Canola Fields Draw Tourists to NSW Countryside

A sea of bright yellow canola flowers is drawing tourists from across the country to the New South Wales countryside, with one regional town embracing the boom by offering free public access to a massive crop.

The canola fields stretching between Temora and Coolamon are a popular destination for visitors seeking to capture the perfect selfie or simply take in the picturesque views. The oilseed crop is a $5 billion industry, with product consumed locally and exported globally.

A Growing Problem for Farmers

However, the photogenic popularity of the canola fields has long caused headaches for farmers, who face biosecurity risks from trespassers. "Fungal disease can easily occur when they come in from another property or there's also weeds that can easily get caught up on people's clothes or their shoes," said FarmLink Research CEO Shaughn Morgan. "By walking into another property, they could actually cost the farmer their livelihood."

Trespassers are still a problem for farmers trying to protect their crops. To combat this, the Temora Shire Council and FarmLink Research have teamed up to create a public field allowing tourists to safely and legally get amongst the canola for free.

A Solution to the Problem

"Rather than people jump fences and get into paddocks that they shouldn't be in, why not actually put a paddock that people could go and visit and actually go and touch, feel, ask questions, be able to get photos taken?" Mr Morgan said.

Now in its second year, the public canola field in Temora gives visitors free access to walk through, take photos, and examine the crop up close. "Tourists love it," said Craig Sinclair from Temora Shire Council. "There's something about the colour yellow I think that really makes people feel a sense of joy and happiness."

A Boost to Local Tourism

The canola trail has also contributed to a significant increase in tourism spending in the region. The Hello Yellow campaign, which promotes the canola fields and surrounding areas, led to a 20 per cent jump in spending at local businesses during the 2025 marketing campaign.

"Canola is the drawcard," Mr Sinclair said. "That is the thing that has a limited window every year, the sort of six-week flowering season, and that is the bright lights that gets people here."

For local small business owners like Debbie Davidge, the canola fields have been "life-giving". "It puts a pep in our step. It gives us a reason to get out of bed. It's something that we discuss with people," she said.

However, Shaughn Morgan emphasized that trespassing remains a threat to food security. "Food doesn't come from supermarkets, it comes from farms and it scares me that there are many people out there that don't realise the important role that farmers play within the sector to be able to ensure that their food is made," he said.