Continental breakfasts on Sundays

Last year this change was brought in to help cope with COVID cleaning obligations. COVID or not, the committee has decided to continue this. Peak season Sunday changeovers are always a challenge. Moving to contenental breakfasts on Sundays should allow rooms to be ready a little earlier.

COVID

The committee fervently hopes that 2022 can be a normal sesaon. However booking arrangements and services may change if the necessity arises. Please check the website regularly for updates

Booking System Facelift

The Booking System developer has given the booking system a bit of a facelift, mainly on the booking matrix screen. It looks a bit different but works in much the same way.

Small Screens (Tablets/Phones)

Historically, the booking matrix has not worked well on Tablet and Phone screens. There is now an alternative that should be automatically enabled on these devices but you can choose it on larger traditional screens too.

The button circled in red switches between the new small screen display and the full booking matrix. Once you have begun a booking it is best to stick with the format you have chosen.

The calendar buttons, circled in blue, help you specify the first and last nights of your booking. The X buttons circled in green let you clear a date to start again.

Use the checkboxes to select the beds. You can easily go to the Availability screen to check available beds and dates.

Once you use the Next button, the booking process is the same as if you started with the full booking matrix.

Exclusive Single Use Policy

There has been increasing interest in members being allowed to book a room for themselves without needing to share with another single. The 2021 AGM requested that the committee give consideration to making this possible. A singles booking policy must balance the needs of members who do not wish to share a room with the demand for beds from other members and the risk of diminished revenue to cover the Club's expenses. 

A limited number of rooms will be made available for exclusive single use by singles: rooms 6, 7,8 and 11, but a maximum of 3 rooms at a time. In quieter times or if there are vacancies close to the intended time of stay, the Booking Officer may allow additional bookings for exclusive single use. Exclusive use by a single is only available to a member of AAC Falls Creek, for themself.

The fee to block out the room will be the same as the member's fee (i.e. as if paying for 2 members).

Unfortunately the booking system does not have the facility to smoothly automate exclusive use bookings. The Booking Officer will enable the policy where the system cannot.

This arrangement will be trialled in 2022. Hopefully this will give some welcome flexibility to Members who come alone to the Lodge, without unduly restricting the number of people who can enjoy the Lodge at popular times

For full details and instructions on how to make exclusive single use bookings, see the Exclusive Single Use booking policy

Booking into other AAC Lodges

You can now logon to Perisher as well as Anton and Dinner Plain booking systems using your AAC Falls Creek logon credentials. If you are booking for other members, they will need to first log on to the other Lodge to make sure that they will be recognised as members when you book for them.

EFT payment details

These will no longer appear on booking system invoices but you see them when you are logged in and about to pay for a booking.

Waitlisting

Waitlisting rules are unchanged for 2022.

Notes from the last 2 years that may have been overlooked amid the COVID chaos

Payment must be made promptly:

Some Members have been quite slow to pay for bookings. In some cases bookings were cancelled very late, having never been paid for. The Booking Officer will now cancel bookings not paid for in the appropriate time. This is within 7 days for normal bookings and 1 day for approved waitlist requests.

Late season discount: 

Stay at the Lodge during the last week of Victorian September/October School Holidays for a very special low rate.

Tighter enforcement of booking priority:

The long-standing booking rules state that only bookings for Members open on 1 February. Bookings for family of members must wait until 8 March and other guests until 15 March. Bookings for Members of other AAC lodges open on 1 March. To improve the enforcement of this rule, on any night a Member can only be booked into one bed in their own name. You can use the comment section of a booking to tell the Booking Officer if you intend booking for others as well.

Booking information for all AAC is online:

The booking information sheet has been replaced by web-based information. You can read this online or download it as a PDF, or just download selected sections. The Falls Creek specific information is also provided at aacfallscreek.com/book.html .

Published: 03 January 2022

Check out this great YouTube video from Stephen Lane, an ambassador for 3 Peaks, a Sports Scientist and a well known ex top level Victorian cyclist. He is with Paul Van Der Ploeg, a Mt Beauty local who won a world championship MTB event and is an ambassador for Falls Creek (and lots of other things). Hopefully this inspires some of us to head up to Falls with the bikes and explore whatever takes your fancy! Remember the Lodge is open for bookings and apart from Peaks weekend (March 12/13), there's plenty of room at present. Enjoy!

from Stephen Lane - HPTek

Published: 18 December 2021

With Summer officially only a few weeks away now, and travel restrictions to Regional Vitoria lifted, the conversation has quickly turned to "What's on this summer at Falls Creek"? Well, there's lots on!

