We came to Marysville around ten years ago, once our children had grown up.

One day we were driving through the Black Spur on a beautiful, sunny Autumn day. We didn’t care what’s on the other end – we probably would have bought any property on sale that day. We were living in Ballarat at the time and we wanted to go into hospitality, but we didn’t know Marysville even existed. Once we saw the Scenic Motel, a ten-room B&B, we had to have it.

Unfortunately The Scenic was completely destroyed in the fires of 2009. We decided we had to leave, but before we could, a few of the people from the town approached us and asked us to take over the caravan park, which was 80% destroyed. The previous owners were leaving like we had also planned to do. After a few drinks, the other locals talked us into taking over the lease. We decided to overhaul and revitalise the historic Marysville Caravan and Holiday Park, a place that was important to so many visitors over the years. Dealing with the council and the triangle process was very difficult due to the ownership and lease agreements in place. The Government put some money into it, but we were largely on our own. After a lot of painstaking work we had it ready to reopen.

We are very proud of it now after all of the hardship.

As a community, regrouping was difficult – but it was a big personal stuggle as well. Everyone helped to prop up the town, and each other, while we went through the recovery and rebuilt our local businesses. As the president of Marysville Tourism it was an arduous task to keep us all on track. Luckily community spirit and involvement was particularly strong, and helped us through it all. Ken and I are strong people, and were used to only leaning on each other for support when needed. But over time we have learnt to rely on good people and have a strong network around us as well. We make sure to work with good business people, and share the load so we’re not just us doing things soley on our own. It makes a huge difference for outsiders to look in and think about our business in a different way than we would. It has helped us stay strong and make good overall business decisions.

The caravan park is very much family-orientated, but being a caravan park in such a beautiful area, during the nice weather we have the “grey nomads” staying with us too. There are a lot of kids around the warm times, and also in the winter season when there is snow on Lake Mountain. Visitors come year after year to relax or enjoy the charm, fun and beauty of the region. These people are so crucial to the future of Marysville. Luckily, we have so much to offer visitors – new attractions, shops and cafes as well as our environment.

My love for the area comes down mostly to its natural beauty.

From my window I can look out at the ducks walking around and the children playing by the river that runs through the property. It’s serenity. A friend and I came to the top of the hill one day recently – we just had to stop and take it all in. We both couldn’t believe that we are lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ken and I have travelled a lot but nothing beats Marysville.

The future of the area is positive but we still have a long way to go. We need certain infrastructure, but we need people to come first to justify its construction. It’s the whole chicken or the egg scenario. We always saw the town rebuild as a ten-year-minimum project, so we remain patient. We want to stay in the area but we are thinking about branching out as well, although we are unsure of what to do next. We will reassess in five years, and see how we are tracking. But we’ve seen amazing growth, in both the natural landscape and the businesses in the area as well. We have such confidence in Marysville – we have the prettiest little tourist destination.

The place is clean, and above all, relaxing – you feel that when you drive into the area. People always tell us, “We just didn’t realise how beautiful it is.” We’re only an hour and a half from Melbourne, and by the time you get here you’re already relaxed. We all need time to escape the rat race and disconnect from the stresses of city living, and this is definitely the place to do it. Come visit our business set amongst the mountains in Marysville, and let the holiday park be your home away from home.

Marysville – Wish You Were Here

For more information: marysvillecaravanpark.com.au/