This week on Back Roads presenter Anna Daniels is in Charlton in north-west Victoria.
Presenter Anna Daniels arrives to find this small farming community awash with city slickers who’ve come to see some of Australia’s hottest indie bands and soak up some of Charlton’s country style hospitality.
The OK Motels Festival aims to create and celebrate lasting friendships while also bridging the city and country divide. Anna meets festival creator Kate Berry, who fell in love with Charlton’s vintage 70’s motel and saw the possibilities. The locals came along for the ride, pitching in to help create this much-loved sellout event that also delivers valuable funding to the community.
At the East Charlton Hotel, publicans Greg Towers and Leanne Gretgrix open their arms to festival goers. The pair were once Grade Two classmates, who found love later in life after meeting at a school reunion. Their pub now beats at the heart of this welcoming little town. Anna helps out Ross Lane as he sets up the town-wide garage sale, before he and his band play at the festival dinner. At the event local kids help out to raise money to cover the cost of sending students to the city for work experience.
She joins a pool competition where ‘locals and blow-ins’ are teamed up to compete… and to make new friends. At the Rex Theatre, Anna meets David Pollard as he hosts a special festival screening. David led a campaign to save the art deco cinema, that saw the community raise $100,000 to keep their silver screen shining. It’s now community owned and run – a true survivor, and a testament to the passion and dedication of volunteers like David.
And as the festival draws to a close, what better way to finish up than a dip in the local pool, where the fabulous amateur synchronised swimmers The Clams, perform their aquatic ode to friendship “Swimply the Best”.
8pm Tuesday on ABC.
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