Mallacoota, Genoa businesses begin recovery after bushfires
It’s only pub is open, the caravan parks are taking bookings and it’s signature Wild Harvest Seafood Festival is going ahead. Make no mistake about it: fire-ravaged Mallacoota is about to reopen.
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The far eastern corner of Victoria may have been among the worst fire-affected areas but residents in the remote region are determined to fight back.
Still cut off by road closures especially along the Princes Hwy, people in Mallacoota, Gipsy Point and Genoa are slowly rebuilding their shattered communities.
It was this week announced Mallacoota’s signature event, the annual Wild Harvest Seafood Festival, will go ahead on April 3-5.
The town’s only pub, the Mallacoota Hotel, is open (it never really closed) and the Beachcomber Caravan Park is taking bookings for the coming months as visitors pledge to return to revive the local economy.
Caravan park owner Deb Preston described the summer peak season as a wipe-out, comparing it with farmers having a bad year.
“It’s really strange not hearing kids playing in the park over summer,’’ Ms Preston said.
The park and the town hope to receive visitors as early as this month – a time when grey nomads are starting their journey north. Many wait until the end of the summer school holidays and skirt along the Victorian coast for a few weeks or months before heading to warmer locations.
Visitors who lost their January bookings have also indicated their intention to return in coming months, Ms Preston said.
The seafood festival’s program is still being finalised but Destination Gippsland chief executive Terry Robinson said the event would showcase Mallacoota’s wild-caught produce, scenery and industry.
A seafood market will be held on the Saturday, featuring a collection of food vendors, kids’ activities and the freshest seafood on offer.
A Mallacoota Inlet cruise on the MV Loch-Ard will operate on Saturday and Sunday to explore Mallacoota Lake.
The town and visitors also have another seafood-related event to look forward to.
The Reel It In organisation, which organises fishing events, has locked in the Mallacoota Bream Challenge for the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. It will double as a bushfire appeal fundraiser.
The last of those people who were evacuated in the aftermath of the inferno that forced people to shelter on the waterfront flew back into town last week.
The Princes Hwy and the Mallacoota-Genoa Rd remain mostly blocked, limiting access to residents or permit holders.
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The beautiful Croajingolong National Park, a popular destination for hikers and campers, which runs to the southern coastline, has been badly affected by the fires and is still closed and is likely to remain that way for the rest of the fire season.
Safety assessments on burnt-out trees in the 884sq km park could then take months.
The eastern end of the park near Cape Howe has so far escaped the fires.
Visitors to the Mallacoota area should check the travel and Emergency Victoria updates before travelling.