As nice a place Albury is to live, it is over rated with comparison to Wollongong, ..... as reported today.
Apparently Wollongong is 7th place compared to Albury's 6th, as a tourist destination, and as the following report states, there is nothing much for tourists or locals in Albury/Wodonga, except visiting wineries and eating out, visiting the Hume Weir or Murray river, both very dangerous places, as was shown last week or so with 2 lots of canoeists coming to grief in the Murray at Albury. Unlike the coast, we have a dangerous scenario in the Weir and River, .... muddy water with trees covered by water just under the surface and varying temperature bands for swimmers, hidden obstacles and dangers luring under swift flowing river water and dangerous antics of jumping from the bridges into the Murray, without knowing what may have just flowed under their path, ... no lifeguards as on coastal beaches, where here, a child could disappear under the surface and be drowned before they could be found. The Albury City Council even took our Water Fountain away from QE2 Square, which is in Central Albury which used to be a beautiful cool spot on warm sunny days. Apart from the Cinema centre, Sports Stadium, bowling alley, Intencity, 2 swimming pools, pubs and clubs, granted there are the snow areas within an hour or so in Winter, but there is not much really to attract tourists to Albury, apart from a few well presented photos of the general area, which is, IMO, no way near the attractiveness of Wollongong or any other coastal area. On the other hand, there probably is a few positives because we are not so populated, less traffic, no racial issues, (yet). It's strange how our housing development estates are born out of beautiful scenic country vistas, so easily promoted, but when completed, your house nearly may as well be in Central Albury, as the environment is changed as houses take the place of trees and open space.
Our Hume Weir has been full for the last couple of years, but today is about 70%, with heaps of water being released for irrigation and the environmental flows. The Hume Weir level is all over the place as Albury Wodonga citizens don't have a say in the water use as it is all owned by irrigators and the Greens, (apparently). They are releasing water now during summer for environmental flows, but that water they are releasing would not be flowing in summer, but would be during Winter.
Just as Albury City Council plans to spend $10.5 million on refurbishing the Albury Art Gallery, using up to $7 million of ratepayers' money, which will give them about $53 million debt, there are those running the show that live in a different world to the average Albury citizen, and that is how they promote the place, using pretty ordinary "attractions", which in reality are a waste of time. IMO, Albury City Council has not been proactive in creating worthwile activities, while at the same time they have "white elephants" that they want to get rid of, like The Cumberoona paddle steamer that is in dry dock being repaired, hasn't been used for a long time and only costs money, doesn't earn any. The Uiver Dutch aeroplane sitting out in the weather near the Airport, not being displayed or covered from the elements.
No, whoever wants to fool people that Albury/Wodonga is an exeptional tourist destination, must be the Council, own a Motel, pub, or restaurant, .... once you've been here, not much reason to come back.
Someone mentioned Bunnings, and they are a good store to shop at, but in the meantime we have lost our Mitre 10 and Dahlsens are about to shut down or might already be gone. So, there is no competition lke in other towns.
Our car dealers, .... baker motors, blacklocks, etc, ... no other competition for miles, only dealers in town, without going to Wangaratta or Culcairn. Monopolies, where they can treat customers as they like.
The Hume Weir Trout farm used to be the best tourist attraction around here until it closed a while ago apparently because of insurance costs. The Ettamogah Sanctuary was always a poorly run establishment, given a lot of donated money and labour, now gone.
...... Albury/Wodonga, somewhere peacefull to live, but IMO, nothing special as a tourist destination.
------------------------------------------------------------ 'Albury or the Gong for holidays? No contest By ANGELA THOMPSON Jan. 18, 2013, 11 p.m.
There is nothing wrong with stopping in Albury to use the toilet if you are desperate.
But it surely doesn't deserve a tourism destination ranking above Wollongong.
In the extraordinarily biased opinion of this scribe, Wollongong has suffered a mighty injustice at the hands of Wotif.com, which this week ranked Albury sixth and Wollongong seventh in a tally of most popular holiday destination cities in NSW.
MORE: Albury pips Wollongong
This demands a recount!
Wollongong has a world class coastline, many decent restaurants and bars, good theatre and a growing events calendar, summertime outdoor movies, the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere, beachside skydiving, delightful little northern suburbs' boutiques, a jaw-dropping escarpment and Jamberoo Action Park in short driving distance.
It hasn't the heaving pulse of Sydney, but if the two cities were people they would probably be friends. Sydney might call Wollongong up every now and then and ask her to catch up for a drink or something, to talk about their common fabulousness.
Albury would not be invited to drinks. It would be having another quiet night at home, probably spent almost entirely online looking at the Wotif rankings over and over. Sad sack.
The border city has some nice older buildings no doubt, but its muddy brown waterways will never compare to the glassy aquamarine majesty off the coast of Wollongong.
I saw Albury only once, from the window of a train that thankfully kept going to Melbourne, but have consulted that ever reliable bastion of truth and insight, Trip Advisor, for evidence.
According to reviewers, Albury's top five attractions are the Albury Botanic Garden (Wollongong's would manure all over it), Monument Hill War Memorial (remarked upon mainly for its view of Albury), Lake Hume (brown, motionless water - why do it to yourself?), Albury Racing Club (actually that might make a good day out . . . ) and a zoo, called Oz.e Wildlife, which is now closed. The zoo had a single penguin, a few koalas, an emu, a dingo - "but lots of kangaroos" - before it closed. Also many "empty cages".
The prosecution rests.
OUR TOP 5
1. Our beaches
2. Jamberoo Action Park
3. Dapto Dogs
4. Skydive the Beach
5. Caveau
The Albury Border Mail presents its case
We at the Albury Border Mail are more than happy to take up the challenge from the Illawarra Mercury, where journalists are suitably cheesed off at their city losing its spot to Albury among the top tourism destinations in NSW.
Albury is named the sixth most popular city in NSW, according to Wotif.com’s 2012 top destination list this week.
The results have upset a Wollongong tourism boss, who labelled Albury as “being in the middle of nowhere” after the border city polled higher.
Albury council tourism team leader Sue Harper objected to the comment.
“Yes, we are inland and don’t have the seaside as an attraction, but we do extremely well, just look at where we placed,” Ms Harper said.
“We have some great attractions and our domestic overnight visitation numbers have increased, as well as our international visitation numbers.”
Perhaps the Wollongong locals should note that despite its “world class coastline”, the Wotif.com results come just days after Albury-Wodonga was ranked the nation’s fourth-most family friendly place.
Poor old Wollongong placed a paltry 21st in the same poll.
So much for Albury not being invited to drinks; we’re having our very own party down here...and with a better class of guests.
Albury’s ranking is no surprise to Albury Mayor Alice Glachan, although she is far more diplomatic about it.
“Clearly Wollongong has many natural assets, however Albury also has a great deal of natural and heritage assets,” she said.
“This result coupled with being ranked the fourth most family friendly city, we are delighted to achieve these results.”
Even Wollongong tourism boss Mark Sleigh yesterday reneged on his earlier criticism of Albury when an Illawarra Mercury reader pointed out the coastal city’s coalmines, dirty industry and overcrowded roads.
“The point I was making, which was lost in the isolated comment, was the tourism proposition of Albury is completely different to that of Wollongong.”
As for the Dapto Dogs ranking among Wollongong’s top five attractions, Albury farewelled the dishlickers long ago for its annual award-winning Gold Cup meeting in March. So there!
