Vol. 17 No. 6
FREE PUBLICATION
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
LET IT SNOW: Snow at the Grampians National Park boosted tourism on the weekend. Unusually there was snow at Boroka lookout, captured at sunset by Will Hudson, of Halls Gap.Rotary exchange student Ignacia ‘Nacha’ PerezBahamonde, 16, from Chile also got a taste of an Australian winter. Nacha, a year 11 student at Horsham College, joined host parents Jacinta and Greg Lambert at Boroka lookout, while Hamish Marshall, 6, of Horsham, was among car loads of visitors to enjoy the snow.
Winter wonder windfall By DEAN LAWSON
H
alls Gap businesses have enjoyed a winter bonus with visitors from across the region visiting the tourism hamlet last weekend to experience one of the largest dumping of snow in the Grampians in many years.
Halls Gap Tourism chairman Geoff Watts said Halls Gap had been ‘absolutely’ packed on Saturday and Sunday as heavy snowfalls acted like a tourism magnet. “The snow came down to about 200 to 300 metres and there were heaps of day visi-
No business like snow business tors. I’ve been here for four years and this is the first time I’ve seen snow like this,” he said. “It was certainly a winter bonus, especially for the retail traders in the town, although I’m not sure about the ice-cream shop which usually leads the way. But places selling coffee and hot food and restaurants and shops would have done well.” Mr Watts said people travelled from Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and other surrounding
areas to experience the unusual conditions. “On Friday it was like a blizzard and the snow was falling quite heavily. It was incredible and ended up being about 10 centimetres deep in places,” he said. “It reiterates our call for people to make the most of an opportunity to experience the Grampians in the heart of winter. It is at its best when it is cold or when it rains, and this time, when it snows.” While Mr Watts urged peo-
ple to make the most of the circumstances, he also warned visitors to be wary about driving conditions, particularly when ascending to peaks such as Mt William.
Driver warning “Driving can be significantly different in snow and ice and people, particularly drivers with little experience in the conditions, should always be careful,” Mr Watts said. “If your plan to go anywhere in the Grampians where there
is snow you should probably organise a trip in a four-wheeldrive vehicle,” he said. “In some circumstances if you are going up a hill in a two-wheel drive, you can’t turn around. You basically slip sideways on the snow and ice. Many people were caught out last weekend. “If conditions persist, visitors planning to drive to some of the snow areas in the Grampians should seek advice.” The temperature in Halls Gap on Monday morning plummet-
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ed to minus 5.9 degrees as part of an extended cold snap that swept across Victoria. Various parts of the Grampians that rarely experience snow, such as on the western side of the mountains, were also covered by a blanket of white. Mr Watts said the snow was simply one of the many natural wonders across the Grampians. “After this snow, which has been amazing, we’ll be looking forward to spring and the wildflowers. What a place! Snow today, wildflowers tomorrow! “And don’t forget, there is too much to see and explore in only one day. Make the most of a visit and stay a night or two.”