Two iconic Hindmarsh district events will benefit from funding announced today by Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford.

Rainbow is set to host the Rainbow Desert Enduro again in August and Nhill will celebrate 100 years of aviation this year with the Nhill Air Show in November, with both events have gained financial support from the Victorian Government’s Regional Events Fund.

Rainbow Desert Enduro

The Desert Enduro will return to Rainbow for the third time on 9 to 11 August and will bring up to 2,000 visitors to the town, keeping local businesses and tourism operators thriving through winter.

Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford, today announced funding through the Victorian Governmen’s Regional Events Fund to support the Desert Enduro which will stage the final round of the BF Goodrich CAMS Australian Off Road Championship.

The event will see competitors complete 7 laps of the 78km Enduro course, situated between Rainbow and Victoria’s Big Desert - through muddy paddocks, gravel roads, creek crossings and desert dunes.

The weekend will host more than just car racing, with the main street of Rainbow closed for a festival including race car displays, food stalls, children’s entertainment and music.

Nhill Centenary Air Show

A crowd of up to 4,500 people is expected to attend the Air Show on November 2 to celebrate 100 years of aviation in Nhill, and this event has attracted funding from the Victorian Government.

Used as an RAAF base during World War II, Nhill has a long and proud aviation history, and the Air Show will showcase the best in old and new aircraft - with a range of recreational and wartime aircraft flying in for the day, and a DC3 bringing passengers from Melbourne for an overnight stay.

Vintage cars, military vehicles, a community market, fashion parade and food stalls as well as flight simulators, photographic displays, joy flights and children’s activities will make the centenary celebrations fun for the whole family.

Ms Pulford said the Government’s $20 million Regional Events Fund helps rural and regional towns across Victoria secure a strong calendar of events.

“Tourism is vital to regional Victoria. It creates local jobs and supports regional businesses,” Ms Pulford said.

Tourism is vitally important for regional Victoria, with the latest figures showing that in the year ending September 2018, regional Victoria attracted 51.9 million visitors who spent $10.1 billion.

The impressive results come off the back of the Victorian Government’s investment in tourism, which has helped deliver over 180 events across regional Victoria and major tourism campaigns including the new regional campaign Your Happy Space.