Kicking things off is the 2021 Ignition MTB Festival from November 19 through to 21, which is also the same weekend that Falls Creek officially opens all the mountain bike trails for the season.The Falls Creek MTB Park offers 40km of trails to explore and and there are shuttles running throughout the summer to keep you heading downhill for longer.

Trails, Tales and Tucker occurs on selected dates between November until April. If you're up for a three kilometre walk along the Wallace’s Heritage Trail while listening to the stories of the characters, the myths and legends and how they have shaped the Bogong High Plains, then this will be right up your alley.

Once School Holidays commence, the Village will once again come to life with lots of kids activities and a chance for everyone to enjoy cycling, water sports, hiking and trail walking or just some peace and quite in the beautiful alpine surrounds.

Kicking off February is the Victorian Enduro Tour on 5-6 February 2022, which sees the village set as the stage for mountain bikers to show off their skills and speed through the village and on the high plains.

Something new for Falls Creek this summer will be the FEASTIVAL Falls Creek event, taking place on 18-20 February 2022. This event has been described as a lively mix of music, art, comedy and great food so keep an eye out on Falls Creek socials and their website as more details are released in due course. As part of FEASTIVAL, FCRM will be offering an 8-hour, free live music event in Slalom Plaza. This will showcase a collection of Australian artists, from major, international-touring headline acts, to local homegrown artists.

Probably the biggest alpine cycling event each Summer is the Peaks Challenge event, which will be held on (lucky) 13 March, 2022. With the Lodge all but full for this weekend, it's a great weekend for the Club and for Falls Creek alike.

Not to forget everyone's favourite event, the Falls Creek Long Lunch will be held on Friday 18 March. This event is a highlight on the Falls Creek social calendar, so to avoid disappointment make sure you book early if you want to attend.

To finish off the official events for Summer season is the Easter Festival which is always a favourite for kids and adults alike. With usually great weather and a fun atmosphere, Easter at Falls Creek is always a hit, so get in early and organise a group for next year.

What ever you choose to do at Falls Creek this summer, have a great time and remember to recommend our Lodge to your friends and family for somewhere to stay.

Published: 14 November 2021

We are pleased to advise that Summer bookings are open and the Lodge will reopen from December 1, 2021. 

UPDATE: The threshold where vaccinations are required is now12 years of age

With COVID restrictions lifting in line with vaccination targets being met and Melbourne exiting its lengthy lockdown, we expect travel to Alpine areas will be in high demand this Summer. Our desire to open up is strong, but we also need to keep in step with the Government's latest updates so things may change as we progress through Summer and into Winter. For opening up on December 1, the Committee has made the decision that all people aged 16 years and over staying in the Lodge will need to be double vaccinated. We expect regulations to continue to allow more people in the Lodge when everyone is vaccinated, so requiring full vaccination will maximise the number of people who can stay and help restore lost revenue from the past two years. As younger cohorts are able to be fully vaccinated, the committee will review the minimum age. 

Proof of each person's double vaccination via their vaccination certificate may be requested when the booking is made. The QR code check-in at the Lodge will remain in place for summer. The Service Victoria App has now been updated to allow individuals to link their vaccination certificate with the App. When you do the QR check-in at the Lodge (and other premises on the mountain), your vaccination status will also be verified at that time if you have linked your certificate to the app. The Lodge Manager may also check for this verification. 

So, if you're from Melbourne, or any area that has been under lockdown, why not recharge with some quality time with friends and family at Falls Creek this summer? Enjoy your stay!

Published: 17 October 2021

The recent COVID restriction changes have brought the Lodge some good news, and some bad.

Who can come?

It's fantastic that Melbourne people can come to the lodge now, but very sad that many NSW people cannot. Wollongong and all of Greater Sydney have been declared Red Zones and no one from these areas may enter Victoria until advised otherwise. Please contact the booking officer as soon as possible if you or your guests have been in these areas.

Pre-visit COVID testing for Melbournians is still recommended, but no longer mandatory. Whilst not mandatory, if you can have a test done before arriving, it will be reassuring to Members and Guests that we are all doing our best to keep the Lodge COVID free.

For opening weekend, Resort Management advised that the Lodge capacity was limited to the private gathering cap. Now the capacity is limited instead by the 1 person per 4sqm rule. (Before the outbreak it was double this.) Although the Lodge is big enough to allow us to fill all the beds, the dining room and adjoining kitchen and mezzanine lounge are not big enough to allow everyone in that space at the same time.

