About Us

Since 2002, Debbie Blatch and I have discussed various artistic ideas at Playgroup, paddock picnics, fete days, BBQs, camping and parties - our kids are the same age, we both live on farms, we both love art and were passionate about strengthening our small rural villages located 4 hours west of Sydney.

Kids enjoying the Molong Festival.

We both grew up in the country playing travelling car games like spot the white horse, count the windmills, make a sentence from the number plate, eye spy so this 'paddock art' project developed from our own childhood memories.

Debbie is an artist, and a teacher at Yeoval Central School and married to Jamie - a farmer working at Yeoval AgNVet produce store and they have 2 children.

I am a trained Art teacher and have a Marketing company, I am married to David - a Cumnock farmer and grazier and have 3 children.

Our kids love to go to the Dubbo Zoo, the Angora Rabbit farm & Koala park, Dolittle snake display, Radio telescope, Burrendong Dam, the Wellington Caves, the Gelato Factory and the Elvis Festival. There are many more special local places of interest that are not promoted enough - there was so much to do and see in our area!

The children are always fascinated by the animals at the Zoo (see Dora the Rhino bathing above), the animals on the farm plus riding their bikes on dirt tracks and participating in the Mulga Bill Bicycle Festival so the "Animals on Bikes' theme was created.

The initial motivation for this art project was to create a visual fantasy for the children.

Cumnock & District Progress Association organised welding classes throught TAFE Outreach for the farmers's wives, Rentafarmhouse families and local enthusiasts that were keen to learn a new skill and create a masterpiece!

The project aims to be developed on a much larger scale that can be enjoyed by both the young children and their parents travelling in school holidays plus the retirees and travel bugs in their caravans all year round.

"Animals on Bikes" tourist trail will operate 365 days a year -and be FREE and visible from any motorbike, bicycle, car or bus window for the pleasure of passing tourists and local businesses.

Please contact us if you require more information.

Debbie Blatch and Christine Weston info@animalsonbikes.com.au Mb 0411 208 240

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Friday 3rd April 2009 = Regional Arts NSW announce funding Animals on Bikes

Tuesday 1st September 2009 = Media release for website

Tuesday 1st Sep- "Artwork to boost tourism" Orange Central Western Daily with Ellen Vaz

Thursday 3rd Sept = Molong Express newspaper "Enter this fun Paddock Art competition"

Tuesday 8th Sept = ABC radio - Orange with Angela Owens

Thursday 10th September = Cumnock Progress Review

Friday 11th Sept = ABC radio - Dubbo with Sally Bryant

Friday 11th September = Wellington Times "Strange Creatures to populate roadside" by Sharon Toynton

Wednesday 23rd September = Prime TV regional News with Antonia

Wednesday 30th September = Yeoval satellite paper - Animals on Bikes update

Wednesday 30th September = Cabonne Mayor Kevin Duffy News and Views

Thursday 1st October = Russell Turner MP column in Molong Express

Friday 2nd October = Wellington Times - Mens shed sculpture "Men on mission to build best bike"

Thursday 8th October = Molong Express newspaper inviting people to participate

Thursday 8th October = 500 sculptor invitation leaflets delivered to Cumnock, Yeoval and Obley st residents

Tuesday 13th October = Yeoval Satellite update

Wednesday 14th October = Cumnock Progress Review update

Tuesday 20th October = Media release "First 2 Animals on Bikes sculptures go up!"

Friday 23rd October = Central Western Daily "Logical Explaination for Creation" by Lisa Cox

Monday 9th November = Parkes Champion Post "Yikes! Animals on Bikes"

Wednesday 11th November = Yeoval Satellite and Cumnock Progress Review update

Thursday 12th November = Molong Express "10 days to go!"

