Gawura gallery is a finalist in a statewide regional tourism award.
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It's the second year running a Glen Innes tourist attraction will be in the finals of the regional tourism awards.
Gawura gallery isn't even two years old. Wendy and Lloyd Hornsby say they're already getting signs of good word of mouth - they're booked a year in advance and organise 12 tours for tourists.
They found out the latest feather in their cap yesterday
"We were so excited, you know. If we don't win it doesn't matter - well it'd be lovely to win but if we don't win, to be shortlisted in that field of people is a really proud moment for us," said Wendy Hornsby,
"A little art gallery in Glen Innes in with that is just a really big deal - and good on Glen Innes!"
Gawura gallery is up against the Tamworth country music festival, Broken Hill's outback astronomy and the Dubbo regional council among others on a shortlist of 25 tourist attractions across NSW in the running for the regional tourism country and outback award for 2019.
Glen Innes' Australian Celtic Festival was a finalist in the festival and events section last year, losing to the Parkes Elvis Festival and the Canowindra Balloon Challenge. The Celtic Festival was also a finalist in the state-wide tourism awards, losing to Splendor in the Grass, Sydney's Vivid Festival and the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Wendy and Lloyd will take time off from work to travel to a Dubbo awards night on July 26, where the winners will be announced.
Former council office Navanka Fletcher encouraged the pair to apply for the award.
Wendy says the application process took an age - a month of work, like doing your taxes - but she actually thought they hadn't written a good enough application.
"I didn't think I'd hear from them because they had at the bottom of the page 'max 12,000 words'.
"And I thought - that's a thesis!
"I didn't write anywhere near that."
Along with the news, they had a visitor from the awards to inspect the place yesterday. He even looked through their welcome book.
Wendy says the secret of their gallery is the personal touch.
"Aboriginal art requires you to tell the stories," she said.
"And that's what people love. Lloyd's here 90 per cent of the time and he'll talk to people about the stories, the Aboriginal culture and make them feel inclusive of the art work and I think that's a real difference."
It's working: they recently had a tourist travel through stop specially on the basis of a recommendation she got in Kununurra - 3700 kilometres away.