Rostering

To maximise the number of people who can stay at the Lodge, the Committee has decided to roster meal times rather than severely limit the number of people who can stay. We understand that this constraint may be very inconvenient but it is the best way to allow as many members as possible to enjoy the Lodge while the 4sqm rule is in place. 

When there are more than 24 people booked into the Lodge, you will be assigned a time slot for breakfast and dinner. Other times of the day are less likely to be crowded so we ask that you just observe the capacity limit of 24.

You must not use the kitchen, dining room or mezzanine lounge during a session that you are not allocated. If you don't want to stay in your room, remember that the games room & TV room will be open, and the spa in the evening.

You can express a preference to the Booking Officer but if too many people want the same session, he will have the final say. Getting to morning lessons and feeding children will be considerations.  

If you are coming at a time when rostering is in place, please keep to meals that can be easily and quickly prepared in that time frame. If you are in the 2nd session for dinner, you will not have access to the kitchen during the early session.

Sunday Blockout

As previously advised, the additional cleaning requirements mean that in busy weeks, we cannot admit Sunday arrivals until Monday. This will take effect from Sunday 4 July. If your booking was set to start on a Sunday, you may not check in until 3pm Monday. If you drop off luggage or access the ski room prior to 3pm Monday, you must also sign-in using the government QR system and you must not come up the stairs.

Paperwork

Don't forget that you need to complete the Liability Waiver and Patron Health Accommodation Questionnaire for everyone in your party and return them to the Booking officer before departing for the Lodge.

Falls Creek Resort Management also requires you to purchase and print off resort entry permits/oversnow tickets, etc before arriving in the resort. The Howmans ticket box and the ATS will not be able to process these, at least until further notice. Keep an eye on the Falls Creek resort website for up to date information. Resort entry Season Pass holders must still register their visits at least 48 hours before arrival, but need not print out the permit (you still need to display your Season Pass on your windscreen).

Our full COVID Safe Plan is a rather bulky document that includes much material of little interest to most members and guests. A summary of our COVID Safe Plan has been published to more succinctly inform members and guests about how the lodge will operate. These documents will be revised in the next few days to reflect clarifications and new advice that is expected to come through. The table below summarises factors that may override the summary.  

Keep up to date with the changes

The most up-to-date information will be published on the wesite at aacfallscreek.com. Be sure to check for the latest information.

Hopefully we will soon see the 2sqm rule reinstated and NSW hotspots cleared up.

Key settings from 25 June 

Travelling from interstate?

1. QR code check-in is mandatory at the Lodge and nearly everywhere on the mountain. This will be easiest if you install the Service Victoria app on your smart phone
2. You will need an entry permit for Victoria. Unless you are coming from a hotspot, it is a formaility akin to checking-in in case they need to find you later. However, from Friday 25 June, all LGAs in Greater Sydney, and Wollongong LGA, have been declared as Red Zones and people who have been there are not permitted to enter Victoria. 
3. Check the border and quarantine rules for your State (and any States you will transit)

Published: 13 June 2021

The Lodge is open but very constrained by government restrictions regarding who can stay. The situation has been changing rapidly and often with very short notice. Please bear with us as we strive to accommodate as many bookings as Government restrictions allow. Our booking officer Alan Long has the onerous task of adjusting the bookings and communicating directly members who have booked. Please don't shoot the messenger!

The limit on the capacity of the lodge is the same as the Victorian government's cap on private gatherings.

This is currently a single household (or intimate partner or single bubble) plus 2 adults and their dependents. 

Hopefully by 18 June, Melbourne based Members and Guests will be permitted to travel to the Lodge, however at this stage we are still not permitted to take new bookings from Melbourne based residents. We are allowing Melbourne members to express interest in future booking times using the normal tentative booking request process. No bookings from Melbourne members can be confirmed at this time.

If there are more bookings than permitted by the restrictions, the Booking Officer will have discretion to determine which eligible bookings can use the Lodge. 

Keeping up to date with changes

Some additional government guidelines for alpine resorts were published last week. Our full COVID Safe Plan has been revised to ensure that it still complies. This is a rather bulky document that includes much material of little interest to most Members and Guests. We had previously prepared a summary of our COVID Safe Plan so you can see at a glance how we expect to operate this Winter. The table below summarises factors  that may override the summary.

Of course we respond to any updates in government advice. The best way for you to keep abreast of lodge contions is to check the COVID status on the club website.