Wednesday 18th November = Yeoval Satellite update

Friday 20th November = Parkes Champion Post "Council gets involved in animals on bikes promotion"

Saturday 28th November = ABC Central west radio news with Sally Bryant

Monday 23rd November = Central Western Daily "Residents Plough into Paddock Art project" by Ellen Jones

Thursday 26th November = Molong Express "Animals on Bikes Entries Closing"

Monday 30 November = Central Western Daily OUR VIEW "Riding High with Animals on Bikes"

Monday 30 November = Central Western Daily "Animals on Bikes worth its metal" by Lisa Cox

Monday 30 November = ABC Western Plains radio "Hundreds gather on Obley rd for Animals launch"

November 2009 = Issue 3 Central NSW tourism Marketing Update

Thursday 3rd December = Molong Express "Packwell wins Australian animal category"

Friday 4th December = Media Release "Animals on Bikes winners annouced"

Friday 4th December = Wellington Times "Men's Shed artists shocked to win inaugural competition"

December 2009 = Central NSW DISCOVER magazine "Farmers creating paddock art"

Thurs 17 December 2009 = THE LAND "Bike art sparks boom" by Gabrielle Johnston

Dec/Jan Summer issue of Dept Primary Industry - Rural Womens Network "Animals on Bikes"

Thursday 31st December 2009 = THE LAND "Meeting the local Wildlife"

Tuesday 5th January 2010 = Daily Telegraph "Paddock oddities on odyssey to Dubbo" by Marea Donnelly

Tuesday 5th January 2010 = 9.20am ABC radio North - Mid coast with Fiona

Wednesday 6th January 2010 = Australian Traveller magazine

Monday 24th January 2010 = Lisa Williams Photo Journalist Getty Images

Tuesday 26th January 2010 = Unique Daily World's Longest Sculpture Installation

8 March 2010 = Christine Weston wins 'NSW Woman of the Year' with involvement in NSW tourist initiative

29 March 2010 = Wellington Times Ch 9 "Getaway" with Jules Lund films Animals on Bikes

30 March 2010 = Central Western Daily 'Getaway to a unique tourist destination'

31 March 2010 = Central NSW tourism speech at Canowindra on 'Building art trails for tourism experiences'

16 April 2010 = local Cumnock ex-showgirl and Rural Achiever, Rebecca Staines wins Royal Agricultural Show society $25,000 question - read RASF Press Release

22 April = Cabonne Council report 'Cumnock woman wins $25,000 community grant'

25 April = Wellington Times Former showgirl finds right answer to $25,000 question

28 April = CENTROC The Shiny Halo - Central NSW taking action for a resilient future

Autumn 2010 Number 52 = The Country Web - Rural Women's Network newsletter "Christine wins NSW Woman of the Year"

Friday 18th June = Won Daroo Award in "Excellence in Tourism"

Saturday 19th June = Won 'Waste 2 Art' Sculpture and CENTROC divisions in the regional Final held in Menindee

Thursday 24th June = WIN TV News segment

Thursday 24th June = 6 minute segment on Channel 9 "Getaway" with Molong gelato factory and Dubbo zoo.

June 2010 Issue 2 = CCSA (Community Connections Solutions Australia) magazine front cover and Luke's page 10 article

June 2010 Issue 1 = SASSPA School Administration Support Staff Professional Association newsletter front cover and Helen Ross inside story

June 2010 = Christine Weston announced as Cabonne Council "Volunteer of the Month"

4 August 2010 = speech at Cowra Bull sale www.bluee.com.au on "Community Strength and the Power of the Positive"

Thursday 5 August 2010 = The Land regional magazine "Cumnock's Creative side"

9 August 2010 = recognised as a tourist destination on www.visitnsw.com.au website

14 August 2010 = promoted at the Country & Regional Living Expo Country week at Rosehill racecourse by Cabonne Council with brochure and newspaper

August 2010 = RAS Times (Volume 8 #2) page 4 "The Answer: More Animals on Bikes"

Click on the highlighted text above to read the article. Thank you.

Entry Form

Please complete this form to enter the "Animals on Bikes" Sculpture competition. Entry is FREE.

Deadline for completion is finished for 2009 competition however you can create, erect and enter next competition which will be held in late 2011.

You can print Entry form here and post to us at PO Box 22 Cumnock NSW 2867 or submit Entry form online:

RULES for 2011 competition:

1. Paddock sculptures must be at least 2 metres in height so can be viewed from the road. Bigger the better! Letter box size may vary.

2. Subject matter. Animals can be Australian or Foreign and can include reptiles and birds. Bikes can be pushbikes, motorbikes, unicycles, penny-farthing, anything with a wheel impression.

