This Week in Falls Creek & Mount Beauty - 22 November 2024
While the shuttles, the downhill and the party is all the go, the Fainter Ride is for the true enthusiast to explore the beauty of the high country. Pic – FCAR
Left: …and if the riding gets too much, a pleasant stroll out to any of our huts will bring joy to the soul!. Pic - FCAR
Right: The work done by the trail crew will mean that
‘awesome!’ Pic – FCAR
The Start of a Great Summer
The early close of our winter season was pretty dramatic and really didn’t do anyone any good – except possibly our trail building crew who have been able to get onto our tracks (walking and mountain biking) to have them all ship shape for what is looking to be a great green season. Eg: Downtown trail has reopened after an extended closure last season. Keep your eye on the What’s On for a full program of activities coming up.
Our Ignition MTB Festival has always been a great start to the summer – and while we lost the event in 2022, we’re back in full swing –as we go to print, ticket sales have closed.
One thing that has changed is the location – this year down on the Gully Car Park –which is flatter, larger and more suited to making the event a certain success. After Ignition, the Village Bike Café will then move to Slalom Car Park, opposite St Falls and 1550 Café Restaurant, Slalom Plaza, Last Hoot and the supermarket.
Once again, Brett and Aaron and the team have got a full program with an expanded Expo site with lots of exhibitors, Dinner on Saturday night with Smith Street Band.
Demo Bikes. Aan incredible three days of test rides on the latest mountain bikes from brands like Rocky Mountain, Specialized, Canyon, Commencal, Santa Cruz, GasGas, Husqvarna, Norco, Orbea, Cube and Merida . Find out first hand how the bikes ride and quiz their expertly trained staff with any questions you have about sizing, build options, or whatever else is on your mind.
MTB Skill Sessions. Grab a “Foundation” or “Intermediate” skills session with our qualified instructors. Whether it your first time on a mountain bike or you want to hone your skills – our lessons are relaxed and fun, conducted in small groups so everyone gets the attention they deserve. Lesson duration 2 hours.
Backcountry Rides. Falls Creek’s
scenery. Adventurous spirit. Fainters Track riders enjoy a Blue Dirt Shuttle from Mt Beauty Bakery back to Falls Creek. Shuttle departs Mount Beauty approx 1.30pm to get you back to the resort by 2.30-3:00pm – enough time for more riding or relax with a beer in front of the fire pit. Riders need to be self-sufficient - ride packs, food, spares, water, tubes, etc. All social rides will have a
FallsCreek Mountain Bike Park Now Open
It will be all go this weekend with Ignition sold out! Pic – FCAR
So much work has gone into the trails at Falls Creek in readiness for a fabulous green season. Well done team. Pic - FCAR
own pace. The Fainters Ride will be capped at the first 100 riders.
Fainters Track (rated Black - 50km). The big daddy of backcountry rides. 50km from Falls Creek resort to Mt Beauty. Advanced skills and high level of fitness required. Climb over five peaks, 4 of which are over 1800m. A half kilometre rock garden with a sheer drop over the edge. Technical climbs. Technical descents. Massive views. Take on the Big Hill Downhill on your final descent – a drop of 1,100m alone to Mount Beauty. FLOW Mountain Bike says, “The ride from Falls Creek down to Mount Beauty is a real life changer. Fainters Track must be one of the best backcountry adventure rides in the country. Blown away!” Departs from Village Bike Café Saturday @ 8am.
Women’s Group Ride Supported by Juliana Bicycles. Gravity focused Women’s group social ride with inspirational women MTB ambassadors presented by Juliana Bicycles. Saturday 2pm – 3.30pm. Departs from
event village. You do not need to book for this, just be at the event village at 1:45pm Saturday. Gets you back to the event village in time for Espresso Martini Happy Hour.
Other activities on the weekend include live music Friday evening at several different venues, 1550 Restaurant is open for dinner Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Ignition weekend. The Ignition After Party will be held at The Man on Sunday evening.
It would be fair to say that if you haven’t got your ticket by now, then you can still hang around and enjoy the weekend. Could be called a festival of stoke! Make sure you get your ticket early next year – or simply come up any other weekend and enjoy the riding.
The Falls Creek Visitor Information Centre (upstairs in the management building) will be open 9am – 5pm weekdays and 9am –3pm weekends.
