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Farewell to Drovers Run, but not tourism

MID-NORTH tourism operators hope the end of McLeod's Daughters production won't mean the end of the associated tourism industry.

While the series, filmed on the outskirts of Gawler, officially shuts down filming this Thursday, it is hoped the influx of tourists to the region - many of whom are fans of the show - will not diminish.

George Fergusson, who took over Freeling's Gungellan Hotel nearly 11 months ago, says the establishment's McLeod's-generated business is yet to slow.

The iconic pub appears on the series and is a popular watering hole among the Channel 9 program's crew.

"I could say without a doubt that McLeod's put Freeling on the map and the number of tourists that come through the town do so because of McLeod's," he told The Advertiser yesterday. Mr Fergusson believes the steady stream of international visitors - from countries such as France, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy and New Zealand - will continue because the series screens in more than 200 countries.

"I reckon on average we get six or seven carloads a day and triple that in the school holidays," Mr Fergusson said of McLeod's Daughters fans visiting the pub.

Doris Younane, who plays Moira Doyle in the series, yesterday acknowledged the impact the departure of the show's production would have.

"When McLeod's finishes it means a lot of people are out of work and also the community are going to feel starved a little bit because there will be less people coming through," she said.

The final series of McLeod's Daughters will screen on Channel 9 this year.

By Jessica Leo
March 17, 2008
The Advertiser