3. Must be made with non-perishable material so can survive 2 years outdoors in all weather conditions

4. Must remain in the paddock for 2 years until next competition - although existing sculptures can be extended, altered, improved or re-painted and re-entered.

5. Sculptures must appear along Obley rd, and no more than 500m from Obley rd to be eligible.

6. Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

You can download the Colour and/or Black and White map versions here.

Please advise any changes to this Map to info@animalsonbikes.com.au

Tourist Attractions

The Family Quiz has been designed as a 'bit of fun' for the long car trip - for mum or dad to print out and ask the kids the questions as they drive along the 120km route.

Debbie and I have children under 8 years old so perhaps designed more for this age group (we will do one for older kids and maybe even adults later - would love your tips so please email us on info@animalsonbikes.com.au with any ideas)

You can download the Family Quiz (starting Dubbo end) here which shows distance between sculptures and placement between Dubbo-Yeoval-Cumnock-Molong.

Otherwise download the Eye Spy Family Quiz (start Molong end) here which provides spaces to draw and colouring-in of some Animals on Bikes. Can also collect this Quiz and Tourist Map from Orange Tourist Information Centre.

You can also buy a large A1 Wrapping paper with sculpture pictures and tourist map for $2 at any of the local Tourist Information centres (Orange, Dubbo, Parkes and Welington), Molong newsagency or Cumnock Cafe or Yeoval Billabong Cafe to help the kids spot the sculptures on the journey.

Click here to go to the Tourist Map and find Places to Eat, Sleep & Play.

Here are some clever sculptures that inspired us to do this project - we hope you get ideas and use your own creative imagination to weld, tec-screw, glue, paint, design, sculpt or mould an 'Animal on a Bike' sculpture.

The above are from the "Tin Horse Highway" in WA - there are more at their website http://www.kulin.wa.gov.au/tourism_and_local_events/tin_horse_highway.html plus these are in NSW;

Over 300 people attended a Red Earth Estate wine tasting event and Photographic Exhibition of the "Animals on Bikes" sculptures at the Cumnock Royal Hotel on Saturday 28th November 2009.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 45 sculptures and letterboxes that were entered - they were exceptionally high standard and a very challeging task for the Bathurst judges, Marje Prior and Kaye Stapleton.The FIRST prize winners received $1,000 and SECOND winners received $200. The winners are;

BEST AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL ON A BIKE

"Animals on Bikes" along Obley rd

Animals on Bikes is a 120km "Paddock Art" sculpture tourist trail from Molong-Cumnock-Yeoval-Dubbo.

Animals on Bikes is a series of 45 creative 2 metre high sculptures (and smaller letter boxes) - created by local farmers, farmers wives, Men's sheds, sculptors, preschool kids, playgroup mums - anyone with an artistic flair!

Click here to watch the 6 minute "Getaway" travel TV story with a sneak preview of some of the sculptures!

This unique creative project will capture any travelers imagination, promote local tourist operators, showcase rural creativity and encapsulate the spirit of regional NSW.

The Sculpture competition Presentation night was held on Saturday 28th November 2009 at the Cumnock Royal Hotel with over $6,000 worth of prizes awarded to 10 talented winners and a People's Choice Award. Click here to see the winners of each category.

Thank you to sponsors for supporting our community project, they include; Cumnock & District Progress Association, Kevin Miller Auctioneer, Cumnock Cookies Cafe, Yeoval Billabong Cafe, Maunder Real estate, Dubbo City Council www.dubbo.com.au; Cabonne Council, Orange City Council, AgNVet, Regional Arts NSW, Arts OutWest, Oilsplus, Red Earth Estate Winery, Brennans Mitre 10 Home Centre, Kerin Engineering, Yeoval Royal Hotel, Yeoval Homeware & Giftware store, Quickshear, McDonalds Dubbo and Wellington, Parkes Telstra shop, Country Energy, www.woolbrokershotel.com.au , Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.

The sculptures will remain in the paddocks for the next 2 years and will be re-painted or changed for the next "Animals on Bikes" paddock art competition in November 2011. More sculptures are welcome to go up over the next 2 years. Click here to complete your Sculpture Entry Form or print out the Tourist Map and Family Quiz for the road trip.

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