Accessible Tourism
TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE โ Edition 39 (2009) โ Tuesday, 30 June 2009
1. AUSTRALIA AFTER THE BUSHFIRES
Tourism is arguably Australiaโs only economic sector which is striving to help the country regain respect for the natural resources it destroyed, resuscitate the land it devastated, and revive a millenniums-old culture it nearly exterminated. Today as Australia attempts to chart its long-term tourism development path, it is facing a different set of problems, the impact of both global warming and globalisation, health threats, and an era in which money and media messages can spread faster than any virus.
In the past few months, the state of Victoria has become a microcosm of all these changes and challenges striking almost simultaneously. In the Yarra Valley, home of the devastating bushfires of what they now call โBlack Saturdayโ February 7, as well as the neighbouring regions of the Dandenong Ranges, Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula, wineries are slowly recovering and new sources of arrivals like India and China are making an impact. A parade of pygmy penguins is now a critical economic mainstay, even as generations of migrants develop innovative tourism products and create new export markets.
Australia's economic progress has come at a steep price: Deforestation, land degradation, extinction of many species and the trampling of the indigenous people. Having realised the mistakes, the country is changing course. In a way, it is going back to the future. The island continent once had 300 aboriginal nations, each with its distinct identity and culture, then underwent European settlement and colonisation, and now boasts migrants from more than 170 countries, a new melting pot which is also impacting the culture, society and economy.
This impact was manifested at each of the stops we made during a tour of the region. We saw great tourism products, and heard stories of people with grit, determination, and importantly, tremendous respect for the land from which they now make a good living. While other vital sectors of Australiaโs economy, such as mining and agriculture, exploit the countryโs natural resources, only tourism works full-time to preserve the riches. Indeed, the range of products challenges the claim by Australiaโs newly-released long-term strategy paper that the Australian tourism product is somehow not up to par.
We began with the wine country of the Yarra Valley which is suffering from years of drought, higher summer temperatures, distinct shifts in the grape harvest months from the normal of March-April towards January and more recently, the bushfires which did millions of dollars worth of damage. Water levels at the Cardinia Reservoir were at 20% to 28% of normal levels, and, according to our guide, will probably never recover.
Attributed to global warming, the bushfires have devastated the grape harvest, with a knock-on affect regionwide, especially on jobs and income. Tourism is only one victim. Wine is now big business, with exports worth about A$900 million a year. Domestic popularity of wine is also up, thanks to a shift away from beer-drinking, more stringent drunk-driving laws, licensing of restaurants to sell wine, increased affordability and people eating out more. When the weather-vane shifts, so do peopleโs fortunes.
DOMINIQUE PORTET WINERY
Our first stop is Dominique Portet ( http://www.dominiqueportet.co ), a winery set up by the 62-year-old entrepreneur of the same name. Hailing from Bordeaux, France, Mr Portet chose not to join his brother growing wines in the Napa Valley, California, and instead come to Australia in 1976 after finding soil and weather conditions perfect for wine-growing, and the proximity to Melbourne providing a steady market.However, he says, global warming is having an impact, and the bushfires made it worse. โThe rains have not been good for the last 12 years. It is a serious problem. We could see the fires not too far away, and the flying embers were creating spot fires everywhere. It was like a bomb attack.โ His wine output has been halved. The water shortage has also depleted land productivity from yielding about three tons of grapes an acre, to about half a ton. Mr Portet says he has a 140,000 litre water tank to harvest even the rainwater from the roofs of the various structures. โWe are still more or less okay,โ he says, โbut the region is not.โ
Mr Portet, now joined in the business by his 29-year-old son, says his biggest market is Dubai, especially Duty Free Shops and Emirates Airlines, which serves the Shiraz 2006 wine in First Class. Hong Kong and China are the other big markets. The UAE business has not been affected by the global economic decline. โThey are good people to deal with, always pay on time and provide a steady supply of business.โ China is growing strongly due to the increasing popularity of wine-drinking there. โWe have totally restructured market over the last two years from Europe and the USA to Asia and the Middle East,โ he said, citing currency reasons as another reason for the shift.
