen, Old Broken Hill Road, Pine Camp Road, Rufus River Road and Anabranch Mail Road.

Around Pooncarie, closures include Dockerty Road, Garnpang Road, Gol Gol Road, Karpa Kora Road, Minda Road, Nob Road, both sections of Polia Road, Top Hut Road and Wilkurra Road.

Further west and south, Nanya Road, Springwood Road and Tarawi Road are closed through the Scotia area, while Cal Lal Road, Nulla Road and Tooperoopna Road are among the closures around Rufus.

For anyone tempted to think a dirt road "doesn't look too bad", it is worth remembering that a closed road means exactly that.

For Mallee dryland farmers, the 2026 season is continuing to build nicely.

After getting one of the better starts to a growing season in recent years, another widespread rain event across the Mallee over the weekend has delivered a very welcome boost to winter crops at an important stage of development.

By early Monday morning, selected Bureau of Meteorology sites were showing some very handy totals across the region.

Mildura had received around 32mm, Hopetoun around 32mm, Walpeup about 28mm and Swan Hill around 28mm. Further south and east, Charlton was around 31mm, while Kerang had picked up around 37mm.

As always with Mallee rain, totals can vary considerably from one paddock to another, but the important part of this event is that useful rain has fallen across a large area of dryland cropping country.

This rain hasn't arrived to rescue a season that was already struggling. This year's crops already had a good head start.  

A good start to the season

Conditions earlier in the year gave many growers the opportunity to get crops established with moisture underneath them.

Useful rainfall during late summer and autumn improved soil moisture across parts of Victoria and helped provide favourable conditions for sowing and crop establishment.

For dryland growers, getting that start can make an enormous difference. Instead of putting seed into completely dry country and waiting for the season to break, many paddocks went into winter with crops already established and moisture in the profile.

Seeding in the Mallee earlier in the 2026 season.

The video here was filmed during seeding earlier this season and gives a look at where this year's crop began.

A few months later, many of those same paddocks have now received another valuable soaking, adding to the moisture already stored in the soil.

That makes this weekend's rain much more than simply a decent fall. It is another piece of the season falling into place.

Wheat, barley, lentils, canola and other winter crops are moving towards an important part of their development, and having good moisture available heading towards spring gives growers something to work with.

Little Willys Roll Into Town

Mildura will welcome a very different collection of motoring history when the Australian Willys Nationals roll into town from the 11th to the 14th of September.

Willys owners and enthusiasts from across Australia will make their way to Sunraysia for four days of cruising, local attractions, social gatherings and plenty of opportunities to admire some beautifully presented vehicles.

Ouyen Gets Ready for Another Big Mallee Root Festival

Photo Credit - Mallee Root Festival Facebook

There are plenty of festivals around our region, but there probably are not too many where throwing a lump of timber is one of the main attractions.

The Mallee Root Festival will return to the banks of Ouyen Lake on Saturday, 19 September 2026, bringing together live music, food, market stalls, entertainment for the kids and, of course, the famous Mallee Root Toss.

It is one of those events that could only really happen in the Mallee.

The festival celebrates the character of Ouyen and the wider region, with the tough old mallee root serving as a pretty good symbol for the people who live here. Hardy, difficult to shift and generally able to survive whatever the weather or the world decides to throw at them.

Storages Keep Rising, With Most Now Ahead Of Last Year

The latest storage figures are giving our region a bit more to watch, and for once, most of the comparison with last year is heading the right way.

According to Goulburn-Murray Water’s latest storage update, Hume Dam, Dartmouth Dam and Lake Eppalock are all now sitting higher than they were at the same time last year, while Lake Eildon is the one major storage still lagging behind.

Hume Dam is now sitting at 47.10 per cent, compared with 41.37 per cent at the same time last year. That puts it 5.73 percentage points ahead of last year, which is a handy turnaround after the lower levels we were looking at earlier in winter.

