Winter bites with mixed results for tourism

As winter draws to a close, tourism businesses have registered mixed results for the cold season.

Australia’s South West acting chief executive Catrin Allsop said winter in the Great Southern provided some unique opportunities.

“Winter offers some truly magical experiences you don’t often get at other times of the year — the landscape turns a vibrant green, rivers flow and misty mornings are an experience in itself,” she said.

“All along the southern coast, you can find the perfect spot to watch a storm roll in and the new lookout vantage points at the Gap and Natural Bridge are particularly spectacular in winter.”

Bremer Bay Caravan Park manager Mar Welham said it had been a great winter for their business.

“From Easter through to July, we’ve been full which was awesome,” she said.

“We’ve had the usual lull towards the end of July, but it’s been a great winter and all the grounds are looking really green.”

The whale-watching season runs from early June-October and, according to Albany Whale Tours owner Forrest Woodbury, this winter has seen a noticeable drop for their business.

“We’re down about a third on what we have been the past few years — we’re putting it down to the weather,” she said.

“It’s been a bitterly cold winter compared with previous years.”

As seasons change, the appeal of the Great Southern region also notices a transformation of sorts; the charm of the green countryside and the freezing cold Southern Ocean is replaced by spring sunshine and blooming wildflowers.

The region’s tourism operators will now look to take advantage of these changes with spring only weeks away.