Espresso Martini Happy Hour can’t be all bad! Pic – FCAR
THE DEDERANG BESS PROPOSAL
How it Could Affect the Kiewa Valley
Residents have grave concerns for their safety if the hundreds of shipping containers of lithium ion batteries that will make up the Dederang Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) are put in place. The dangers include bushfire risk, toxic gas emissions, significant landscape overlay, noise, environmental damage, loss of prime agricultural land and community impact - the list goes on.
BESS can catch fire and burn for days. The Victoria Big Battery and the Bouldercombe Qld fires are good examples. One in the USA in May 2024 burned for 17 days. They catch fire and go into thermal runaway through malfunction of safety systems, over charging, short circuit or structural damage, or possibly, through impact from external bushfires.
Call in and take advantage of our great range of THIRSTY CAMEL Specials to save bucks! Join the Thirsty Camel Hump Club for even better deals!
PH: 03 5754 4888
KIEWA VALLEY HWY, TAWONGA SOUTH
How would the toxic fumes spread in the Kiewa valley? The Dederang Gap to Mount Beauty is like a big bowl, one being the Mount Bogong end, the other being the rise in the Dederang Gap, with the mountain ranges to the East and West.
Recent burn off data shows smoke from a fire lit at Mount Jack (which the proposed BESS will back on to) at 12.03PM on the 16th of March only took 5 hours and 23 minutes to reach the Mt. Beauty Pondage. The average wind speeds that day were 9km/h.
We can see how the smoke hangs on the valley floor in photo A taken from Dederang at 7.08AM on the 18th of March and photo B taken at 7.37PM the same day. Note how the smoke sits over the Kiewa River, which is a usual occurrence.
There are several toxic gases released during a BESS fire, the most dangerous is Hydrogen Fluoride. This gas is hydroscopic - it readily dissolves in water, forming hydrofluoric acid
which is highly corrosive and causes chemical burns. It also ‘scavenges calcium’ meaning it readily binds with calcium in cells and tissues and disrupts nerve signalling.
If the smoke from the Mount Jack fire had contained hydrogen fluoride, it would have turned into hydrofluoric acid on contact with the water and humidity over the river.
The Mount Beauty area has one of the lowest average wind speeds in Australia, being 3.9km/h. The wind speed during the Victoria big battery fire was over 50 km/h, so the smoke and fumes were quickly dispersed. So, there’s a huge issue with toxic smoke being contained in the bowl area between Dederang and Mount Beauty!
The LOTE report, which looked at the likely dangers of a BESS at Belconnen in the ACT, advises those within 20km downwind of a BESS fire should take shelter indoors. How would that work for residents, tourists and farmers in the Kiewa Valley?
Data Sources: DWELP, The Bureau of Meteorology, CFA, *Metadata is available for time and location of photos.
*Every fire resource for a potential BESS fire is one less appliance protecting our communities.
*Waterway contamination - research Fredericktown, Missouri – nearly 3 miles of dead fish!
*Once one project goes ahead, they will inundate the area. See regions like Central West Orana - started with one and now has over 46 projects surrounding them.
There’s a second BESS in the planning and last week another company contacted residents for land access for more batteries. Yet VicGrid, an arm of the planning department for renewable energy for Victoria have deprioritised much of the North East. The Victorian Farmers Federation said that the Kiewa Valley should be preserved for farming. This is a farming zone!
This is our last chance to stop this, see info re objection letters on the following page. • https://dederangbigbattery.com.au
Something to Ponder
There is no doubt that any thinking person would naturally want to preserve our home (read house, valley, state, country, globe) for the natural joy and safety of living a good life – now and into the future. No clear thinking person wants to damage our environment - or to say it another way – we all want to do the best for ourselves, our friends and our natural surroundings.
But, there is no doubt this whole renewable energy debate has created a huge amount of angst in the community. Good intentioned politicians use the information carefully and responsibly – some self-serving pollies use the renewable debate purely as a way of winning votes – and could be forcing issues upon the community while there is doubt about the effectiveness of the proposal.
The world’s population is around 8 billion. We here in this country, with a population of 26 million, are having a somewhat heated debates about renewables. Sure, we must
do our bit – but not at the expense of other community members. If renewable is about benefitting the community – then negatively impacting other members does not quite meet the criteria – especially when there is so much doubt about.
