Bellarine reps are off to London to see the Queen

LANDMARKS from the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast will be viewed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show in London next week.

Roger Grant, director of Australia’s Great Southern Touring Route, is heading to London to attend the event and will join forces with Ocean Grove sculptor Will Wilson, whose bronze wildlife pieces are regarded as being some of the best in the world.

Mr Grant said he would be distributing a dedicated brochure that features Will’s sculptures, which are located in high profile locations along the Great Southern Touring Route.

These include sea horses at Geelong waterfront, pelicans at Barwon Heads, wedge-tailed eagles at the You Yangs and even a great apple at the Flying Brick Cider House on the Bellarine Peninsula.

“The combination of great natural settings and the exceptional artistry of Will’s sculptures makes this a compelling proposition to attract further visitors from the UK to our region,’’ Mr Grant said.

In anticipation of attending the show, Mr Grant wrote a letter to Buckingham Palace to invite Her Majesty the Queen to visit their stand as part of the official royal walk through.

“We were delighted to receive a positive response from Buckingham Palace indicating the Queen will visit Will Wilson’s exhibition stand as part of Her Majesty’s visit to the Flower Show.’’

The Royal visit will take place on Monday May 20, when the Queen will be accompanied by media before the show opens to the public on Tuesday, when 150,000 people are expected to visit.

The Great Southern Touring Route is a marketing partnership between Geelong, The Bellarine, Great Ocean Road, Grampians and Ballarat.

“Will Wilson has been going to the Chelsea Flower Show for over 10 years and his bronze wildlife sculptures and bird baths are regarded as being ‘the best in the world’.

“The combination of great natural settings and the exceptional artistry of Will’s sculptures makes this a compelling proposition to attract further visitors from the UK to our region.’’

The trip is funded by industry members of Great Southern Touring Route