27 May 2013

It's almost time....

The cold wet weather rolled into the mountains on the 12th of May and it snowed intermittently for about a week, putting down some nice pre-season cover and temporarily closing the road across the high plains. Some keen locals have been out for a xc ski. There is still cover on the higher slopes and I hear that snow-making is expected to start this week.

Thanks to James for the photo
The hand-held ticket scanners of last season are being replaced with RFID scanning gates on the main access lifts. This should make the scanning more reliable and less bother.

My resort entry pass arrived in the mail this morning and the Hero Pass is paid for. Roll on Queens Birthday Weekend

Annual General Meeting - Committee Changes

The AGM was held on Tuesday 21st May. Thanks to all those who attended.

Noel Poon, as expected, has not stood for re-election to the committee. He has his hands pretty full now as chairman of AAC National. Thanks to Noel for many years of service on the committee, including as chairman.

David Stogdale's contribution, particularly as treasurer during the redevelopment and lease renewal,  was also acknowledged. David stepped down in late 2012 and was replaced by Michal Szkilnik.

Welcome to Bronwyn Sigmund who has joined the committee.

In accordance with club rules, the allocation of committee roles will take place at the next committee meeting, scheduled for June 4.


Ice Plunge

This year the 1st June falls on a weekend, and the lodge will be full of hardy souls taking the Ice Plunge.

This annual Falls Creek event celebrates the first day of winter. There are prizes, brekkie and a fun time to had by all those brave enough to take a dip in Rocky Valley dam.

Good luck to Jane and all her fellow icebergers. Hope to see some photos of the fun.

Working Bee 2013

Once again Falls Creek turned on some lovely sunny weather for the working bee. The weekend was very productive and a lot of fun. It was also great to see some new and prospective members join in. The working bee is a great opportunity to get to know people better in the club.
  • The entry area is now lighter, brighter and full of shelves to store gear on changeover days
  • The lockers that were in the entry area have been re-located. See Where's my locker? for further details.

  • The railings on the east side of the building were painted










  • The ladders for top bunks are all wearing beautifully crafted wooden caps to protect delicate feet











  • The waxing bench has a lovely new top
  • The human chain was put to work moving  a huge load of wood from the top road into the wood store
  • The wood cupboard has been repaired
  • Kitchen cupboards and contents have been cleaned and sorted
  • The store rooms are full of supplies for the winter
  • Mattresses have all been turned
  • Many minor maintenance and cleaning job
Thanks to everyone for all the hard work, and to Andrew & Myra for great food all weekend
Zac exhausted after a hard day's work

Where's my locker?

To make way for better storage of gear on changeover days, the downstairs lockers have been moved. Great care was taken in the move and you will find everything still nicely stacked in your locker.

Lockers 29-36 are now between Rooms 13 & 14

Lockers 69-76 and 76-90 are now in the storeroom off the lobby, near Room 15.

There are also some new lockers near the manager's flat.

In future, it is intended to renumber the lockers into a more logical sequence around the lodge.

Changeover day storage

One of the working party jobs was to install shelves in the entry area. The old drinks machine is gone and the lockers have been relocated. Instead there are sturdy shelves where you can store your gear when you arrive, or on your last day. The area has also been lightened up with a coat of paint.

This should have the benefits of making it easier to store (and retrieve) your gear, and also improve the appearance of the entry.

Snowplay Park

Hotham introduced a snowplay park last season and this year Falls Creek and Dinner Plain will too. It's being run by AAC member Steve Belli. The Falls Creek snowplay park is in the tennis court area at the top of the gully chair and  is aimed at kids up to 5. (Hotham and Dinner Plain have larger but less central locations that cater for a wider age range.) Features include mini steerable toboggans, toddler's ski sliders, snowcastle molds and other snowstuff for young snow-lovers

Shopping at Falls Creek

The Hub supermarket is no more, but Foodworks is still operating in the QT building (formerly Quay West and St Falls) near Falls Creek Express chairlift.

Foodworks is offering some new ways to shop too that might suit some members. The Mt Beauty has better range and prices than the Falls Creek store.
  1. Do your shopping in person at the Falls Creek Foodworks before 3pm and they will deliver to the lodge between 4pm and 6pm for $5, or free if the order is over $100.
  2. Do your shopping online from the Mt Beauty Foodworks store at Mt Beauty prices and get it delivered to the Falls Creek  store or to the lodge. There are fees for Pick'n'Pack ($10 for the first $200 worth of groceries, then $2.50 per $100), delivery to Falls ($9 per carton) and delivery to the lodge ($5 per carton). On average a carton can hold ~$60 worth of groceries, but obviously this is pretty variable. Details and on-line shop are at foodworkshighcountry.com.au/fallscreekorders

Hotham - change to chains rules

Mt Hotham had a lot of problems last winter with incidents on the Harrietville Road and have revised some safety procedures. One of the outcomes is that they have made a new declaration about chains.

In a  nutshell, everyone travelling from Harrietville to Hotham must carry diamond pattern chains that can be fitted to their vehicle. Ladder chains, spider chains and snow socks are not allowed. Bear this in mind if you are heading to Hotham.

This has caused a lot of angst for people with cars/wheels that can't take diamond chains.

The Falls Creek road is not nearly as hazardous as the Hotham-Harrietville road and a similar ruling may never eventuate. However, you never know. If you are buying a new car, or new rims, it may be wise to consider whether they can accommodate diamond pattern chains.