MONTALTO WINERY
A generational transition is also under way at Montalto ( http://www.monalto.com.au/ ) , a winery cum olive grove that was packed with people on the Sunday afternoon that we visited. A former senior marketing executive of the defunct confectionary multinational RJR Nabisco, Mr John Mitchell moved on after the corporation became the first victim of the โbarbarians at the gateโ buyouts. Although a veritable newcomer, Mr Mitchell now presides over a 50-acre natural amphitheatre property incorporating 23 acres of premium vines, 1500 olive trees, extensive wetlands and bird life and a fruit and nut grove and kitchen gardens which provide self-sustaining produce for the restaurants.Mr Mitchell, 63, has put his multinational experience to good use in his new venture. He has no sales & marketing outlets and only exports to those who order either directly at the winery, or over the Internet. This eliminates the hassles of dealing with distributors. As his winery became popular with Malaysian tourists, Mr Mitchell broadened his product range to include non-alcoholic wine, or as he put it, non-fermented grape juice. A little added soda water gave it a real sparkle. Cultural sensitivity clearly is good for business.
Most amazing was the passion shown by the serving staff, one of whom, a lady in her late 40s, demonstrated a zest and enthusiasm I have rarely seen. The maitre d' walked ramrod straight, as if trained specially to manage VIP banquets. As always, the diversity of Australia was on full display. An Italian waiter named Marco was soon engaged in intense conversation with an Italian journalist in our group.
Mr Mitchell uses the expanse of well-manicured lawn as an open-air museum to hold an annual sculpting competition and jazz and opera concerts. The competition attracts dozens of entrants. A number of eye-catching sculptures dominated the lawn and parking lot, as did three vintage automobiles parked in a garage bordering the fence. At one of the wedding parties, the father of the bride drove his daughter up in one of the vehicles.
Mr Mitchell said his land does not have the same dependence as others on rainfall. There is subterranean water about 2.5 metres below the surface. The rolling hillside slops down towards a large reservoir of water which was noticeably quite full.
Mr Mitchell said that successful businesses, regardless of size, are those with a clear value system and a keen sense of what works. His own business concept relies on the simple philosophy that all guests should leave with a feeling that they enjoyed coming. โYou can have all the resources in the world, but people always remember and appreciate the way they are looked after.โ At the same time, he said, if the owners themselves live out what they preach, the staff buys into it. Today, his daughter has joined him on the operations side, even though she herself has two small children to take care of.
DE BORTOLI WINES
Next, an Italian connection. Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli migrated to Australia from the mountain villages of Northern Italy in 1928 to set up what is now a third generation family wine company that bears their name. Their son Deen De Bortoli expanded the business and his children established the companyโs reputation for premium wine. De Bortoli exports to more than 70 countries including emerging markets such as India, Vietnam, Korea, the UAE and Vietnam.
In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on promoting organic agriculture and better use of compost to ensure good soil balance. According to the website, โSustainable vineyard practices will deliver exceptional fruit quality to the winery as well as real environmental benefits.โ One executive who gave a briefing said that as a private company not beholden to shareholders, it has far more room for flexibility and innovative experimentation than when reporting to a multitude of owners.
A range of photographic memorabilia adorns the walls of the wine-tasting room and shop, highlighting the family history, its various developments and relations with Australian leaders. Still, it says, โItalian family values passed down from Vittorio remain core values, there is a culture of hard work, generosity of spirit and of sharing good food, good wine and good times with family and friends. Each family member is involved in the business. The family motto Semper ad Majora โ 'Always striving for better' - underpins everything the company does.โ
WILLIAM RICKETTS SANCTUARY
Probably one of the most amazing places we visited was theRicketts Sanctuary ( http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/ ) , named after environmentalist and aboriginal rights activist William Ricketts, a man described as being โagainst anything and anyone who raped the earthโ. The relatively small sanctuary in the Dandenong Ranges is easy to walk through, an immensely refreshing experience in the surrounding forests.Mr Ricketts bought the sanctuary in 1934 and began filling it with his unique sculptures which literally and symbolically โunifyโ the people of the land with the land itself. All the sculptures show indigenous peoples, their faces, gestures and actions reflecting a deep inner sadness. Rather than mounted atop fancy pedestals, they have been โblendedโ into the local rocks, trees and the hillside, signifying a unique union of people and their land. To quote one of his writings: โMan is natureโs masterpiece, therefore claim your inheritance by giving her the cooperation you owe.โ And another: โMay we consecrate the Australian bush and speak both for and of it as poems of God.โ
Convinced that the Aboriginal people had their roots in India, Mr Ricketts went there in 1970 and stayed for two years. Says his biography, โDuring his trip, William discovered a spiritual empathy with the people of India, spending some time at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry,โ a renowned spiritual centre. The sanctuary reflects that atmosphere, being described as a โunique place of spiritual renewal and quiet reflection.โ
Word spread about his extraordinary sculptures and in the early 1960s, the land and adjoining blocks were bought by the Victorian government. Mr Ricketts remained at the sanctuary and continued to create his sculptures until his death in 1993 at the age of 94. One of his students, ranger Paul Bennett, was present at the time. โHe just drank a cup of tea, and died,โ he says. โHe didnโt bother anyone, even in death.โ
The Dandenong ranges were spared by the bushfires even though they are said to be the state's most fire-prone areas. However, the region has been hit by the general downturn. The sanctuary, which normally gets 65,000 people a year, is now down to about 40,000 people, says Mr Bennett.
