RMB Marketing update

Mt Hotham RMB’s marketing team is in full swing for summer, with a new campaign designed to highlight our warm weather strengths – walking and cycling.

This campaign leverages the summer messaging being used by Tourism North East’s “Ride High Country” and “Walk High Country”

The RMB expects summer visitation to increase in coming years with the completion of significant visitor facilities such as the Alpine Gateway at the Loch Carpark, as well as the Whisky Flat Recreation Facility and the Wire Plain Snow Play and Activity Hub.

Road cycling is already popular, with a number of key events involving Mt Hotham during the summer period, and the RMB will be encouraging people to stop and try out other tracks within the resort, including the Brabralung Trail.

The summer campaign will showcase a new look and feel, with natural neutrals as the colour palette, now being used on the Hotham website. We’ve also added a new section to the summer website – “Walking and Hiking” – to ensure visitors can easily find information about our stunning tracks and trails.

Other collateral will include maps, trail notes, flyers, pamphlets and posters, with a focus on making it easy for people to understand how to access our local products and services.

We’re also using social media to feature gorgeous imagery of Mt Hotham, and have invested in updated photos to freshen how our visitors see our summer scenes.

Media interest

We are seeing increased media interest in summer stories, so the RMB is actively seeking and getting involved in media visits, with support from Tourism North East. If you are interested in being involved, please get in contact with Anita Coia, Media and Stakeholder Communications Manager, at anitacoia@mthotham.com.au.

List your events on One Hour Out

At the start of this year, One Hour Out launched their new Regional Events & Festivals Calendar – only to be foiled by COVID yet again.

However, they’re doing it again - ready and willing to get behind the events industry and to encourage people back out to country towns again.

If you are working on an event for the remaining months of the year or for 2022 then One Hour Out would love to hear about it.

Just click the link below to list the details. It's free to list and there are options to pay for extra promotion if you wish.

LIST YOUR EVENT HERE: https://onehourout.com.au/regional-events-festivals-submissions/

Alpine Running

The RMB would like to welcome Alpine Running, a new business at Mt Hotham run by Shannon Dunbar and specializing in trail running tours on the mountain.

Shannon is a Mt Hotham local, a keen trail and endurance runner, and a Nutritional Counsellor. Through Alpine Running she is offering guided running tours, women’s only running tours, and catered runs that include Feathertop Return and Dungey Track, and The Huts and Diamantina Spur.

All the runs start and finish at Mt Hotham, so she can also organise local accommodation for people who need it.  Shannon’s passion for the mountain is obvious, and she is keen to share that passion with runners who are new to trail running or new to Mt Hotham.

Phone: 0408 659 344

Email: info@alpinerunning.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alpinerunningtours

Site Rent Relief Update

The RMB is currently running behind schedule with Site Rent Relief due to the complexity of applying partial relief. Refunds should be processed by 19/11/2021, if not received please email accounts@mthotham.com.au

Credits will be applied to the next round of invoices which are due for issuing first week of December. The RMB apologises for any inconvenience.

Summer works program

When you come up to Mt Hotham over summer, you’ll see plenty happening.

At the site of the Alpine Gateway (at Loch carpark), the RMB has completed the site excavation, and we are currently working on the footings and retaining walls. In January the pre-cast concrete top deck and columns will be delivered to the site.  There’s no parking at the Loch Carpark and we encourage hikers to park in the Corral Carpark and walk up to the trail head via the Summit or the road. There is also some parking at The Cross.

We also ask drivers to be extra careful around the Loch Carpark area, as there are construction workers and vehicles around the site over summer.

The RMB has also commenced works down near Wire Plain so visitors on foot or two wheels will see signage diverting them around that area.

In front of the Arlberg, the replacement retaining wall is nearly complete, improving the safety of that area by replacing the old timber sleepers with concrete sleepers. The Victorian Alps Nursery is supplying native plants to revegetate the retaining wall over summer.

Fox baiting

Parks Victoria in partnership with the RMB will be undertaking a 1080 pest animal poisoning program using buried baits throughout Mount Hotham Resort from now until May 2022.

The fox control program is being conducted to protect the endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum and other native prey species that call Mt Hotham Resort home.

To minimise the risk of poisoning to your animals and yourself please keep dogs on leads at all times and do not disturb bait stations.  

The fox baiting map is available here.

