By Callum Ludwig
Last week’s long weekend saw a flood of visitors to Warburton, packing the car parks and taking in the surroundings and what the township has to offer.
The streets were packed on Thursday and not a car park was left available for most of the day as visitors made the most of the nice weather or stopped when passing through on holiday for the long weekend.
Warburton Motel Owner Richard Stanwix said most weekends are busy in Warburton and this unexpected long-long weekend was an extra boost.
“It once again highlights how important it is for us to keep building mid-week business across the Yarra Valley. It was fantastic to see crowds of people from Thursday onwards,” he said.
“However with a pumping town on Thursday, there were multiple closed businesses and very limited, although good, dinner options on Thursday. Motel guests had a fantastic weekend, the feedback to us is always positive. People are astounded by how different Warburton is to anywhere else this close to Melbourne.”
The extra two days off provided by the National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II and the Grand Final Eve Public Holiday combined to create a great opportunity for a getaway, even though poor weather and potential flooding was predicted around the Yarra Ranges.
Mr Stanwix said as always, the glorious river, mountains and forests are the number one drawcard for Warburton.
“They are then supported by the great and fun shops and eateries. 50 per cent of our guests had bikes or hired bikes and explored the Rail Trail, Aqueduct Trail and other gravel options surrounding town. Spring is so beautiful in Warburton. The proliferation of deciduous plantings over generations now presents us with an explosion of colour and life. The more stable but still cool weather is perfect for hikers and riders and that forms a big part of our guest list.,” he said.
“Traffic is always a challenge on these busy weekends, and every weekend in summer.”
With the hotly anticipated AFL Grand Final between the Geelong Cats and Sydney Swans on Saturday afternoon, many residents and visitors took to the Alpine Hotel in Warburton to tune in to the big game.
Alpine Hotel Owner Rachael Northwood said Grand Final Day was a family-focused day at the pub.
“The weather potentially could have bought more people to the venue, but there was plenty of cheering going on and all in good spirit. Considering the same time last year, there was nothing going on, it was great to see people lined up with their beers,” she said.
“We loved the day and had flags of both teams out the front, and as well it was great if a bit of a shock on Thursday to see how busy it was given the short notice of the public holiday. The sunshine and our first barmy weather day on Thursday likely encouraged people to go out and explore beautiful Warburton.”
The Upper Yarra Reservoir Park’s reopening also lined up nicely with the long weekend, encouraging visitors on their way to stop in town.
Ms Northwood said the reopening is exciting for the community and a beautiful piece of space.
“I’m sure there were so many people commuting through Warburton to get to that destination. We’ve also got some of the best spots for walking, along the Birrarung (Yarra River) and the mountain in Mt Donna Buang with stunning views of the Valley, as well as the Warburton Trail for walkers and bike riders,” she said.
“The other thing about Warburton is the village atmosphere, It’s quite unique, with the historic buildings. Even the Alpine Hotel has been there since 1885.”
