The Zoo Carts are back!

Well - sort of! Zoo Cart Park in the Davenport area is finally getting its Zoo Cart, which will be installed in a couple of weeks after being cleaned up and refurbished. 

We are also installing an interpretive board with the history of the Zoo Carts and photos, so we need your help.

We know many of you have memories of the Zoo Carts when they were in use, so if you have any photos that you would be happy to share with visitors on the interpretive board at Zoo Cart Park, please send them through as soon as possible to our Marketing team.

Thanks to Carol from Leeton Lodge who provided the photo below.

100% compostable coffee cups in 2020

In an exciting first for Australian ski resorts, Mount Hotham food and beverage operators will be exclusively using 100% compostable takeaway coffee cups from the 2020 winter season.

As part of its sustainability strategy, Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board (MHARMB) will provide compostable takeaway cups to every winter operator selling coffee, ensuring a significant drop in the amount of waste going to landfill.

Each season, visitors to Mount Hotham use approximately 10,000 takeaway coffee cups, which equates to  1.5 tonnes of waste that goes straight into the bin and then to the resort's landfill site located at Cobungra.

Hotham leads eco-destination trend

Mount Hotham has been named as one of the global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations for 2019.

The prestigious list was unveiled at Global Green Destinations Days in Croatia on October 10 with Mt Hotham featuring for the first time, one of only two Australian locations to be included.

It is the fifth year the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations List has been compiled, among it 28 different countries are represented with Slovenia and the Netherlands leading the way in 2019.

Mt Hotham joins Queensland’s Douglas Shire in being recognised among other world leading destinations for their sustainability efforts.

Can you help? Hotham history 

We were contacted recently by a gentleman whose grandfather, Jack Hedley, ran 'the first chalet at Hotham'. We were able to confirm that the chalet in question was Hotham Heights and Jack Hedley managed it around the late 1940s or early 1950s. 

We'd love to know if any of the Hotham community know any more about Jack Hedley or have any pictures. If you do, please get in touch.

Facebook reviews

Just a quick reminder - if you have guests who have a great experience at Hotham, please ask them to leave us a positive review on our Facebook page. 

This helps drive up the number of people liking the page, which in turn increases the impact of our page for your advertising. 

Summer maintenance time!

The snow is just about gone and it's a great time to do those post-season jobs to get things ready for winter, as well as get away from the heat 'in the lowlands' and tick off the local bushwalks.  It's also important to ensure your place is as prepared for bushfire as possible.

1.    If you remove your fly screens during winter please ensure you replace them on all openable windows as soon as possible.

2.    Please remember to keep your sites maintained, grass kept short, all building waste to be in a skip or trailer (not on vegetation), gas turned off (including pilot lights) if not using, power/lights off to detract moths.  No wood or combustible materials to be stored under balconies unless completely covered in fire proof cover.

3.    If you are unable to do your site maintenance (brush cutting) and would like the RMB to assist, please contact Nick Malkin via email by 16 December 2019.  Rates apply.

4.    Refer to hard waste collection dates and information - next collection is right after Cup Weekend.

5.    Refer to our summer preparedness guide for more information on summer activities and resort information.

Please note our office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2019 and reopen on Thursday 2 January 2020.
There will be outdoor staff on the mountain during these times.

Lodge concierge service for summer

Snow Monkey has put together a concierge service for lodges who wish to open over summer. The service will provide an on-mountain presence that can open lodges for guests, provide a linen service, provide on-mountain support, clean the lodge and close it up.

If you would like to know more, contact Richard Neville at Snow Monkey by email

Winter promotions planning

While things are quiet, it's a good time to review your winter promotion activities. Here's a few useful ideas.

• Make sure you're listed on the Australian Tourist Data Warehouse

This is Australia’s national tourism database of 40,000 listings, divided into 11 categories. 

State Government owned and funded, the ATDW collects, quality assures, stores and then distributes Australia’s digital travel information to over 250 distributors to use on their consumer websites and apps.

If your products and services are not listed on the ATDW, you could miss out on the opportunity to be included in government marketing and promotional campaigns.

• Get support and training from your regional tourism body

Tourism North East (TNE) and Destination Gippsland provide lots of tools, training and networking opportunities that cost very little or are free. 

TNE has a great section on its website with DIY tools and helpful information about marketing your business: TNE's tools and support. They also have an industry newsletter you can sign up to.

Destination Gippsland has an industry newsletter that's worth subscribing to, and encourages local tourism businesses to contribute content to their social media channels.

• Clean up your photo collection and make plans to take new photos

In this digital age, communication channels are hungry for good visuals. Make sure you have plenty so you can change it up a bit.

Invest in a professional photographer or learn some simple tips for taking photos with your smartphone and take your own during the winter season. 

Events

TNE Speed Networking Night ($26.38)

Tuesday, 19 November 2019, 5:00pm to 7:00pm - Rinaldo's Casa Cucina, 56-58 Faithfull St, Wangaratta, VIC 3677.  Don't forget to register!

Attract attention and sustain interest in your business (Free)

Thu., 21 November 2019, 5:30pm – 7:30pm - Corryong Council Chambers, Hanson St, Corryong, Vic 3707. Don't forget to register!

Ride High Country Research Briefing (Free)

Tue., 26 November 2019, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon - Rutherglen Wine Experience and Visitor Information Centre, 57 Main St, Rutherglen, Vic 3685. Don't forget to register!

Hotham Herald during summer

Did you know that we continue to produce Hotham Herald during summer? 

It goes out monthly (not weekly, like we do in winter) but the aim is the same - to remind people that there are things to do at Hotham, and get them thinking about visiting.

Sign up now and enjoy our great stories! And encourage your guests and members to sign up too.