By STEVE BELLI, Mt Hotham Chamber of Commerce president
And, we are off!
In May you can feel the excitement building, new staff locked in, eager to get here, the colleagues you have seen on screens since the end of last season materialise and the buzz builds.
Earlier in May most of the snow industry in Australia gathered for an event that bought us together - together in thinking, problem solving and deep discussions.
What was clear is the communal thinking.
An industry that revolves around you, our visitors.
The common thread that keeps us all in an industry we love!
I could go on, but let’s cut to the chase.
What are we in for in 2026 up here at Hotham?
Improved snowmaking, replacement of aging infrastructure under the ski fields - you wont see much but the results will be visible when the white stuff starts churning out for winter.
The operators at Chill Bar have given their bar a makeover: think country and western, greatly improved space management and also a sister operation adjacent aptly named ‘freshies’.
As the name suggests, think fresh, sushi, sandwiches and other grab and go delights.
Events, loads of them with some pre-release info on the Hotham website that will be updated as we swing into season.
Of course we have the weather.
One of the most hotly debated subjects.
Those who know and have read my ramblings before will remember my famous saying, “Ask me at the end of the season”.
At this time of year, fact, fiction, guesswork, professionals and amateur’s all line up for a good crack of ‘whats gunna happen’.
Yes there are patterns, yes it will snow - when and how much is the missing link.
So, it will be what it will be, however innovations in snowmaking and management have given us a good leg up to add and maximise snow falls, Nino’s aside.
Some good deals are planned for shoulder seasons of June/Sept and early October with some special’s designed to ‘entice’.
Check the website for the details.
Just also a quick shoutout to our Winter Olympians who did us so proud.
There was a quite a contingent of supporters that cheered on our champions from the sidelines in Italy and of course remotely here in Australia.
Just so good and the feeling of seeing our comrades succeed was just mindblowing.
Till then, we can’t wait to see you at Hotham.