30 April 2021
Gympie’s iconic tourism attraction, the Mary Valley Rattler, has partnered with the Grey Nomads Awards to take the Rattler on the Road with their official car wrapped to look like a ‘mini Rattler’ as it drives across the country.
Mary Valley Rattler has formed a sponsorship agreement with the Grey Nomads Awards, which will provide invaluable access to one of the Rattler’s largest markets.
The organisers of the Grey Nomads Awards travel around Australia, staying in caravan parks and visiting regional areas, where the arrival of the Rattler-decked car will be complemented by distribution of brochures and extensive social media coverage.
The Rattler on the Road is currently travelling through New South Wales on its way south to Victoria and South Australia before heading back into Queensland.
As part of the partnership, a social media campaign has been developed around the itinerary whereby residents of each town they are passing through are encouraged to look out for the Rattler on the Road.
While only just launched this week, the Rattler on the Road campaign has already attracted considerable attention, with comments such as: ”That’s pretty cool”, “That’s ADORABLE”, and “This is great for Gympie and Mary Valley Community.”
The social media campaign shares fun facts about the Rattler and Gympie, and encourages people to share photos with them posing next to the car. 
Mary Valley Rattler General Manager, Micheal Green, said the timing and ‘vehicle’ were perfect for spreading positive news about Gympie and the Rattler.
“The concept started as a result of a chance conversation between the Grey Nomads Awards team and our team, and we thought it would be a great way of getting out our message in a fun way and directly to a market that is particularly strong for the Rattler,” said Mr Green.
“The Grey Nomads Awards’ team have really embraced the Rattler concept and are now representing the Rattler and the region across the country.
“The engagement has been really encouraging. The first post attracted strong interest, with comments around what a great idea it is and how fabulous to see the region promoted around the country, and particularly in regional and rural towns. The Awards’ team will also visit heritage rail operations during their travels to further the connections.”