A very busy time is expected along the Far South Coast to soak up the long weekend sunshine.
No rain and a top of around 19 degrees is expected attract a large number of visitors to local towns from Canberra and over the border from the south.
Merimbula is set to host the famous Jazz and the popular WinterSun Festivals.
WinterSun Festival organiser Lynn McColl said Merimbula will be jumping.
“The festival is very much about place. It’s very much about Merimbula and the Sapphire Coast and who we are and what we love and it’s promoting the region as a year-round destination,” Ms McColl said.
“I call this festival a tasting plate of the Sapphire Coast because it really is. It shows off beautiful iconic landscapes and the old historic buildings. It shows off our pristine waters, great accommodation. We’ve got fabulous restaurants and bars and clubs and pubs and great retail and it’s beautiful all year round here. We’re sort of saying that to visitors and to locals come and be part of this because it’s really a beautiful part of the world all year round,” she said.
“The Winter Sun name is aptly titled because it is in winter but there is a classic surfboard shaping business that was here in the 70s and 80s and they were called Winter Sun.
“On Saturday morning, we have water fest.. It includes ripple races. So there’s kids. It’s a kids race of swimming and running on the sand. There’s a splash and dash for people who want to get in the water but aren’t really committed to a long swim and then there’s the jetty to jetty from Mitchie’s jetty over to Spencer Park jetty and back and that’s a 1.2 kilometre swim.
“Then in the afternoon we have the StreetFest on Market Street so that’s all closed down to traffic. We have live local bands from 12 till 7 pm and on a big stage. We have food trucks and we have a licensed bar selling local beers, wines and spirits.
“Then on Sunday we have the Wolf to Wharf Trail Run from Tarthra Steamship Wharf to Merimbula Wharf. That’s a run through national parks and beaches and bush tracks and that sort of thing.
“Then on Monday morning we have the Light to Light, which we started last year. The Light to Light is from Boyd’s Tower at Eden to Greencape Lighthouse and that’s a 33 kilometre race through national parks and bush tracks and beaches and things, highlighting how amazing and pristine and iconic our beautiful remote coastline is, and all of our sort of iconic sort of landmarks, the built environment.”
Dogs on surfboards is also one of the offerings to visitors to Merimbula this weekend with Pups on Sups at Mitchies Jetty.
“We have people with their sup board, stand-up paddle boards, and they put their dogs on the front of the, on the front of the paddle board and paddle around the lake,” she said.
“Actually, we do have one person who has a Bengal cat who likes to sup as well. So you might see a Bengal cat on a sup on the weekend.”