We can all do a bit. Recycle better – turn off lights – use less plastic – support your local shops instead of the multi-nationals – there are so many things we can do. Let’s think about it can we please! • KB
ASTRA NAMED AUSTRALIA'S BEST
…Ski Boutique Hotel for ninth year
Astra Falls Creek has been crowned Australia's Best Ski Boutique Hotel at the 2024 World Ski Awards, marking an extraordinary nine-year winning streak. This remarkable achievement highlights Astra’s continued commitment to excellence in luxury hospitality, offering guests a world-class alpine experience in the heart of Falls Creek. Astra combines personalised service, exceptional amenities, and an atmosphere of refined comfort.
Traverse Alpine Group Proprietor, Rosy Seaton says her team is humbled to receive this recognition for the ninth year in a row. “This incredible recognition for the ninth year in a row reflects our team’s unwavering passion for creating exceptional guest experiences,” she says. “At Astra, we’re always striving to raise the bar, ensuring every guest leaves with memories they’ll cherish forever.”
“None of this would be possible without our amazing team. Their dedication, creativity, and passion for hospitality are what make Astra truly special.”
Adding to Astra’s accolades, Astra Day Spa was
got a load for the tip? call
recently named Best Luxury Ski Resort Spa and Best Luxury Spa Resort for the Australia & Oceania region at the 2024 World Luxury Spa Awards.
Astra Bar & Restaurant also had a standout year, receiving three goblets at the 2024 Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards – a prestigious recognition of its expertly curated wine selection led by Sommelier, Cassandra Schnurr. Judges praised the list as “exciting and innovative, with a marvellous mix of old and new, benchmarks and quirky wines from the far corners of the vinous globe. Cassandra Schnurr’s enthusiasm bubbles through her highly personalised selection. Don’t worry if the snow is
MT BEAUTY HARDWARE & DRAPERY STORE
poor or the weather bleak. Settle in and enjoy this stellar wine list.”
Additionally, Astra Bar & Restaurant received an Open Table Diner's Choice Award for 2024.
“These awards across multiple facets of our business reflect the heart and soul we pour into every aspect of Astra Falls Creek,” Rosy added. “From our luxurious accommodation and rejuvenating Spa to our vibrant dining offering, we are committed to excellence and innovation. We couldn’t do it without the support of our incredible team and loyal guests.”
As Astra Falls Creek celebrates another recordbreaking year, it looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellence in hospitality and welcoming guests back for many seasons to come. •
ADVERTISING RATES: DISPLAY: •
•
ONLINE:
WEBSITE: • www.thisweekinfallscreek.com.au
Boats. Vic Gravity Enduro
DISTRIBUTION: • All accommodation houses, restaurants, businesses, club lodges & apartments in Falls Creek, Bogong Village, Mount Beauty, Tawonga South, Tawonga & Dederang, plus the RMB’s between Dederang & Tawonga & selected venues in Bright & Myrtleford.
• Available in PDF form at: www.fallscreek.com.au/whatson/
CLASSIFIEDS:
BUSINESS DIR.: • $6.50 per line per Edition.
DEADLINE: • Friday 2.00pm
Astra Lodge, Bar and Restaurant - An incredible venue – deserving of the awards received. Pic – Courtesy Astra
New Coach in Town
Congratulations to Andy Shuttleworth for completing the Level One Tennis Coaching Course in Albury on Sunday, 10th November.
Andy is here pictured with Helen Magill, Tennis NSW, who conducted most of the course and did the assessment. Andy enrolled in the course in early April 2024. A lot of work (on-site in Albury and over the internet) and travel went into it.
Our Mount Beauty Tennis Club committee and members are very proud of Andy and his coaching efforts. His work on our recent major event — AO on the Road, on the 1st and 3rd of November, was commendable. This was when the Australian Open Trophies visited Mount Beauty
CLASSIFIEDS
VALLEY FUN & FITNESS CLASS
Every Tuesday at 9am at the Ladies Facility, Dederang Recreation Reserve. Bring a drink bottle and towel. $10 per session. Classes by Narelle Jones. Enquiries: Sharon McEvoy 0438 289 293 (the6maccas@bigpond.com)
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
This Christmas, Give Love – it always fits – and can be returned!!!
