BIG ticket events across the weekend have provided an economic boost for the region as it continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cohuna Agricultural Show, Serpentine Air Race and Lake Charm Archer Eade Memorial powerboat racing event drew thousands of visitors, filling hospitality and accommodation venues.
Among them was Perth resident Natasha Loohuys, who travelled more than 3200km to visit family and attend the Cohuna Show on Saturday morning.
Show organisers admitted they were “overwhelmed” by the community support, with big crowds turning out for the two-day event, while hundreds of powerboat enthusiasts took to the shores of Lake Charm for a day of racing, with 62 teams entered.
“We have competitors who have travelled from South Australia, New South Wales, Melbourne metro and everywhere in between,” Victorian Outboard Club president Sam Lucas said said.
It was a similar story at Serpentine on Sunday, with thousands converging on the town for an action-packed air show.
Manager of the Serpentine Roadhouse Ash Amerineni said the town’s airshow resulted in an unexpected flow of customers on Sunday.
“It was very busy,” she said.
“We had double the traffic we usually have on a Sunday.”
Despite COVID lockdowns and the uncertainty, Ms Amerineni said the roadhouse had managed to stay open 24-hours a day, and did not close for one single day throughout the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Lake Charm Foreshore Public Caravan Park caretaker, Kylie Munro, said it was great to see the influx of visitors return to the region.
“We were fully booked over the weekend and had about 95 per cent capacity the week before,” Ms Munro said.
“Everyone is happy and we’re getting back to normal.”
Ms Munro said the last few years had also been challenging, noting she moved interstate to take on the new role as caretaker just prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“We arrived on March 1 and by March 26 we were shut and remained closed for close to 18 months,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Ms Munro remained optimistic and said things were starting to look up.
“It’s all looking positive,” she said, noting the park had welcomed visitors from Melbourne, Bendigo, Queensland and New South Wales in recent weeks.