Major changes to a normal season in the Lodge

• Before this outbreak, we had been hoping that cleaning requirements for shared accommodation would be eased. Unfortunately that is not the case. Once we get busy, we will need to close the Lodge from 11am Sunday to 3pm Monday each week for thorough deep cleaning of the entire Lodge. Before the latest lockdown, we expected this to start in the middle of Victorian school holidays on Sunday 4 July, with all bookings that were due to start on the Sunday to be postponed until the Monday. If the cap on private gatherings remains low, the introduction of the Sunday night block-out may be delayed from July 4th due to the low volume of people that can be in the Lodge under those restrictions. For Members and Guests who have a booking that spans two consecutive weeks, they will be allowed to remain in the Lodge but with some restrictions so as not to interfere with the deep cleaning.
• We have also had to introduce a COVID cleaning surcharge of $5 per head per night. This will apply equally to all categories of members, guests and children.
• You must bring masks to the lodge. Depending on government restrictions at the time, you may need to wear them whenever you are outside your bedroom. You will need them in all venues and vehicles throughout the resort.
• You will need to be mindful of social distancing in common areas and scupulous about hygienne.
• You will need to complete a Liability Waiver and a Patron Health Accommodation Questionnaire before you travel to the Lodge, which will be provided to you via e-mail.
• If you are arriving on a Sunday, or Monday after a block-out day, you are requested to arrive at the Lodge between 3pm and 6pm. The meet and greet session that evening will brief you on the COVID conditions in the Lodge as well as the normal information. If you are arriving on a different day or cannot arrive by 6pm on Sunday/Monday, you will need to text the Lodge Manager to advise her of your estimated arrival time.
• Please read the summary of our COVID Safe Plan for a fuller idea of how this year will differ from a normal season at the Lodge.

Hopefully the restrictions will ease soon and we can enjoy the lodge together this winter.

Key settings

 Travelling from interstate?

1. QR code check in is mandatory at the lodge and nearly everywhere on the mountain. This will be easiest if you install the Service Victoria app on your smart phone
2. You will need an entry permit fror Victoria. Unless you are coming from a hotspot, it is a formaility akin to checking in, in case they need to find you later
3. Check the border and quarantine rules for your state (and any states you will transit)

Published: 29 May 2021

• covid

For those that have driven up to Falls Creek and other Resorts when it's been snowing, you will have noticed that sometimes the signs will say fitting chains to two-wheel-drive (2WD) and when the snow is really heavy the signs will say fitting chains to 2WD and four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles. For those of us that own 4WD and All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) vehicles, we have enjoyed the freedom of usually not having to fit snow chains unless it's been really heavy snow and/or ice. Well, from this year onwards, unless you have recognised 'snow tyres' on your 4WD/AWD vehicle, you might still have to fit chains to your vehicle 4WD/AWD.

Coming into this winter, rumours around the mountain have been rife with comments about 4x4 and AWD vehicles needing to be fitted with snow tyres to avoid having to fit snow chains when the conditions require. Snow tyres are prevalent in Europe but not so much here in Australia. Snow tyres are not the same as All Terrain (AT) tyres or even traditional Mud and Snow tyres. Snow tyres have a special tread pattern and a special soft compound that improves performance when driving in snow and ice.

The Alpine Resorts (Management) Regulations 2020 was released last year with an important update regarding the fitting of snow chains (see page 30). Essentially, VicRoads have created a new 'class of vehicle' which is "vehicles that have Snow Tyres fitted to all wheels of the vehicle". In addition, there are other important changes as follows:

• Firstly, the new VicRoads regulations will include a requirement that wheel chains comply with the European ON-V5117 Standard. Ladder chains will not be approved
• There is likely to be a special classification for AWD vehicles fitted with identified winter/snow tyres in relation to wheel chain fitting
• Winter/snow tyres will be required to comply with ECE 117.02 snow test and be identified by the 3PMSF ‘snow flake’ alpine symbol
• All terrain tyres, and tyres with only the Mud + Snow (M+S) marking, will not be recognised in this new classification.

How do you tell a snow tyre? It will have on its sidewall (the side of the tyre) the 3PMSF 'snow flake' alpine symbol of a mountain with a snowflake inside it like this:

So what does all this mean? The bottom line is, depending on the snow conditions when you are driving up the mountain, even if you are in a 4WD or AWD vehicle, the likelihood of you having to fit your chains is higher than prior years, unless your vehicle is fitted with the recognised 3PMSF 'snow flake" snow tyres.

