Don’t worry, Wellington isn’t being forgotten in the great Dubbo Region Elf Hunt!

Local councillor and Dubbo Regional Deputy Mayor Richard Ivey recently did the rounds of business houses, and came-up trumps.

Using an Elf Hunt worksheet, children who nail ten of Santa’s little helpers can drop down to their Visitor Information Centre for a great prize. Kids just have to download or pick up their Elf Hunt worksheet. Each cheeky elf has a unique name to record, and away they go!

“I live in Wellington, and I can reliably inform you that there’s 14 of the elves in town,” Cr Ivey revealed.

“There’s an Elf Hunt sheet and, if they get 10 elves listed, they get a prize though, between you and me, if they get eight they’ll probably be okay,” he whispered.

While designed partly to encourage residents and ratepayers to support district businesses this Christmas, the Elf Hunt has taken on a life of its own.

“It is to encourage people to shop locally, but kids have really taken to it.

“This is our first time we’ve run it, and they’re out there trying to find the elves in shop windows.”

Once you have found 10 elves, take your completed sheet to your Visitor Information Centre at Dubbo or Wellington and claim your well-deserved prize.

Despite the doom-and-gloom one hears around in-person shopping, Cr Ivey said that both Wellington and Dubbo have really bounced back from their post-pandemic lockdowns.

“There’s no doubt about it, this year and last, local businesses have experienced a bit of a push and it’s fantastic,” he observed.

The Elf Hunt concludes at 5pm on Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24.