Things to do in the regions this week (30 January - 5 February)

Whatever you’re looking for this week, we’ve got you covered. Excitement, relaxation, art, music, thrills and more, it’s all happening across the regions this week.

Cooma Rodeo is bringing plenty of exciting displays of horsemanship, as well as food stalls, a bar and a full schedule of bull events.

A painting course awaits those looking to expand their artistic horizons and learn something new.

A night hike under a full moon awaits at Thredbo, promising beautiful vistas and photo opportunities not to be missed.

There’s all this and so much more in our weekly guide to the best to see and do.

Multiple Days

I Made You a Mixtape – Art Exhibition from Jo White at the Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre

When: 30 and 31 January, from 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, corner Vulcan and Murray streets, Moruya
Cost: Free.

Armidale painter Jo White’s newest exhibition, I Made You A Mix Tape, is a collection of works inspired by beloved songs and pop anthems, which have informed the titles and the theme and composition of the paintings themselves.

The exhibition is a multi-sensory experience, with the music that inspired the paintings playing throughout the gallery, gamifying the artistic experience by inviting viewers to guess which songs correlate with which artworks. White’s exhibition includes bronze sculptures along with paintings featuring her signature graphic style, colourful scenes and a wry sense of humour.

Friday

Sydney Writers’ Festival – Live Streaming Geraldine Brooks at the Narooma Library

When: 30 January, 10:30 to 11:30 am
Where: Narooma Library, Field Street, Narooma
Cost: Free | Book online.

Streamed directly from the Sydney Writers Festival, the Narooma Library is hosting a live showing of author Geraldine Brooks in conversation with Richard Glover.

Brooks is a novelist and non-fiction writer whose talent has covered acclaimed memoirs, historical fiction and reporting as a foreign correspondent. In this special talk, held in Sydney and streamed to Narooma, Geraldine will discuss her craft and reflect on a lauded career.

Alex Clark Live at the Steampacket Hotel

When: 30 January, 5 pm
Where: Steampacket Hotel, 963 Kings Highway, Nelligen
Cost: Free.

Alex Clark is a solo acoustic artist and a rising star in the area with an original and eclectic style of performance. Inspired by folk, country, punk and rock, she adapts to each performance, be it in a bar or pub, or at a wedding or winery. She has played alongside acts such as Mental As Anything, Jack Biilmann, The Rolling Stones Show, Gywen Ashton and The Beatles Show. Don’t miss out on this Friday’s live music performance at the Steampacket Hotel.

Cooma Rodeo

When: 30 January, gates open from 4:30 pm, rodeo starts at 6 pm
Where: Cooma Showground, Cromwell Street, Cooma
Cost: Adults $25 | Kids from 8 to 17 $15 | Under 8 free.

The Cooma Rodeo is back this Friday, promising a whole day of entertainment, stunning horsemanship and daring displays of bravery.

There will be the standard bull ride, saddle and bareback bronco events, ladies barrel, junior barrel and junior steer, as well as a bar and plenty of food stalls.

Sunday

Hewitt Memorial Race Day

When: 1 February, noon to 6 pm
Where: Goulburn Harness Club, 47 Braidwood Road, Goulburn
Cost: Free.

Head to the Goulburn Harness Club for a full day of world-class racing, featuring the $20,000 Tom and Angela Memorial prize as well as the $15,000 Goulburn Trotters Cup. This is a great chance to dress up in your finest kit, meet with friends and check out the races. This race day also doubles as a fundraiser for the Crookwell Community Trust Charity.

Monday

Mt Kosciuszko Full Moon Hike

When: 2 February
Where: Valley Terminal, Friday Dr, Thredbo
Cost: Tickets are $209 | Book online.

Thredbo is offering a special full moon hike this week, inviting amateur to professional hikers, nature lovers and everyone in between to witness the beauty of the full moon rising over the mountains.

It starts with a chairlift ride, providing sweeping views of Australia’s highest region, then proceeds to a walk past rivers, alpine lakes and mountain scenery, while guides point out native flora and fauna.

Along the way, there will be plenty of photo opportunities at scenic points and you will enjoy a hot chocolate at the summit.

Thursday

The Gist of Abstract Painting – Short Course

When: First of five sessions held on 5 February, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: Glennos House, 31 Narambi Close, Moruya
Cost: $480 for five sessions | Book online.

Whether you’re an experienced visual artist, a complete newcomer, or anything in between, this course, hosted by Glennos House, is all about giving you the practical and theoretical techniques of abstract art.

Over five sessions covering five weeks, artists are encouraged to reach a creative flow, exploring mark making, layered colouring, textural play and experimentation. With a variety of paints, tools and surfaces, artists will learn how to create abstract works intuitively.

Don’t worry about experience level or skill; this is a guided and supportive course aimed at any skill level. By the end of the process, painters will have two small canvas paintings, a medium canvas painting and one large piece.

Hot Department at the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre

When: 5 February, 7:30 pm
Where: The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan
Cost: Tickets from $30 to $40 | Book online.

Hot Department have seven live shows and 85 sketches under their belt and with this show, they celebrate five years of high-camp sketch comedy.

Having performed across three continents, five countries and more than 30 cities, Hot Department deliver well-honed comedy, with a full suitcase of wigs and fake blood elevating their brand of humour to a bizarre and hilarious pitch.

They’ve picked the best crowd-pleasing skits from their many shows and combined them into one single performance, and are sure to excite with their signature physicality and dedication to the absurd.