THE PENGUIN PARADE
Every evening at sunset, platoons of two-feet high penguins waddle out of the waves at Phillip Island and spend the night onshore, mostly to mate. This commute, now known as the Penguin Parade ( http://www.penguins.org.au/ ) , attracts half a million spectators a year. Claimed to be Australiaโs most popular natural wildlife attraction, it generates millions of dollars in tourism income, well ahead of the annual movement of speeding machinery, the 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix, on the same island.
No wonder that protecting the precious penguins from all threats is top priority. Several years ago, foxes and feral cats, both foreign species introduced to the island, were identified as primary predators and summarily eradicated. The local council is working on a law that will prevent any island household from having cats. At the centre itself, the entire viewing opportunity is managed with elaborate care and under a blanket of rules and regulations designed to ensure that the penguins are not in any way disturbed. The penguins are also provided with medical facilities, and protected from oil slicks.
Extensive research is undertaken to improve the human understanding of the penguins. Our guide, a former fisherman, moved on when the catch started dwindling due to over-fishing, and now works to ensure that the penguins do not suffer a similar fate. Indeed, the economic value of the centre must be phenomenal. In addition to the entrance fees, the centre has an elaborate retail section selling the usual assortment of mugs, T-shirts, keychains, etc.
MOONLIT SANCTUARY
Nocturnal creatures are also the highlight of the Moonlit Sanctuary ( http://www.pearcedale.com/ ) . Park founder Michael Johnson, who goes by the title of Chief Dingo, researched wildlife and endangered species for several years, and concluded that the best way of preservation is via education and working with the animals within their natural range. When the park opened in September 2001 on the 25-acre bush property, the first order of the day was to do what had to be done at the Penguin Parade โ ward off the foxes. Today, the park houses over 50 species of animals, including wallabies, koalas, red-bellied pademelons and some others in danger of becoming extinct on mainland Australia.
Although the park is benefiting from the first wave of Japanese, Singaporean and Malaysian visitors, it is becoming popular with Indians, mainly families of students in Melbourne enjoying self-drive journeys around the island. Thais, too, are coming in. The Chief Dingo says that visitors can even get involved in the running of the park, working with staff to learn about the conservation work and the difficulties of caring for a diverse collection of animals.
To create a unique selling proposition, the sanctuary is set to rely on another creature, the lowly frog. Set to open later this year is what is claimed to be the โworldโs largest frog conservation breeding centre.โ Thousands of frogs across a variety of species are now housed in large converted shipping containers, which were felt to be the most convenient and least expensive form of shelter. The containers are being slowly upgraded to exhibit status to display an estimated 12,000 species of frogs.
PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS
If the other entrepreneurs have imported their talent and skills from abroad, Charles Davidson, 43, considers himself a 7th-generation Australian โindigenous personโ who gained just the idea for his project from aboard. It began in Japan, where he lived for five years while in the food business.
