WITH only 44 days to go until the 2014 Bombala Bike Show, most of the town’s accommodation has been booked out.
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But organisers have come up with a bold plan to help find beds for the expected crowd of between 3000 and 5000.
Show publicity officer Sam Dyer has gained Bombala Shire Council approval to erect a “tent city” at possibly two locations in the town.
Mr Dyer has taken to social media this week to seek expressions of interest for the plan.
“If you’ve been to the Bathurst [1000] car races, you will have seen a similar tent city idea,” Mr Dyer said on a Facebook post on Monday.
“We can only do this if we book enough tents, so we are asking you for expressions of interest as soon as possible.
“If we get the numbers, we can get the tents,” he said.
Mr Dyer told the Bombala Times it would take 60 bookings to make the plan viable. He is already negotiating with a Queensland company over the supply of tents.
Council had given its approval for the tents to be erected near the caravan park and at the swimming pool, he said.
“The tents fit two or three people and currently we are negotiating a very good deal for the entire weekend,” Mr Dyer said.
“So all you have to do is rock up and roll into your already erected tent.
“When you’ve finished, your tent will be packed away for you.
“The cost will be around $120 per person for the whole weekend – Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” he said.
The tents come complete with stretcher beds and lights. Linen is not supplied.
Mr Dyer said that many bike show enthusiasts camped in Bombala over the weekend but the tent city would cater for those people who did not want the bother of having to erect their tent, or those people who did not own one.
Organisers are expecting up to 5000 people at this year’s bike show – well up on last year’s numbers – and making it one of the biggest on record.
Entertainment will include Angry Anderson performing with the band Rockhouse and the Flair Riders BMX stunt team.
Boris Mihailovic, who has edited and contributed to a variety of publications, including Top Gear, Australian Motorcycle News and FHM, will also be at the show for a book signing.
More than 40 stalls have been booked.