july 24 - 30 | 2013
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Island in the sky WAITING:
Bob Adams wants to see the full tourism potential of Mount Buffalo realised. PHOTO: Simon Crase
GARDENING WITH
DEBBI
RSPCA
WITH
GEORGIA
FILM THE
WOLVERINE
WINE TALK WITH
ANITA
By KYLIE WILSON FOR over a century, Mt Buffalo, and the imposing chalet perched atop the mountain, has truly lived up to its name as an “island in the sky” for holidaymakers. But in the wake of the chalet closing its doors, and bushfire damage in the area in the past few years, concern has been expressed about the future of tourism in the area. And while plans for a day visitor facility at the chalet site have been announced, longtime resident and former park chief ranger Bob Adams believes more needs to be done to raise the tourism profile of the mountain. He laments the days during the 1980s when the mountain was a bustling centre of tourist activity, but says there’s been little encouragement for people to go there since Tatra Inn and Cresta Day Visitor complexes were destroyed by a management controlled fire in 2006. “To date, that facility has not been restored, although an insurance payout of $6.4 million was received by the State Government in September, 2007,” Mr Adams said. That funding is been channelled into works to help re-open Mt Buffalo Chalet as a day centre next year, but Mr Adams hopes the government and investors can recognise the value of improving tourism facilities on the mountain, especially for the local businesses that used to rely on the year round benefit it brought to the Ovens Valley. continued page |
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