SPRING has already seen an increase in the number of visitors heading for the High Country waterways, including the most popular spot, Lake Eildon.

Despite the visitor COVID-19 restrictions up to now, an easing of restrictions is expected to see a huge influx of visitors and holiday home owners head to the region.

This article takes a snippet look at the Lake Eildon Activation Plan which was adopted in 2019 by both Mansfield and Murrindindi Shires and water authorities, looking to the future of the region and what will be needed to accommodate a surge in visitors.

Lake Eildon is one of the most recognisable and popular recreational water bodies in Victoria, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

In 2018 a survery reported an estimated 869,958 visitors were attracted to the lake.

This includes 775,674 (89 per cent) overnight visitors and 94,285 (11 per cent) daytrip visitors.

The region is projected to grow by an additional 604,922 visitors by 2030, to reach 1,474,800 tourists.

This highlights the need for both private and public sector investment to provide a unique and attractive experience to service these visitors, including investment in infrastructure and visitor services.

Key townships across the region include Eildon, Bonnie Doon, Goughs Bay and Jamieson, which many of the frequent visitors own holiday homes, caravans and houseboats.

In 2019 the endorsed Masterplan and Activation Plan aimed to increase visitor experiences, economic growth, grow visitor yield through investment in accommodation, food and beverage product, and nature based tours and experiences.

The purpose of the Masterplan is to establish a shared vision for the activation of Lake Eildon, identifying priority tourism and recreation developments within an environmentally sustainable framework.

Among some of the projects to fulfil these aims are development of primary lakeside visitor precincts at Goughs Bay, Jerusalem Creek, Eildon and Peppin Point.

It also lists an Adventure Park for Bonnie Doon, Mansfield to Goughs Bay Cycling Trail, and a Peppin Point Day Visitor Precinct and Community Hub; among the many ideas.

Lake Eildon was originally constructed to allow for the storage of water between 1915 and 1929.

Prior to the construction of Lake Eildon, the land was a key meeting spot for the Taungurung Indigenous clan, and therefore significant Indigenous heritage remains within the Lake.

In a survey conducted by Transport Safety Victoria in 2015, 25 per cent of respondents said they mostly boated on inland waters; most commonly was on Lake Eildon.

The main purpose of a trip for boating visitors travelling to Lake Eildon was water skiing/wakeboarding/knee boarding etc (62 per cent), followed by fishing (23 per cent), and touring/cruising (15 per cent).

The total economic impact of tourism and recreation within the Lake Eildon region is estimated at $486 million in output and 2548 jobs to the Hume region.

The Lake Eildon region has 2209 holiday homes that are used for private holiday home use.

This includes 1712 on the Mansfield side of the Lake and 497 on the Murrindindi side of the Lake.

The Mansfield side of the Lake has much larger tracts of private land and small settlements that support the holiday home sector; Bonnie Doon has the largest supply of holiday homes at 570.

Other key nodes of holiday homes include Howes Creek and Goughs Bay.

As lifestyle leaders are higher yielding visitors, the target market that will inspire them to visit the Lake Eildon region includes development of nature-based experiences, family friendly product and experiences, greater retail and food and dining experiences, as well as higher quality accommodation.

Key strengths in the Lake Eildon region include waterways (lake/rivers), fishing, recreational boating, other water-based activities (eg kayaking, jet skiing), outdoor adventure activities (eg hunting, four wheel driving), and camping.

So Lake Eildon is open for business – make it your destination for this spring and summer and enjoy the delights of what this tremendous waterway and its surrounding townships have available.