A Melbourne-based Kiwi journalist attending his first Tamworth Country Music Festival, I boarded a plane for a work assignment to help with the Northern Daily Leader’s coverage of the biggest news event of the year. A fish exiting the water. 

Am I a country music aficionado? No. Was I excited to attend the festival anyway? Absolutely. The reason for my enthusiasm was validated almost immediately. Strolling down Peel St, the buzz of bustling festival goers set against the gloriously discordant hum of buskers, street performers and Summer cicadas, it was clear the festival is about so much more than music. 

It’s a coming together. The sense of pilgrimage among the hoards of fans and performers is palpable. Tamworth is the only place to be, and what a remarkable job Tamworth does in making it so.

I won’t be telling residents of this city anything they don’t already know, but what a treasure you have in this festival. Some might say the festival has come to define Tamworth, but I suspect it is the other way around. The people of this city – down to earth, hospitable, fun-loving – have embraced the event over many decades and infused it with the magnetism it currently enjoys. It’s continued success is a credit to the people of Tamworth, particularly the small army of organisers who make it happen.

And in my time here it’s become clear to me the country music festival isn’t Tamworth’s only local treasure. I have been blown away by the professionalism and dedication of the fantastic team of journalists at the Leader. Covering an event of this magnitude in the social media-driven digital age while still producing a quality newspaper each day is no small task.

The newsroom’s planning for the festival – countless meetings, spreadsheets and technical preparation – has been months in the making, and it’s wonderful to see that hard work coming together in the outstanding coverage you’ve seen so far.

I hope the people of Tamworth continue to appreciate the work they do, and the crucial role they play in this community. 

As for me, I’ll be setting off back to reality later this week. I’ll leave here impressed by the warmth and generosity of the people who make the festival what it is, and with the sound of county music ringing in my ears.

Before then, though, I’ve got a few more gigs I want to catch.