Despite summer officially ending several weeks ago a host of events and activities were drenched in warmth across Saturday and Sunday as the region showcased the best of our fine food, wine, agriculture, sport and fabulous community spirit.

Thousands of people from our region, and beyond, again ventured to Tastes Of Rutherglen.

This event matches the North East’s finest chefs with Rutherglen’s finest winemakers, and lures visitors from far and wide, including the nation’s three south eastern capital cities.

While it has a long-established reputation organisers are always re-inventing the program to keep it as fresh as the food they serve up.

The hard-working Tallangatta show committee should be recognised for their community work.

Like many country shows around our fine region, the 120^th annual show maintained a traditional feel, with woodchopping and novelty races adding a welcome touch of days gone by in our modern world.

The ever-popular Towong Cup in the Upper Murray lived up to its reputation as a fun, relaxed country racing at its best.

On Sunday it was Corowa’s turn, with the club producing another exciting Cup meeting.

All these events proved one thing to visitors to our region: tourism does not rely only on the Murray River.

Those people who have cancelled their holiday to the region, or planned to cancel their visit because of blue green algae in Lake Hume and the Murray River should think again.

Patchy storms at the weekend did not do enough to knock out the algal bloom and we can expect it to remain for some time.

But, with Easter almost on us, it is important to tell family and friends looking to visit us: “Please come”.

The Border and North East has so much to offer at any time of the year and blue green algae is not the most pressing issue facing visitors to our region – the dismal North East Rail line needs to be the talking point.

We urge you to make a noise about our the sub-standard rail service to anyone in a position of power.

And we urge anyone in a position of power to stop making noise and start doing.