Myrtleford gears up for cycling race boost after bushfires
Evacuations cast a shadow over bushfire-affected Myrtleford but now the town is seeing a brighter side as it readies for its role in Victoria’s premier professional cycling race.
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Spirits are riding high as bushfire-affected Myrtleford gears up for Victoria’s premier professional cycling race.
After two evacuation notices within weeks cast a shadow over the town, excitement is building ahead of this week’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
Steve Connor, who runs the Myrtleford Cycle Centre, said the famous race would give the community a much-needed boost.
“The entertainment from seeing a cycle race live isn’t actually from the cyclists coming through,’’ Mr Connor said.
“It comes from the festive atmosphere, hanging out with all the people before and after.
“It’s a chance for people to put the marquee out, stick on a barbecue and make some money.”
After a tough few weeks for local businesses, Mr Connor said people in the community had gone above and beyond to support each another.
“My customers have been fantastic,’’ he said. “We’re backed up as far as repairs go and they are probably people who I wouldn’t have seen until autumn. They’re deliberately choosing to spend in the town.
“They were going to do it anyway but they’re doing it now because they realise a lot of people are having a tough time.”
Ruby’s Cafe owner Kara Watson told the Herald Sun: “We’re pretty lucky here in the cafe because we have a pretty strong local base but we definitely haven’t had many tourists come through — normally we’re flat out with tourists.
“Everyone sticks together and helps each other out when they can. That’s one of the joys of living in a small town, I suppose. We’ve got such beautiful towns up here and so much to do, it would be great if people would consider coming here.
“I can see why people like to go overseas but it’s good to see what you have in your own backyard.”
Jim Van Geet, who runs the Myrtleford Art Gallery and is president of the local chamber of commerce, said the community was resilient.
It had already endured bushfires in 2003, 2006 and 2009.
Mr Van Geet said there was no better time to visit Myrtleford.
“Locally they come but we really want more visitors to come from the major cities like Melbourne and Sydney,’’ he said. “Usually they’re the ones who don’t come largely because they’ve heard it’s all doom and gloom because of the fires. It’s not. The places where tourists would go haven’t been affected, just the surrounding bush.”
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Myrtleford Holiday Park manager Lyndy Condrington said the town had much to offer.
“Bright is such a popular destination and Falls Creek is also very trendy, but sometimes Myrtleford is forgotten,’’ she said.
“We’ve had people come in and say they’ve never stayed, just driven through.
“But when they do stay, they really enjoy it.”