Newsletter – June 2024

Season 2024 underway!

The winter has opened with some good snowfalls and lots of snow making – any year we can ski in June is a bonus. 

In this edition we will try to help you prepare for your planned trips and hopefully encourage you to book another stay.

At the time of writing, Falls Creek has 4 of 15 lifts open, including Towers and Drovers and the forecast indicates 5 to 16 centimetres in the next fortnight. 

For snow weather details, check out the predictions from Pete “The Frog” Taylor on the Snowatch website which comes highly recommended, or perhaps see what Grasshopper has to say over at Mountainwatch. The Falls Creek app also has weather, snow cams and trail details. 

Club News

Events

We have our usual events in the calendar – all are welcome to join in. 

The Christmas in July celebration will be held on Wednesday, 24 July – mulled wine and carols provided, bring your own festive foods and don’t forget your Santa hat!

Club Race Day is scheduled for Saturday, 3 August.

Awards will follow that evening at the Race Dinner. Bring out your most chic couture and come dressed for our French theme in honour of the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Interclub Races are being hosted by Anton Huette at Mount Hotham on Saturday, 7 September. 

Opening Weekend 

The Season Opening on the King’s Birthday long weekend saw the Lodge at full capacity and glorious weather for Saturday and cloudy but fine on Sunday and Monday.

Fireworks were spectacular with uninterrupted views from the balcony or the Bowl and a few of our members were captured on the Lift Co Instagram page inspecting the new Cloud 9 balcony… not sure if they sampled the bar?!!

Mountain Muster

We again hosted the Falls Creek Alpine Association’s Mountain Muster on the King’s Birthday long weekend, with around 70 people attending – a great turnout.

The current President of the FCAA (similar to a chamber of commerce for the non-commercial lodges), David Stogdale, is one of our members. 

The reportedly magnificent wine was provided by Sam Miranda Wines and a big thank you to Fiona and Jess for all their back of house work in the kitchen, the event was a great success.

Members of the FCAA provide discount cards – read more to take advantage during your next visit. 

Pre-Season Reminders

We have compiled a list of reminders for all members to help us all enjoy our time at the Lodge:

• The heating system was cleaned, serviced, and repaired over the summer. Please turn off heaters when going out to reduce our significant energy bills. New operating instructions are in all rooms to help.
• Ski lockers are strictly for storage of skis and snow boards only – no clothing, no helmets, no boots. A limited number of lockers are available for other storage, contact us to enquire.
• If you have guests staying at the Lodge, you as the member are to inform them of the Lodge Rules and you are responsible for guests behaviour whilst they are staying.
• Please be vigilant and check the info posters if not sure where to place your waste. We have 4 bins:
  • green – food waste,
  • purple – glass recycling,
  • black – other recycling,
  • red – general waste / landfill.
• Remember to shower before using the spa or sauna. Respect the opening hours of these facilities and follow instructions for use, or ask if you’re unsure.  
• Please do not vape or smoke in the Lodge, on the balcony, or Fire Escape.

• Lodge etiquette: put your name on your boots, take out rubbish if it’s near the entry, and help if more wood is needed from the cellar.

New equipment:

• Thanks to a request from a member at the AGM, the Club now has 2 rice cookers, a soda stream with 6-8 bottles (gas bottle re-fills are available at Foodworks), and as in previous year we have a Nespresso machine, so please bring your own coffee pods.

 Relax and enjoy – its everyone’s holiday!

Renovations Update

The final improvements, repairs and renovations are now complete, including:

• a new oven on the sanitiser side of the kitchen at the bottom,
• leaky taps fixed, 
• a new sanitiser fitted in mid-June – the previous sanitiser was leaking despite repairs over summer. It had been in service since 2003 when the whole kitchen was renovated. 

Room 7 was completed in early June, so the Lodge now has three twin rooms available on the booking system. 

Below are a couple of photos from late May showing the new carpet and the cabinetmakers installing the beds, drawers and shelving. 

And in early June, just waiting on the new mattresses…

AGM 

The Annual General Meeting was held on 21 May with 37 members (including the Committee) attending in person and online via Zoom taking just over an hour. 

The meeting heard reports from the Committee, accepted the Financial Accounts and Auditors Report, agreed on the 2025 subscription rate and Committee numbers, no election was required, and considered changes to our Rules, supporting some and asking for others to be clarified.  

Thanks to all those who attended. You can read the Reports presented to the meeting here. 

Committee news 

The new committee agreed roles at its June meeting, as follows:

• Justin Checcucci, Chair
• Jenny Hughes, Secretary
• Will Zacharin, Treasurer
• Alan Long, Booking Officer
• Lynn Cameron, Membership & Events Officer
• Tom Harrington, Lodge Supervisor
• Hugh James, Assistant Lodge Supervisor
• Peter Lodewijks, IT Officer 
• Siobhan Barry, Communications Officer. 

Welcome to Peter, we look forward to your contribution. 

Committee member spotlight 

Your volunteer Committee run the Lodge on behalf of us as members, so we think you should get to know more about them.

So to start at the top, we sat down with our Committee Chair, Justin Checcucci. Read his answers to the big questions… 

Resort News

Transport

Getting up the Mountain will be faster this year as the road is open in both directions and there are no traffic lights.

However, we have heard via FCAA that Police advise that the 40km/h speed limit around Howmans Gap will be enforced. 

If you’re not keen on digging the car out, hiring and fitting chains why not catch the bus? Park entry is included and Falls Creek Coaches travel from Melbourne Southern Cross or Tullamarine, Albury airport or railway station and Mount Beauty. So consider catching the bus to see if it would suit you. 

Parking

A new carpark (as yet unpaved) is now available between the gate and Orbit corner.

The Windy Corner carpark is now for Day car parking only and it, along with Gully and Slalom are all self parking areas.

FCAA has advised that a new Ranger has been appointed to fine vehicles that do not meet the car parking requirements.

Mountain events and dining

The What’s on Guide includes some great events to check out when you visit, including:

• Mulled wine Mondays at Lakeside,
• Twilight Tuesdays at the Bowl with Pete the Snowdragon 3.30 – 5pm,
• Harvey Hour at the Falls Creek Hotel on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 
• $1 wings at Someplace Else Tuesdays, and 
• Falls Creek Museum opens 12 – 4pm Thursday to Sunday. 

Many of the same restaurants return in 2024, but there are a couple of new additions to try… 

A new Mediterranean restaurant, Sorella at Elk has replaced Bob Sugar, and the Little Chop Italian Shop is a new restaurant at Nelse by the team from The Chophouse.

It’s best to book ahead again this year to avoid disappointment. 

Cloud 9 has been refurbished, including a new deck and major structural changes including a new ramp style entrance on the southern side of the building, so make sure you have a look when you’re up next. 

Your thoughts, tips and requests for the newsletter are gratefully received at comms.aacfc@gmail.com – we’ll do our best to help. 

Siobhan and the Committee

Read all the AAC Falls Creek news at aacfallscreek.com/news.html