New bike trail in the Flinders Ranges; 65- hours of non-stop Christmas shopping in Adelaide passes exemption; 2007 WOMAdelaide Artists announced; Mt Gambier’s Blue Lake reveals its brilliant colour; the 2007 Adelaide Fringe launches its new poster; and South Australian Tourism Commission’s innovative online booking system, ConnectSA, secures AAA Tourism as a distributor.

Five Flinders Range’s tourism operators have joined with local owners and the Department of Environment and Heritage to develop a new adventure cycling trail in the region. The Flinders Ranges by Bike trail follows a 200-kilometre circuit from Rawnsley Park Station in the south to Gum Creek at Blinman in the north.
More information: 08 8648 0030 or 0408 823 831

Christmas shopping in Adelaide just got a whole lot easier with the Rann government’s announcement that there will be 65 hours of non-stop trading in the lead up to Christmas. Special trading exemptions will deliver the potential for City of Adelaide shops to trade continuously from Thursday 21 December (12.01am) to the traditional 5pm closure on Saturday 23 December, under the Shop Trading Hours Act.
More information: 8463 3463

Kangaroo Island is still very much open for tourists and business, despite reports in the media about a recent spate of bushfires. The fires have not threatened any of the island’s tourist attractions or townships, and KI’s position as one of South Australia’s premier holiday destinations remains unchanged. In fact, summer is one of the best times to take a trip to KI!
More information: 1300 655 215 or visit www.tourkangarooisland.com.au

The artists for the 2007 WOMADelaide have been announced, and the international line up is bigger and better than ever before. The artists include Femi Kuti from Africa, tango artists, the Gotan Project , Portugal’s Mariza, Celtic folk band Lunasa, India’s master of the santoor, Shivkumar Sharma, and Bollywood diva Asha Bhosle.
More information: www.womadelaide.com.au

Mount Gambier's famous Blue Lake has revealed its brilliant blue colour just in time for summer. The vibrant cobalt blue colour of the lake transforms from November each year, continuing to amaze locals and tourists. And, this year is no exception. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the Lake, learn about the geology at the Blue Lake Welcome Centre, or simply marvel at the Lake’s mystery.
More information: 1800 087 087, or visit www.thelimestonecoast.com

The first annual 2007 Adelaide Fringe unveiled their new poster to more than 300 members of the arts community, media, sponsors and councillors last month. The theme for the 2007 poster is ‘Pigs Really Do Fly in Adelaide’, which captures the unpredictability of the Fringe. A very cheeky pig flying over Adelaide city centre landscape was the image selected from more than 200 entries. The Fringe will run from 8-31 March 2007.
More information: 8100 2079 or visit www.adelaidefringe.com.au

The South Australian Tourism Commission’s innovative online booking system, ConnectSA, has secured AAA Tourism (the national tourism body of all Australian Auto Clubs, such as the RAA) as one of their new major distributors. This exciting news will allow the State’s tourism operators to attract even more visitors from around the world via the internet.
More information: 08 8463 4520

Four Italian masterpieces from the Renaissance (on loan from the National Gallery of Australia) are currently on display at the Art Gallery of South Australia. The spectacular works from renowned artists, Giovanni di Paolo, Giambolongna, and Master of the Marble Madonnas, have transformed the gallery, making a dramatic new entrance to the gallery’s European collection.
More information: 08 8207 7032

Clare Valley wine producer, Tim Adams, won the Best Riesling Award for his 2006 Riesling, at the 7th annual Hyatt International Riesling Challenge in Canberra last month. A record number of 458 entries from across the world competed in the challenge. The Tim Adams Riesling also won the Australian Capital Tourism Award for Best Current Vintage.
More Information: 08 8842 1750

The Australian Dance Theatre’s Devolution has won the award for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Company’ at the 10th anniversary Australian Dance Awards last month. The theatre’s Devolution was commissioned by the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts 2006 and Sydney Festival. The award acknowledges excellence in dance throughout Australia and identifies Australian dance professionals, in Australia and overseas.
More information: 8216 4403

Head Chef, Kane Ellis from Penny’s Hills Restaurant, has been awarded the top culinary title of Fleurieu Peninsula Food Chef of the region for 2006. Kane received the award after winning both the entrée and main recipe sections of the competition. The culinary competition was part of Fesita! - a month long celebration in the Fluerieu region during October. Other awards included the Food Business of the Year, presented to Scoop SA.
More information: 8323 0144

The prestigious Grand Mercure Mount Lofty House in the Adelaide Hills, has been sold to the Accor Premiere Vacation Club (APVC), signalling the end of the Aughey family’s 14-year ownership of the property. APVC – which owns properties throughout Australia – plan to develop time-share apartments on the property with the aim of attracting a broader target market.
More information: 8339 8126

A new, updated guide to pubs and hotels in South Australia is now available in leading bookstores, Newspower Newsagents, and pubs around the state. The guide, “Every Pub Volume II”, features everything you need to know about pubs in South Australia, pub-crawls, photos and stories.
More information: 0417 789 299 or 0438 777 450

December 2006 will see the opening of the Migration Museum’s latest community exhibition, Our Contribution – Past, Present and Future. Presented by the Department for Families and Communities, this exhibition will begin the celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of social housing in South Australia.
More information: 8203 9868 or visit www.history.sa.gov.au

Starting December 2006, the Hilton Adelaide lobby will once again host a delightful Christmas Village. The massive display, which takes almost a month to create, consists of over 60kg flour, 10kg butter, 75kg sugar, 5kg marzipan and thousands of sweets. This display is part of a joint initiate with Hilton Adelaide and Variety, the Children’s Charity SA, to assist children in need in South Australia.
More information: 8237 0729

New beach-volleyball facilities, located just five minutes from the sea, have been opened in the popular seaside town, Victor Harbor. The four beach-sand courts are designed to offer tourists and locals the opportunity to try their luck at beach volleyball, while overlooking the stunning views of Encounter Bay. Competitions and social nights will be held throughout the summer season.
More information: 8551 0520

Mahalia Layzell, a master roaster for the coffee company, ‘Mahalia Coffee’ in the Limestone Coast, has received two bronze medals for her coffee blends in the Equal Golden Bean Roaster Awards held in Sydney in October. This annual national event is a prestigious competition, with more than 420 coffee roasters of Australia competiting.
More information: 0438 682 779 or visit www.cafebiz.net

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