General News
6 August, 2025
Confidence remains
It's no secret that this year's winter period has been chilly with temperatures reaching as low as -3.5 degrees in June, but has it affected the visitation to Dimboola, which was gradually getting back after the January bushfires?
The devastating Little Desert Bushfire began on January 27 and was declared contained on February 10, after burning more than 95,000 hectares.
Months later, closures are still in place until spring, impacting 4WD visitation.
The winter months are known for the "quiet" period, with many visitors going into hibernation, as they keep warm in the cold conditions.
"We know winter is always quiet, but we didn't have much of a lead-up because of the fires," owner of The Forbidden Forest Shane Harman said.
A Dimboola Banner journalist asked a few local businesses how they are coping during the winter period, with many stating they "have been doing okay".
"It hasn't been constant," Dimboola Vintage owner Jo Donnelly said.
Jo and her husband Bruce have noticed that many visitors are stopping over from Melbourne and Adelaide, alongside many doing day trips from Port Fairy, Ballarat and beyond.
"Dimboola has become a destination," Bruce said.
Shane and Kylie Harman also agreed that they have continued to see returning visitors.
"Even though we're still a young business, we've had people come back for a second or third time, and each time they expect something different," Shane said.
The pair is currently revamping a section of their store, ready for when they expect the visitation rate to pick up later this month.
Managed by Hindmarsh Shire Council, Dimboola Riverside Caravan Park has seen a decrease in visitors booking powered and unpowered sites but a significant rise in cabin occupancy.
Since the mid-year school holiday, powered sites are down by 13.2 per cent, with unpowered sites down by 2.2 per cent.
"Over the past two months, our average night stay has been two nights," a council spokesperson said.
"This winter has been quite bitter in comparison to last winter, and there are a lot of factors impacting the tourism industry, namely the increased cost of living."
During the last financial year, Dimboola Riverside Caravan Park saw a 6.27 per cent increase in visitation with a total of 26,864 guest nights.
The majority of guests to the Dimboola Park are from Victoria (around 80 per cent) and South Australia (10 per cent), with the remaining 10 per cent shared between New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.