Dartmouth Dam is also slightly better than last year, now at 69.45 per cent, compared with 66.72 per cent at the same time last year. That puts Dartmouth 2.73 percentage points ahead.

Dartmouth is still the strongest of the four storages by percentage, but because it is such a large storage, it does not jump around as quickly as some of the smaller systems. Even so, being ahead of last year is a good sign for the broader Murray picture.

Over in the Goulburn system, Lake Eppalock has had a strong run. It is now sitting at 61.23 per cent, compared with 55.79 per cent this time last year. That puts it 5.44 percentage points ahead.

That is a decent improvement, and while Eppalock is not on the Murray itself, water from the Campaspe and Goulburn systems can eventually make its way through to the Murray, so it is still worth keeping an eye on from a Sunraysia point of view.

Lake Eildon is the one still behind last year. It is now sitting at 48.47 per cent, compared with 57.86 per cent at the same time last year. That means Eildon is still 9.39 percentage points lower than where it was twelve months ago.

So the overall picture is better, but not perfect.

Nearly 120 Years of History. Let’s Preserve It.

Photo Credit - realestate.com.au

There are some buildings around Mildura that we immediately recognise as part of our history.

Rio Vista, the Carnegie Library, the Grand Hotel, the old Mildura Settlers Club and the early churches have survived from a period when Mildura was still finding its feet as a town.

They are treated as landmarks, and rightly so.

But at the bottom of Etiwanda Avenue is another place from that same era. It did not simply witness Mildura’s growth. It helped provide the materials that made it possible.

The Mildura Brickworks began operating in 1908, the same year the Carnegie Library was built. It was established by businessman Samuel Risbey at a time when Mildura was expanding and builders were concerned about a shortage of bricks.

Suitable clay was available on the river flats, and Risbey already operated a sawmill nearby. Trial bricks were made in June 1908, and by December the works was producing building bricks, tiles and agricultural drainage pipes.

Remembering Terry “Moose” McGowan, a local artist whose work became part of Mildura

Terry “Moose” McGowan, a well known and much loved local artist.

Mildura has lost one of those people whose work quietly became part of the place itself.

Terry “Moose” McGowan was a well known and loved local artist, and for many people across Sunraysia, his art has been part of the everyday scenery for years.

It is there on walls, signs, clubs, community spaces, private properties, vehicles, boats, pools and public places. In many cases, we probably see something Moose created most days as we travel around Mildura without even stopping to think about the hands that painted it.

That is the mark of a local artist who left something real behind.

Moose’s work was bold, colourful and full of character. He had that rare ability to take a blank space and turn it into something people remembered. Whether it was a large mural on a wall, lettering on a boat, a club sign, a tribute piece, or a private job in someone’s backyard, there was always personality in it.

Moose’s sign work could be seen on vehicles, businesses and private jobs.

His art was not tucked away in a gallery where only a few people saw it. It was out in the open, right where locals lived, worked, drove, gathered and spent their weekends.

That is why his passing will be felt by so many people. Moose’s work is part of the visual story of Mildura.

He also did a lot of work for local clubs and events. These are the sorts of jobs that become part of the memory of a place. A sign at a club, a piece painted for a community event, a feature wall, a banner, a boat name, or something made specially for a local group.

They might not always make headlines, but they matter to the people connected to them.

Work for local history, clubs and community groups formed a big part of Moose’s legacy.

That was part of Moose’s gift. He helped give things an identity. He helped make ordinary spaces feel local, familiar and proud.

Around Mildura, art often becomes part of the background after a while. You drive past it so often that it feels like it has always been there. But someone had to imagine it. Someone had to design it, paint it, letter it, shade it, fix it, finish it and make it stand out.

For a lot of those pieces, that someone was Moose.

Private work also carried Moose’s unmistakable style.

The range of his work says a lot. From big public murals to detailed sign writing, from local businesses to riverboats, from clubs to private homes, Moose’s art reached across the whole community.

