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8 May – 14 May 2012
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Pony club wins trials HASTINGS Pony Club won the Pony Club Association of Victoria’s horse trials state championships on the weekend at Baxter Park in Frankston South. More than 1000 people came from pony clubs from all over Victoria for the two-day event that included dressage, show jumping and cross country. Stephanie Comfort on Absolutely Regendary was a key part of the Hastings club’s success. She is pictured below taking part in the show jumping. The main photo is of Kelsey Colverd of Mentone, a member of Dalmore Pony Club, riding Totoka Lodge Dazzle Me. Pictures: Yanni
Tourism revival plan By Mike Hast A NEW group is being formed to revive Western Port tourism. Western Port Tourism Inc disbanded in 2009 “due to lack of interest” said Mary Ann Drysdale, who was treasurer and later secretary of the group. Ms Drysdale, who with her husband John runs Freshfield Alpacas in Somerville, is among a group reviving the tourism promotion body. They include former area councillor Brian Stahl and Max Bryant of Western Port Oberon Association, which owns HMAS Otama, the submarine anchored off Crib Point jetty. Tourism operators will meet at Peninsula Aero Club in Tyabb tonight (Tuesday).
Mr Stahl, who will chair the meeting, said Western Port Tourism was still listed on the Mornington Peninsula Tourism website “but we are not represented on the tourism body”. “Western Port has always struggled for promotion,” he said. The key was getting an information centre staffed by volunteers. “You can get pamphlets and brochures from Pelican Park [aquatic centre] in Hastings, but it’s not manned. You need people to tell visitors what’s on offer; we have a good mix of attractions.” Mr Stahl listed Western Port highlights as wineries, horseriding, B&Bs, the Dolphin Research Institute in Hast-
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ings, reception venue Summerfields Estate in Bittern, the hotel and restaurant at Woodman Estate in Graydens Rd Moorooduc, golf at Devilbend, Royal Bembridge and HMAS Cerberus, Peninsula Aero Club and the Old Aeroplane Company in Tyabb, Ms Drysdale said the region had many top attractions including Moonlit Sanctuary in Pearcedale, the animal farm Rain, Hayne and Shine in Balnarring, French Island and antiques centres in Tyabb. Max Bryant said: “We have to work together to get anywhere.” He said the meeting was to see if there was enough interest to restart a tourism body. “If there is, we’ll form
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a caretaker committee and have formal elections later.” Western Port was not on a recognised tourism route, he said. “The Port Phillip side of the peninsula gets all the attention and promotion.” In a letter to former members of WPT, Mr Bryant stated Western Port “desperately needs a tourism forum to discuss problems associated with our particular area”. “It is imperative that the operators of tourism facilities around Western Port focus on the immediate needs of the Western Port area. “You can expect little if any support from other similar groups around the peninsula; all are concentrating on
their own particular locations. “To be successful we must band together and promote ourselves.” He said it was time for a “back to basics campaign to clean up the area, which includes getting rid of graffiti, hoons off the roads, and ensure the shire council keeps streets clean and tidy to make it a place you would like to visit with your family”. Mr Bryant said area attractions included the marinas at Yaringa and Hastings, Moonlit Sanctuary, the aero club, the submarine and its museum in the nearby heritage-listed former BP administration building at Crib Point, Cape Schanck lighthouse, and Flinders and its shops.
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