โOne day, I was sitting in (a Japanese hot spring bath), and I thought to myself 'This is the most relaxing thing I've ever done in my life. Isn't there anything like this in Australia'? It was like an epiphany.โ In 1997, he was told by a Tourism Victoria representative that natural hot mineral water had been discovered in the Mornington Peninsula. After checking it out, he formed a joint venture with his brother and bought the property. That was followed by several years getting the necessary permissions and scouting around hot springs in Scandinavia, North America, New Zealand, Japan, Turkey, Egypt and even Yemen before opening the Peninsula Hot Springs in June 2005.
Today, the facility is patronised by hundreds of people a week, mainly from the Melbourne area who make a beeline around weekends, public holidays and school holidays. I noticed a lot of Japanese and Chinese. Mr Davidson said that people not just to reconnect with nature but with each other. โWater is the source of life, and there is probably no better way to connect than via water,โ he said. โPeople get into the pools and soon they all start talking to each other. This never happens at a beach or at a swimming pool. Itโs a different experience entirely. These days, travel is becoming like going to a zoo. You can see the culture from behind a tinted glass, but you are not part of it. This way, you are very much into it.โ Children under 5 are not permitted into the pools.
Claimed to be the only natural hot springs bathing retreat in Victoria, Peninsula Hot Springs is marketed as a place where โAustralians can enjoy the best of bathing cultures from around the world.โ Its USP is the LiโTya spa treatments developed with the help of Aboriginal elders which include traditional healing wisdom and relaxation techniques. Another body massage, Kodo, is inspired by traditional Aboriginal techniques.
An expansion plan under way will take the total ground area to 47 acres with more bathing pools, walking tracks and unique features such as a yoga platform. There will be 50 rooms, a function centre and retail areas. About 20,000 trees are planned for the area, many of which have regenerated themselves. Mr Davidson says that there used to be horses in the area. When the land changed hands, and was left alone, nature worked its wonders. โIf nature is given a chance it will come back,โ he said.
The total cost is estimated at A$14 million. Agreements have been worked out with two neighbouring golf courses for a visitor exchange. At the moment, visitors reflect a gender profile ratio of 70-30 female:male. But Mr Davidson hopes the trend will follow that of Australian males' drinking habits, as they shift from beer to wine. โI think women will lead the change.โ Visitors from abroad comprise only a small 5%, but the clientele includes many students in Melbourne who bring along their families, a huge VFR market.
Mr Davidson wants to help Aboriginal families in the region develop their own hot springs. Another plan is to create a Peninsula Explorer circuit using a bus operated by tidal-power energy and covering all the 125 attractions and products in the region. The local council has given him A$50,000 to get it going but he says he needs A$3 million. A website is being set up for some Barack Obama style fund-raising. โIf everyone living in the Melbourne area contributes only A$1 each via the website, I will have the A$3 million in no time.โ
Mr Davidson, 43, is three years younger than his brother, and speaks Japanese. The family has been on the Mornington Peninsula for seven generations. His great grandfather was the first treasurer of Australia, and his father the head of the National Trust. โMelbourne would have looked like New York had my father not fought to keep it the way it is,โ he said. โAfter six generations, we consider ourselves 'indigenous',โ he said.
CHATEAU YERING
At the Chateau Yering ( http://www.chateau-yering.com.au/ ) , we were welcomed by General Manager Sue O'Brien, a former TV producer who had never before worked in a hotel until being offered this job by the owners in spite of telling them that she knew nothing about running one. Today, the Chateau Yering is one of the primary accommodation units in the area. A heritage listed property set among historic gardens, the Chateau Yering dates back to 1854 and set amongst a scenic landscape of over 250 acres bordering the Yarra River.
This year has been a โhorrendous yearโ for business, Ms OโBrien said. Things are not yet back to normal, she adds, blaming some of it on a โnot safeโ alert maintained by the state govt for several weeks after the fires were put out. On the weekend we visited, the Chateau was only about half full even though every weekend is supposed to be high season. The previous night, Mrs O'Brien said, only three units were occupied. Average occupancy is about 15%, well below the 45% normal for this time of the year.
The chateau has fended off attempts by management and marketing chains to become part of their group, retaining an affiliation only with Relais & Chateaux, a France-based collection of luxury hotels and restaurants. Ms O'Brien gets a fair deal of business from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore and is keen to tap into the China and India markets. This year, a pleasant surprise was request for appointments at the Australian Tourism Exchange by a number of agents from Thailand. She said all the regional hotels are indulging in rampant discounting, but she will not join the race to the bottom as it only gets difficult to rack it up again. Apart from some external fencing, the property was not much affected by the fires.