It was practical at times, decorative at others, but always creative.

He painted Mildura in more ways than one.

From public walls to backyard spaces, his work added colour and life.

In a region like ours, artists like Moose help shape the feel of the place. They give us the colours, signs and landmarks that become part of our memory.

Visitors might see them as murals or signs, but locals see something more. They see places they know, clubs they have been part of, businesses they have dealt with, events they remember and corners of town that feel like home.

Moose’s work was all around us, and that is probably the greatest tribute of all. He left his mark on the town he was part of.

Local names, local places and local pride were often front and centre.

His passing is sad news for Mildura and the wider Sunraysia community, but his work will continue to be seen, talked about and appreciated for years to come.

To Terry “Moose” McGowan’s family, friends and everyone who knew him, our thoughts are with you.

And to Moose, thank you for the colour, the signs, the murals, the memories and the mark you left on Mildura.

A lasting local legacy, painted across the town for everyone to see.

Sea Lake Silos Light Up The Mallee Night

Photo credit - https://illuminart.com.au

Sea Lake has long been one of those Mallee towns worth pulling into on your trip. It has Lake Tyrrell, the silo art, a good rest area and enough around it to make it more than just a quick stop on the highway.

Now there is another reason to hang around after sunset.

The GrainCorp silos at Sea Lake are already well known during the day for their stunning mural, The Space In Between, which captures the feeling of the Mallee, Lake Tyrrell and that open stillness that makes this part of Victoria so special.

But when the sun drops, the silos take on a whole new life.

The Sea Lake silos are now being promoted as Art by day, Cinema by night, with a free nightly projection turning the giant concrete towers into an outdoor screen. Instead of simply being a daytime photo stop, the silos become part of a night time experience that tells the stories of the district through light, colour, movement and sound.

The projection, created by Illuminart, celebrates the Mallee landscape, farming seasons, local heritage, Lake Tyrrell, astronomy and the resilience of small rural communities.

It is the sort of thing that fits Sea Lake beautifully, because this is a town that already sits on the edge of one of the most remarkable natural attractions in the region.

Lake Tyrrell has become famous for its sunsets, reflections, salt flats and night sky photography. Visitors come looking for that big sky Mallee magic, and now, just back in town, there is another reason to stay a little longer.

Sea Lake has managed to turn its silos into something that works twice. During the day, they are part of the Silo Art Trail. At night, they become an open air cinema telling local stories on a scale you cannot miss.

Storage Levels Rise As Farmers Watch For Better Allocation News

The latest weekly storage figures are showing a welcome move in the right direction across some of the key catchments that matter to our region.

For Sunraysia, the big ones to keep an eye on are Hume Dam and Dartmouth Dam, which are directly tied into the Murray River system. Both have had a positive week, with Hume Dam rising by 3.77 per cent and Dartmouth Dam rising by 0.59 per cent.

Hume is still sitting lower than ideal, but a rise of almost four per cent in a week is certainly worth noting. Dartmouth, being the bigger and deeper storage, moves more slowly, so even a smaller weekly percentage rise is still a positive sign.

The weekly lift also comes after the recent water allocation announcement for Sunraysia, with Murray high reliability water shares starting at 29 per cent.

That figure is not exactly something irrigators will be celebrating. It is more a case of it is what it is at this stage of the season. Farmers will now be watching the sky, the catchments and the storage updates closely, hoping further winter rain leads to stronger allocations as the season rolls on.

Lake Eildon and Lake Eppalock have also had useful gains. While they are not sitting on the Murray River itself, water from those systems eventually makes its way through the Goulburn system and into the Murray, which is why they are still worth watching from a Sunraysia point of view.

A1 Supa Karts Brings Hire Kart Racing to Mildura this Week-End!