If you find any carcasses that you suspect may be poisoned please advise Mt Hotham RMB or Parks Victoria, Bright Office on 03 5755 0001 or email ssummers@parks.vic.gov.au

Roadworks on the Great Alpine Road

There are two sites on the Great Alpine Road between Harrietville and Hotham Heights where a landslip risk has been identified, requiring mitigation and repair works.

For everyone’s safety, traffic will be reduced to one lane at each site and concrete barriers will be in place to protect workers. Traffic lights and signage will direct road users through each site.

There may be delays of up to 5-10 minutes at each worksite. Please plan and allow up to an additional 20 minutes for your journey.

Changed traffic conditions will remain in place until works are complete.

Web: Regional Roads Victoria website

Call: 133 778

Email: ner.enquiries@roads.vic.gov.au

Summer events

There’s so much happening at Mt Hotham over summer! The RMB has updated the Hotham website and added a “Walking & hiking” tab to help visitors navigate to information about one of Mt Hotham’s most popular summer activities.

Our events calendar has something for everyone too, with cycling, running and hiking all featuring. November is rounded off with the Women’s Cycling 3 Peaks weekend tackling the Hotham road climb, then in January the Alpine Classic Cycling Challenge hits the circuit from Bright to Hotham and Falls Creek and back to Bright.

March is busy with the Peaks Challenge, the Razorback Run and the Australian Grand Traverse, a 32 kilometre walk from Falls Creek to Mt Hotham for hikers of all types. Walk, trek or hike with your team of 2-3 people and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment at the end. In April the Alpine Challenge challenges the fittest of the fit with 160 kilometres (100 miles) and seven peaks to be conquered by foot.

If you have an event at Mt Hotham that you’d like to include on the Hotham summer website, please contact the RMB at website@mthotham.com.au.

Share your favourite Mt Hotham summer adventures 

Summer in the mountains is PEAK enjoyment – with road cycling and hiking leading you to adventures without bounds, or fresh air and views to ensure you unwind from the day-to-day stresses of life at ground level.

One of the best parts of visiting Mt Hotham is finding its hidden gems from people who love exploring this alpine wonderland, so we’re inviting you to share your favourite summer experience with our new visitors.

How to win

In 100 words or less, tell us what you love doing the most during summer at Mt Hotham – whether it’s an activity or a secret spot you go back to time after time. Send it to us with a photo (marketing@mthotham.com.au) and you could win dinner* at the General – on us!

Deadline for entries is Friday 3 December, and the winner will be announced in the December issue of Community News.

*To the value of $100.

Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing update

The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing is a proposed multi-day 57-kilometre walk through the spectacular Alpine region from Falls Creek to Mt Hotham. It will be one of Australia’s outstanding alpine walking experiences that captures the essence of the Australian Alps – the solitude, the seasons, the breathtaking beauty and the stories of the High Country.

The Master Plan for the project outlines the proposed route, combining and upgrading an existing track network and adding up to 3 kilometres of new track.  The facilities created as part of the five-day, four-night route may also provide options for shorter overnight walks.

The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing is identified as one of Victoria’s key long-distance walks, which also includes the Great Ocean Walk, the Grampians Peaks Trail and the Coastal Wilderness Walk. 

Parks Victoria has just released its first Community Update which includes answers to key questions raised during community consultation.

You can also view the FHAC Master Plan and the Master Plan Summary on the Parks Victoria website.

High Country Jobs Hub

As tourism and hospitality businesses in Victoria’s High Country are all acutely aware, the local industry is facing significant challenges attracting staff for the upcoming summer season.

To help address this problem, Tourism North East (TNE) is commissioning a PR campaign to target key workers and connect them with employers via the High Country Jobs hub.

The campaign will run for 5 weeks starting from the beginning of November and will target tourism and hospitality workers currently living in Melbourne and the North East.

It will highlight the lifestyle and career benefits of living and working in Victoria’s High Country, and profile several influential tourism personalities.

Get your jobs onto the High Country Jobs Hub today and ensure you are visible to prospective employees!

For support contact info@tourismnortheast.com.au / 03 5728 2773

Business Victoria workshops

Business Victoria offers free workshops and webinars to support you and your business.  

• Launch your business online
• Starting a business
• The fundamentals of generating cash flow 
• Maximise your marketing 
• Building resilience
• Winning government business  

Book a workshop: https://business.vic.gov.au/workshops-and-mentoring