Arts & Culture Sponsorships – September 2023
BEL TAKES THE WHEEL SPONSORING ANNUAL MUD RALLY AND PIG HUNT
The community celebrated the wet season mud rally tradition for another year on Australia Day in January. The family event brought the locals out for a great day of fun and friendly competition at the mud rally track at Bamaga Oval.
The event had no shortage of mud with activities including games, a pig hunt and the main show – 4WD racing in the mud, thanks to rain during the night and plenty of sunshine during the day.
Afterwards, everyone headed to Bamaga Tavern for a cold beverage and a hot meal to finish off the day’s excitement and to celebrate the winners at an awards presentation with a special performance from local musician, Christopher Tamwoy and his band.
BEL provided a $1,000 sponsorship for the annual NPARC-organised event, which covered accommodation at CYPL for Mr Tamwoy and the post-event festivities at the Tavern.
CREATIVE TALENTS UNCOVERED AT NPA ARTS CENTRE
A series of inspiring art workshops unveiled emerging talents within the NPA at a five-day plant dyeing workshop from 30 January to 4 February, earlier this year.
The NPA Arts Centre workshop in New Mapoon featured the talented New South Wales artist Anne Leon, who shared her knowledge of screen printing and natural plant dyeing, and taught new skills, including using ultraviolet-activated dyes.
BEL contributed a $2,000 sponsorship for the NPA Arts Centre to purchase various materials for the workshop, and to attract participants to showcase their abilities.
Nine female participants handcrafted silk scarves, kaftans and other beautiful creations during the highly engaging initiative.
Arts Centre Manager, Dev Lengjel, says the workshop was “a great success” and a number of scarves were sent to UMI Arts, the First Nations arts and cultural organisation, to present at the Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair and Sydney’s National Indigenous Art Fair in July.
CELEBRATING THE WOMEN OF THE NPA
This year the community marked International Women’s Day (IWD) with a celebratory lunch at Paperbark Restaurant on 8 March.
The NPA Family and Community Services (NPAFCS) event attracted 60 members of the local community including high school students and business and community leaders.
A number of guest speakers shared their experiences and words of wisdom with attendees. Dance troupe, The Fijian Sisters, also performed at the event, much to the room’s delight. Many attendees dressed in the event’s official colours, green, purple and white, in the spirit of the annual event.
BEL provided a sponsorship of $5,600 for the uplifting event to cover venue hire, food and beverages. The funding also enabled NPAFCS to present prizes to some lucky recipients, which included accommodation and restaurant vouchers from CYPL.
BEL’s Australia Post team also contributed gifts valued at over $1,000 to thank the day’s guest speakers for their time.
PUTTING CAPE YORK TOURISM ON THE MAP
The region’s natural beauty and culture recently attracted well-deserved attention from the travel industry. Two accomplished travel writers visited the NPA to share its stories with the country. In May, the Lodge welcomed Katie Carlin, an esteemed travel journalist from Australian Traveller magazine.
After experiencing the breathtaking landscapes of the NPA, Ms Carlin remarked, “There truly is nowhere else like it, and I feel incredibly privileged to have journeyed here.”
In July, Kate Webster also ventured into the region for News Corp’s Escape insert magazine, seeking the destination’s hidden treasures. CYPL in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) hosted both writers who embraced the opportunity to explore Fruit Bat Falls and Pajinka through the Indigenous-guided tours the Lodge started last year.
BEL General Manager, Tom Kelly, says the writers’ visits presented an incredible opportunity to showcase the region’s rich heritage and culture.
“Promoting tourism across the region boosts spend in the local economy and understanding of Indigenous culture. We’d like to thank TTNQ for their extensive support with these media visits.”
TTNQ Chief Executive Officer, Mark Olsen, says CYPL’s Indigenous tours were the ideal way to experience the stunning scenery of the NPA.
“TTNQ is delighted to partner with CYPL to show how easy it is to fly into Bamaga to enjoy the comfort of the Lodge as a base to explore the region’s iconic waterfalls and to visit Pajinka with an Indigenous guide,” Mr Olsen says.
“Indigenous tourism has enormous potential in Tropical North Queensland to provide employment and deepen the connection to country for First Nations people.”
In addition to hosting the famils, BEL and the Lodge have made extensive efforts to enhance visitor numbers.
Earlier this year, CYPL achieved remarkable success and recognition, winning Gold in the 4-4.5 Star Deluxe Accommodation category at the 2022 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Sydney.