So, with a snow forecast that is very positive for 2021, our recommendation is to make sure your snow chains meet the regulations and if you don't have recognised snow tyres, then you might want to practice fitting your chains before you leave. And, most importantly, consult your owners' manual regarding whether to fit your snow chains to the front wheels, or the rear wheels of your vehicle, regardless of whether you drive a 2WD, 4WD or AWD vehicle.

Safe driving everyone! 

Published: 09 June 2021

Notice is given that the 2021 Annual General Meeting of AAC Falls Creek Inc will be held:

DATE: Tuesday, 18 May, 2021
VENUE: via Zoom videoconference
TIME: 7:30 pm - Annual General Meeting to commence

RSVP by 9 May 2020 is essential

AGENDA

1. Apologies
2. Receive and adopt the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
3. Business arising from the Minutes
4. Correspondence
5. Receive and adopt the Committee's Reports
6. Receive and adopt the Profit And Loss Account and Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2020
7. Proposed New Annual Subscription & Levy for 2022
8. Receive and adopt the Auditor's Report
9. Appoint an Auditor for 2022
10. Election of the Committee
11. A.A.C. Business
12. General Business
    • Covid-19

Preparation and conduct of the meeting

• To be admitted to the meeting you must RSVP by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm Sunday 9th May. Prior to the AGM you will be sent a link to join the meeting.
• The meeting will be kept as succinct as possible. We also need to make voting as uncomplicated as possible, while ensuring that it is done faithfully.
• Therefore all nominations, proxies, items of general business must be submitted to the Chairperson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5pm Sunday 9th May. Any proposed Motions must also be provided to the Chairperson by this date.
• You are strongly encouraged to send any questions to the Chairperson by the same date. There will be an opportunity to submit some questions on the night but questions with notice will be more manageable with the technology.
• If you will be attending the meeting, please prepare in advance. Install Zoom on your computer, tablet or phone and use Zoom’s facilities to test that your audio and video are working. If you have a headset with microphone, please use it to reduce background noise.
• Please keep your mic muted during the meeting unless the chairman recognises you to speak. The chairman or his assistant may mute you if necessary. We prefer having all cameras active during the meeting but you may be asked to “mute” cameras if there are difficulties.
• Voting may be a bit laborious. Please be patient if votes need to be counted.
• The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the amended Rules of Association adopted by the Special General Meeting on 13th April 2021.

Election of committee members

The committee recommends that a total of 7 committee members be elected (3 executive members plus 4 ordinary committee members). At the committee meeting after the AGM, the committee elects members to specific positions. At the time of this notice, all current committee members are intending to stand again.

Documents

• Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting can be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/MinutesAGM2020.pdf
• Proxy Forms may be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/ProxyForm2021.pdf
• Nomination Forms may be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/NominationForm2021.pdf
• Financial reports (including Auditor's report) can be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/FinancialStatements.pdf
• Committee reports can be downloaded from aacfallscreek.com/pdf/AGM2021/CommitteeReports.pdf

Jenny Hughes (Secretary)
C/- ProAcct Advisors & Accountants Pty Ltd
PO Box 140 BALWYN VIC 3103
Phone: (03) 9880-9600
Fax: (03) 9880-9699
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published: 02 May 2021

To prepare the Lodge for what is hopefully going to be a bumper snow year, a dedicated team descended on Falls Creek on the weekend of May 1 and 2. With plenty of painting, cleaning, sorting and filling the firewood cabinet, the Lodge is looking 'spic n span' and ready for another season!

Thanks to JB for this selecton of photos of everyone hard at work!

Falls Creek's "The Bachelor" getting some painting in.

Lynn in her Aussie green & gold wicket keeping gloves. 

 Risty showing his prowess on the ladder.

Reeve supervising mum and Tash.

John and Lodge Manager, Julia, checking for tadpoles.

 Will, renovating the BBQ with new knobs and a deep clean.

David "Mr Lighting" illuminating the drying room.

Published: 16 May 2021

The Special General Meeting on 13 April approved the proposed changes to the Rules of Association. Thanks to all those who took part.

The minutes of the meeting are at aacfallscreek.com/pdf/SGM2021/Minutes_SGM2021.pdf

The amended Rules can be found at aacfallscreek.com/xDocs/rules/Rules2021.pdf or via the Member page on the club website

Save the date - AGM  on 18 May

This year's  AGM will again be a videoconference. We hope that next year we will be able to have a meeting where peolple can attend in person, or by videoconference. 

Published: 19 April 2021