About Me

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I am a full-time mama with a passion for writing and talking to fascinating people. I live in a one horse town with a Cowboy and my son. Thank Lord for cyberspace! I lived a colourful life in Sydney for a number of years. Working in advertising and journalism for FPC and the Sydney Morning Herald. During my time in Sydney I competed in a Dragon Boat race, choreographed a dragshow, used the Share Accomodation advertisements as a way to meet men and was told by Noiseworks frontrunner Jon Stevens that I was a bitch! Then came the decision to move back to country for 3 months to help out my Father with newspaper business while he was having treatment. Convinced I was a city girl I was caught by surprise when I fell in love with a farmer (and no, he didn't want a wife... still doesn't it seems!) convinced him that we needed to see the world, popped off to Vietnam to teach english in Saigon - before realising that the "food" in Nam didn't agree with me... turned out to be Monte - my son who is now with the Cowboy and I back in country NSW! I am in a wonderful stage of my life where I am focusing on the things that really make me tick. Including writing these chronicles.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Blogging on the Bidgee ?

ABC Rural is running a competition "Revive and Thrive" ... with money to give to not for profit organisations for ideas that will attract people to your town.

Now even though I call the town I live in the "One Horse Town" it really is not that bad.

We are halfway between Sydney and Adelaide, 4 hours to Melbourne, an hour to a major airport so you can get here without too much difficulty.

I have risen to the challenge of this competition and thought it might provide an opportunity to make one of my dreams a reality.

I don't know about you, but since entering the blogosphere I have met so many like-minded, fascinating, wonderful friends and my only regret is that to this point they are all two dimensional.

America has the annual Blogher conference in New York. What do we have Down Under?

Nada!


How about an annual country retreat - "Blogging on the Bidgee" (Murrumbidgee River runs through the OHT and is just beautiful) to be held in my One Horse Town?

A weekend of kayaking, writing, chilling, networking with bloggers from all over Australia?

OHT was once awarded Australia's tidiest town, it has lots of history and accomodation and is very friendly - so it wouldn't be like having a Blogging event in a town with a tumbleweed floating past, not quite anyway.

I know its a long way to travel for some... but maybe with the money they are offering could be used to attract big namers - for example Mia Freedman?

An annual weekend in the Country mingling with bloggers.

We could have workshops, guest speakers - bloggers talking about their blogs

What do you think?

Do you have any feedback / further ideas to make this idea a winner?

11 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great idea. Doing things for charity always is a great idea in my viewpoint.

    Kindest regards,
    Tom Bailey

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  2. I would so come :) Hope it gets off :)

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  3. That is a FANTASTIC idea! I am super jealous at just the potential that you would have a Blogher type event in your town.

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  4. Count me in Sharni. Tehehe...

    Seriously though, I wish we have the same thing in Oz.=(

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  5. Great idea, though you know we would all have to stay at your place!

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  6. I can camp ....

    Seriously, A great idea. If you have it at Easter 2011 that will get me out of a boy type gathering (its a tragic car thing) in Southern Qld. :)

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  7. The only question is are there plenty of cafe's with free internet so that people can check their blogs whilst there!

    Bloggers conference needs internet :)

    But i think its a great idea!

    Its about time things were held out of the cities.

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  8. that is a great point Al - maybe in my application I can suggest the money from the grant can go towards ensuring we have this available!!! cheers

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  9. Hell yes! There's no way I could get to New York, but OHT? That's an affirmative!

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  10. You go Sharni! Unite the Australian bloggers for an OHT extravaganza!

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  11. I like the sound of this...keep us posted :)

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