FOR SALE
ROLA Roof Racks, to suit Commodore VB, VC, VH, VK & VL. Were anodized black but faded, so they have been powder coated black. $350. Ph: 0400 350 488 LIFE TIP
A bad day with a bald head is better than a good day with a man bun!
FOUND
Pool Cue in a well-made carrying case which has engraving on it. Call this number if you think it may be yours. 0400 350 488 FOUND
Gold Band wedding Ring picked up near Ariel’s Laundrette. Give me a call & describe it. 0400 350 488. MISSING BOOK
A hard-bound copy of Dr Ruth Lawrence’s Thesis titled ‘The Interaction between Land Use, the Environment and the Hydrology of the Bogong High Plains between 1850 and 1985’ was given to this community in the care of the late Bill Sutton. It has been loaned out –and not returned. This is a vital piece of the history of this area and it would be fabulous to have it returned. Any news, please call 0400 350 488.
We now have a local qualified coach who is significantly impacting the community.
Some comments:
Alex Gardiner – The Park "Mimi enjoyed her trial last week and wants to pursue tennis, which is great. I have signed up for a family membership. Let me know if there is anything else I need to do.”
Kristie Palmer – "Thank you for your email. Yes, Nikita loves her lessons with Adam, Zelk, and Emily. We have already purchased the family membership and look forward to using the courts for a family hit in the coming weeks."
Georgie Gavin – "Thank you. The tennis program has been sensational. Andy Zelk & Emily have done an amazing job.”
The latest news is that Andy has acquired funding from Tennis Australia via Tennis Victoria to conduct a girls-only coaching program for two school terms geared mainly to secondary college students. He had six for his first session earlier this
FALL LINES
month. It’s all happening at the Mount Beauty Tennis Club. •
The Christmas Countdown
UKV Lions members, and friends, will be selling Christmas Raffle Ticketsand Christmas Cakes, Puddings and Slices, outside the old Pharmacy in Hollonds Street, from 9.30 am until noon each Monday, Friday and Saturday until Monday 16th.
The amazing, almost 1 metre tall, SANTA, along with a few other goodies, is one of the prizes. There'll also be a HAM, valued at $150.00, from Farm to Fork Butchery, and a Mount Beauty FoodWorks $200.00 VOUCHER.
Prizes will be chosen by the winners. Tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. Payments by CASH or CARD.
Raffle will be drawn at Carols by Candlelight on Thursday 19th December. •
MEDICAL SERVICES - Upper Kiewa Valley
MOUNT BEAUTY MEDICAL CENTRE
WHERE 2D Tawonga Crescent. WHEN 8:30am – 5pm Mon – Friday 10am – 12noon Saturdays. HOW Ph: 03 5754 3400 for appointments
WHO Doctors: Mark Zagorski OAM, Jeff Robinson, Libby Garoni, Skye Delaney, Laura Zagorski, Angela Stratton, Lauren Cussen, Damian Heman, Daniel Florisson & Andrew Mason.
ARBORISTS
WHAT Fully accredited General Practice with 42 years of service to the Upper Kiewa Valley.
CONTACT Ph: 03 5754 3400
Em: enquiries@mbmc.com.au
Wb: https://www.mbmc.com.au/
If you need to see a doctor please contact Mount Beauty Medical Centre on 03 5754 3400. You may be directed to a doctor for a tele-health appointment. Our Doctors are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week from Mount Beauty.
Your local practice – supporting the community!
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
A fully insured, GST Registered, ethically minded local business. Alpine Valley Arborists. Call Kane 0428 287 814 or Hayley 0427 272 777 – for all things trees!
BUILDING & ELECTRICAL
Duggan & Hanlon, your complete building service. Please cal Justin Mb: 0458 220 879.
CAR DETAILING
Give Steve a call in Tawonga South. Ph: 0423 499 086.
CARPET CLEANING
Call Nathan of NatWest Home Maintenance, your local Carpet Cleaning Service. 0429 933 492.
