Could your town be our next My Town? The Great Outdoors launched a new segment called My Town this year. We want you to email us at greatoutdoors_producer@yahoo.com.au and tell us why your town should be on the show. Check out our article below to get a better insight into what we’re looking for. What is the My Town segment?
The My Town segment is a short segment on the show that screens most weeks. We all know that often the best way to experience a travel destination is through the eyes of a local so that is exactly what we do! We find an insider in the community to tell us about why they think their town is special.Watch some previous 'My Town' videos to get a feel for what the format of the segment is like.
Why did we decide to do a My Town segment?
The team on The Great Outdoors has been travelling around Australia for 16 years so it is pretty fair to say we have seen a lot of it! But we have not been to some of the smaller towns, which still have a lot to offer but perhaps do not have as many obvious attractions as the bigger towns. So we developed the My Town segment so that we could address all the fantastic smaller towns in Australia many of which are not on the tourism radar yet!
How do we decide what towns to feature on the segment?
There are a few things we consider. We often try to find out if there are any towns with any special claims to fame such as being the 'friendliest town' or having the 'biggest banana' or what have you! But towns don’t have to have a big claim, they might just be filled with interesting characters. We do like to have a geographical mix so that we can highlight all the amazing places all over Australia!How do we find our local tour guides?
We call and talk to the locals of course! Most small towns have a pub, corner store or a post office so we usually ask them about the characters in their town.
What have we loved the most about doing this segment?We love meeting interesting, quirky and real people who have a tremendous sense of community spirit. One town that really stands out is Gellibrand in Victoria. Gellibrand is a small, quiet town but it was transformed into a buzz of activity when our TV crew got there. A few people were drinking beers in the pub in the afternoon and soon enough we had almost the whole of Gellibrand there, even the kids who finished school came along! It is fantastic to see that sort of excitement.
We have definitely got more of an insight into the Australia that many people do not see and we hope that you find some hidden gems when you are watching the segment. So many people do not think to drive off the main road but there are so many amazing people and stunning places that are off the beaten track. So remember next time you are heading somewhere, turn off the main road and explore the back streets, you never know what gems you could find!
Do you think your town could be a good My Town segment?
Send us an email and include the following:
1. Tell us about who should be the local guide to take us around your town (if it is you, great!) You do not have to be experienced at TV presenting but we are looking for outgoing characters who are willing to give talking in front of the camera a go.
2. Tell us about the great attractions your town has such as any special claims to fame, amazing landmarks, historic facts or people, explain to us what makes your town special and worth visiting.
3. Tell us why you personally love your town, make us understand why we just have to go there!
4. Optional - Email us 3 pictures of your town (JPEG file format) that show us your town in all its glory!
Good luck and keep watching the show to see where we end up!