TARRAWARRA MUSEUM
The TarraWarra Museum of Art ( http://www.twma.com.au/ ) is the first privately funded, significant public visual arts museum to be set up under the Australian Government's philanthropic measures announced in March 1999. One of the artists exhibiting there, John Olsen, showed the clear linkages between art and the rich Australian land. According to a publication introducing his works, plants, birds and animals began to feature in his art during the 1970s and 80s when โhe travelled extensively across the country, giving new insights into Australia's regional and desert landscapes.โ His motto, โI am in the landscape and the landscape is in meโ coined in April 1984 is an adaptation of author T.S. Eliotโs lines, โThe River is within us, the Sea is all about us โฆ.โ (โThe Dry Salvagesโ from Four Quartets).
In an accompanying essay, Olsen wrote eloquently of what the introduction describes as โwhite-manโs predicament.โ For example, it says in the introduction, โWhen the first unwilling settlers arrived here, they found themselves on a continent like a wrinkled brown raft that had drifted into countless centuries of isolation. (Olsen) went on to observe that finding โThe animals, plant life and landforms so utterly strange [โฆ] they could only think of them as โnewโ, whereas they had evolved since the beginning of time [โฆ] it was as though they were struggling to learn a new language.โ
The museum itself is the brainchild of Eva and Marc Besen, one of Australiaโs retailing magnates. It was opened in December 2003, boasting Australian art chosen from their private collection since the early 1950s. According to the website, โIn the 1950s and 1960s in Australia, those artists who had struggled for recognition during the 1940s began to be more widely appreciated. New art students emerged, migrant artists arrived and Australian artists travelled abroad. International modernism began to make a widespread impact, while landscape and figuration endured as subject matter.โ Today, the museum โdemonstrates a coherent and uniquely Australian character, strongly founded in this nation's interior and exterior world.โ
SASSAFRAS
The township of Sassafras is usually just where visitors make a pit stop to enjoy its numerous cafes, restaurants and tea rooms. But a walk through its main street found some fascinating shops.
One of the coffee-shops specialises in fair-trade coffee ( http://jaspercoffee.com/ ) , the only place where I found this brand which seeks to give growers of the coffee beans in the developing world a fair-dinkum share of the proceeds. Another shop was selling old photographs of Australia through its various stages of development, including the construction of new townships, the mining boom, indigenous history and many more. Hundreds of photographs were professionally touched up and framed, selling for around A$25-45 each. Another store was selling old 33rpm LP records, once played on an instrument called the gramophone, which, like the typewriter and various species of Australian wildlife, is also on its way to extinction.
CONCLUSION
The 72-hour tour yielded incredible stories of creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, fortitude and optimism as local people respond to changes in the environment, societies, cultures and economies. The fresh-air, stress-free region is full of great little restaurants, bakeries, wineries, recreation centres, picnic spots, observation posts and attractions. The cuisine ranges from excellent local fare to one of the best green Thai curry dishes Iโve ever had in Australia. Indian restaurants are sprouting up; one was noticeably named โIndian By Nature.โ One place I would have very much liked to have visited on Phillip Island, but didnโt get time, is the National Vietnam Veterans Museum ( http://www.vietnamvetsmuseum.org/ ).
There was only one very noticeable deficiency โ we did not meet a single indigenous Australian.
Travel impact Newswire gratefully acknowledges the contribution and hosted facilities provided by the following sponsors during and in the post-conference tour following the Australian Tourism Exchange:
Sofitel Melbourne: http://www.sofitelmelbourne.com.au
Melbourne Private Tours: http://www.melbprivatetours.com.au
Innocent Bystander winery, pizzeria, bakery and brewery: http://www.giant-steps.com.au/winery/
Balgownie Estate: http://www.balgownieestate.com.au
All Seasons Eco Resort: http://www.theislandecoresort.com.au
Grand Hyatt Melbourne Hotel. http://www.melbourne.grand.hyatt.com
By:
When: 7/2/2014