CARPENTRY & BUILDING SERVICES
Oztek Constructions Pty Ltd. We do local building work, renovations, extensions and maintenance. Email Dave at: oztekconstructions@gmail.com. Or Ph: 0466 990 862
Congratulations to Andy Shuttleworth on achieving his tennis coaching ticket recently. Pic – Courtesy MBTC
FALL LINES
A Little Bit of Relief
ALittle Bit of Relief - Agricultural Expo is an event to support farmers. Held from 10am - 3pm at Dederang Recreation Reserve, this free event features agricultural industry services, farm safety demonstrations and business and health support. Presentations and demonstrations from: -Whites Kelpie Stud - Gary White - Working Dogs Demonstrations -AviAg Drone Service - Spray Drone Demonstrations and Information -Brad McEwan - Roaming MC (former TV reporter) -Clydesdales and Carriage RidesFree Carriage Rides -Fat Farmers - A Rural Health Initiative -Kids activities and giant games Food stalls are available onsite. No registrations are required.
This is a free community event for Friday 29th of November 2024 from 10am until 3pm. •
Falls Creek Guides
Falls creek guides is excited to be able to host overnight night hikes this summer with a team of professional guides that have local knowledge of the wonders that surround Falls Creek.
Introducing Nicole McKilliam aka Nik Nok who is engaged in everyday running and hiking the trails surrounding Falls Creek to enjoy and train for endurance challenges that makes Nik Nok one of our special additions to the team.
Please contact Falls Creek Guides to secure your best custom designed tour or choose from one of our classic tours on www. fallscreekguides.com.au. •
Trees Down
It has become apparent that many people don’t know who to call in different scenarios with fallen trees. So here is a summation of who to call in the following fallen tree situations.
Firstly, trees on the Kiewa Valley Highway, Bogong High Plains Road or the Gap roads call VicRoads 13 11 70.
Trees on all other roads, call Alpine Shire 03 5755 0555
Trees on houses, call SES 13 25 00
As always, Tru Tree Care have a crew on call through the night and tomorrow for any other urgent tree related situations. Mb: 0409 958 591. •
WHAT'S ON IN 2024/25
NOV 23 & 30 Park Run. 8am at Bicentennial Park, beside the library in Lakeside Avenue. All Welcome. Enquiries to: mountbeauty@parkrun.com
NOV 23 End of Year Concert “Conductors Choice” presented by Mount Beauty & District Community Band. 7:30pm at the Mount Beauty Community Centre
NOV 22 – 24 Ignition MTB Festival presented by Shimano. The start of great summer of mountain biking at Falls Creek. www.ignitionmtb.com.au
NOV 28 Grigoryan Brothers, 7:30pm Mt Beauty Community Centre. Tickets at Trybooking and Mt Bty Hardware.
NOV 29 A Little Bit of Relief – Agricultural Expo – an event to support farmers. Dederang Recreation Reserve 10am – 3pm.
DEC 7 Community Resilience Day and Picnic. 10am –2pm. Mount Beauty CFA Training Track, Lakeside Avenue. Ph: 03 5754 1166
DEC 7 Christmas Concert presented by the Bright Singers. 4pm Mount Beauty Community Centre. Tickets $10. Go to www.eventbrite.com.au
DEC 19 Carols by Candlelight (keep the date – further details to be advised)
JAN 5 Trek/NICA MTB XC Demo Day. Falls Creek. www.nicaausmtb.org.au
JAN 18 Bogong to Hotham Rooftop Run –the 34th running of the event – from Mountain Creek to Mt Hotham Summit. www.bogong2hotham.com.au
JAN 18 & 19 Victorian Mountain Bike Championships Round Five & Round Six. Falls Creek. www.entryzone.com.au
JAN 25 & 26 Mile High Dragon Boat Regatta on Rocky Valley Lake, Falls Creek. www.dragonboatvictoria.com.au
JAN 26 Australia Day Celebrations in Hydro Park, Mount Beauty. Breakfast courtesy the UKV Lions from 8am. Celebrations and Presentations from 9am. FEB 8 & 9 Round One Victorian Gravity Enduro Tour, Falls Creek. www.victorianendurotour.wordpress.com.
FEB 14 Victorian Interschools MTB Championships, Cross Country Olympic format. Falls Creek
FEB 22 Australian Grand Traverse – a 30km trek with 1400 m elevation from Falls Creek to Mount Hotham. www.peakadventure.com.au/agt For further details on coming events, go to: https://www.fallscreek.com.au/whats-on/events/
A fantastic place to be – taking in the sights, sounds and sweet smells of the high plains –on a walk guided with local knowledge. Pic – Courtesy FCAR
