TAMWORTH has been “HOG heaven” for the past few days as thousands of Harley Davidson owners, partners and friends converged on the city for the annual HOG Australian National Rally.
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Tamworth reverberated with the rumble of motorbikes as Harley riders from every corner of the country, and even from overseas, enjoyed the best the city and surrounds have to offer.
Yesterday’s Thunder Ride was nothing short of spectacular – even if you don’t know one end of a motorbike from the other.
It was thought about 2000 bikes would be participating, but yesterday estimates went as high as 2400, which would seem closer to the mark if you were standing by the side of the road watching them rumble by.
Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of us.
You also didn’t have to be a motorbike enthusiast to appreciate how magnificent so many of the machines are, a quick calculation putting the total cost of the bikes thundering past into the many millions.
For Tamworth it’s no doubt been a profitable exercise as well, with many accommodation and hospitality venues enjoying the benefits.
The importance of events like this for regional centres can’t be underestimated, with the immediate cash injection just one of the advantages.
It’s also the stories they’ll tell friends and family about the area that may encourage them to visit the region down the track, and if they’ve had a good time, then chances are they may return in the future, maybe for the other big event for which we’re famous, the country music festival.
It’s these word-of-mouth recommendations that are so important for the tourism economy and it’s the responsibility of all of us to do our bit in welcoming visitors.
Just a friendly smile can make all the difference to a person’s perception of a new place, so it was great to see so many locals standing by the side of the road, waving at and cheering on yesterday’s Thunder Ride participants.
Tamworth now has some great venues to offer event organisers and it seems the city will only attract more of these large-scale rallies, conferences and carnivals.
We are so lucky to have so much right on our doorstep in this beautiful region and the more people we can share it with, the better that is for our future prosperity.
