A first trip ‘round the world, part 40

Fifty years ago, there wasn’t much lodging in and around Mt. Buller. There might have been between 1,000 and 2,000 beds, but folks came just for the weekend as the average length of stay for the season was just 1.25 nights. 

Skiers came mostly on Saturday, stayed the night and drove back to Melbourne in less than 4 hours on Sunday, while only a small contingent made it to town on Friday night. Week-long stays were rare Today, it’s lodging capacity has grown to more like 8,000 beds, but the average length of stay is still under 1.4 nights, as Mt. Buller stubbornly remains a weekend ski resort. 

I guess folks from Central and Western Australia still prefer to enjoy their ski week in New Zealand, Japan or perhaps Thredbo or Perisher! People who want to stay for a week need an excellent selection of restaurants, bars, shopping, personal services or else they get bored and would rather stay home. Fifty years later, there are only 9 restaurants at Mt. Buller! This, of course is the typical chicken and egg story.

Aside from the rather upscale Arlberg Hotel, the much rougher Kooroora, and the Pension Grimus, there were mostly rustic “lodges” owned by ski-clubs and individuals from Melbourne, where skiers would congregate and, each weekend, literally pile up on top of each others, often in pretty promiscuous conditions!

There was another hotel option though, called Enzian, named after “Gentiana”, the ubiquitous, dark-blue Alpine flower. That inn was rather large, modeled after the typical Austrian Gasthaus and was budget-priced and still remains that way to this day. 

It was located in the back of our living quarters and Kooroora, just next to the Chamois run and a short walk to the heart of the village center. This unpretentious hotel was taking pride in offering a “True Australian Alpine experience” and was welcoming skiers or visitors and their families with genuine warmth and friendliness. 

This was a place where young folks, just like us, gathered, in which parties were happening all the time and where we often ended our evenings…