Looking for an adrenaline-filled activity this weekend? A1 Supa Karts is bringing its popular hire kart experience to the Mildura Kart Club, giving locals and visitors the chance to experience the thrill of racing on a real kart circuit.

Whether you're a first-time driver or a seasoned motorsport enthusiast, A1 Supa Karts offers a fun, safe and exciting experience for all skill levels withno racing licence required.

Race on a Real Karting Circuit

 A1 Supa Karts will be operating at the Mildura Kart Club, allowing drivers to experience the excitement of a purpose-built kart racing circuit that's home to local and regional karting events.

With high-performance hire karts and a professionally operated event, it's the perfect opportunity to challenge your mates, enjoy some family fun or simply see what karting is all about.

Fun for the Whole Family

A1 Supa Karts caters for a wide range of ages and experience levels.

Drivers must be at least 140cm tall to race a single kart, while families with younger children can enjoy the action together in a twin kart. Twin karts allow a licensed adult to drive while passengers from 100cm tall can ride along, making it an exciting experience for younger motorsport fans.

Helmets are provided, and balaclavas are available to purchase on the day.

Sunday Harvest Feels Like Something Mildura Has Needed For A Long Time

Every now and then something pops up in Mildura that makes you think, yep, this just makes sense.

Sunday Harvest is one of those things.

The idea is simple enough. Take the produce our region is famous for, put it in the hands of people who know what they are doing, and turn it into a proper Sunday lunch experience. Not a rushed feed. Not just another event on a calendar. A relaxed, local food focused afternoon that gives Sunraysia produce the spotlight it deserves.

Sunday Harvest is being run through Sunraysia Local Food Co Op, with local chef Curtis Harper helping bring the menu to life. The event is built around seasonal produce, local growers, good food, local wine and the sort of Sunday afternoon that feels like it should have been happening here for years.

From a personal perspective, this is something I have wished our town had for a long time.

We live in one of the great food producing regions in the country. Grapes, citrus, almonds, vegetables, dried fruit, wine, olives, herbs, paddocks, orchards, blocks and roadside stalls are all part of the story here. Yet sometimes it feels like we do not celebrate that enough in a way that locals and visitors can actually sit down and enjoy.

Sunday Harvest feels like a step in the right direction.

It is not just about having lunch. It is about telling the story of the region through food. It gives growers a place in the conversation. It gives local produce a bit of respect. It gives people a reason to slow down on a Sunday and appreciate what is grown right here around us.

Balloons Ready To Rise Over Mildura This Saturday

If the weather has one job this week, it is this. Get the rain out of the way, give the gardens and paddocks a drink, then clear off in time for Saturday.

Balloons Over Mildura starts this Saturday, 4 July, and it is shaping up as one of the most colourful winter events Sunraysia has seen for a while. From 4 July through to 12 July, the skies around Mildura are expected to come alive with hot air balloons, with daily flying, competition action and plenty of chances for locals and visitors to look up and enjoy the show.

The opening Saturday also brings the Balloons Over Mildura Night Glow to the Mildura Recreation Reserve from 5pm to 8pm. Weather permitting, the glow itself is expected around 7pm, with the balloons lighting up to music and creating one of those rare night time sights that should look pretty special in the middle of winter.

Video from a previous Out and About Sunraysia visit, with the balloons at the Merbein Golf Club.

I have been lucky enough to capture the balloons before, including a previous visit out at the Merbein Golf Club, and it is one of those things that never really gets old. There is something about seeing a balloon lift over our patch that makes even familiar places feel a bit different. Sunraysia, Mildura, the river, the vineyards and the open country suddenly become a postcard.

This year’s event is not just about watching a few balloons drift past either. The program includes competition flying, fiesta flying and pilot training, bringing experienced balloonists into the region and adding another layer to the event. For the serious ballooning crowd, it is a chance to compete and sharpen their skills. For the rest of us, it is a pretty good excuse to rug up, grab the camera and enjoy something bright floating above Sunraysia.