Holiday traffic makes its way to Myrtleford

Myrtleford has rolled out the welcome wagon once more for the September long weekend and spring school holidays tourist traffic. Thousands of holiday makers have been visiting the town to sample locally produced treats, stretch their legs and catch up with friends and family. Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce president, Jim van Geet, said the school holidays had definitely increased foot traffic numbers throughout Myrtleford's central business district. "There were a lot of people around town, certainly," he said. "We had a lot of people up here this [past] weekend because of the AFL Grand Final, largely because it was a long weekend. "Everybody wanted to come up to our beautiful region to camp and so on." Warmer weather was also welcomed, with visitors and locals alike getting a head-start on keeping cool, with a trip to the local splash park. "It's really good to see the Myrtleford Splash Park up and running again: the good weather has drawn a lot of people to it so far," Mr van Geet said. Dropping by the splash park for the first time since it was installed last year, Jess, Josh, Lucy and Archie Nolan from Torquay enjoyed one of the warmer days exploring all the Myrtleford Splash Park had to offer. "We haven't been before, so we thought we'd try out the new splash park," Jess said. "Lucy is having the time of her life. "I think we'll all sleep well tonight." Ardern's Caravan Park owner Dave Byrne said last weekend had been a little quieter than usual, however a late uptick in bookings were recorded that very same week. "We had a certain number of bookings leading up to Friday, but on Wednesday and Thursday our phone became a lot busier," he said. "I think people were waiting to see whether they were going to get good weather for the weekend, rather than spending all their money and finding they had to sit in their van while it rained. "They waited for a favourable weather forecast before they jumped in and booked. "I believe we picked up another 25 per cent of bookings during the week leading up to the long weekend." Mr Byrne said he would attribute any downturn in bookings this season to the ongoing cost of living and cost of fuel issues felt globally. "It was still a good weekend for us, just not as good as normal," he said. Over the upcoming Christmas holidays, Mr Byrne said bookings are currently strong, as holiday makers were looking ahead to finalise their plans early.

Holiday traffic makes its way to Myrtleford

Dachshund Derby, Oktoberfest and Mount Beauty Community Market all rolled into one

Mountain biker, paraglider rescued at Mystic Park

Call for caution as snakes spring into action

Luca has aced his apprenticeship

Most popular stories

Dachshund Derby, Oktoberfest and Mount Beauty Community Market all rolled into one

Mountain biker, paraglider rescued at Mystic Park

Call for caution as snakes spring into action

Luca has aced his apprenticeship