Well it looks like 2022 has been a cracker of a season, from an early opening to a massive mid-September dump. Maybe the universe is helping us make up for two lost Covid years! I hope everyone who wanted to has been able to enjoy Gunuma Lodge and some snow. A few housekeeping notes and updates to end the winter season:
The Committee requests that all members advise their guests (accompanied and unaccompanied) of what they need to bring to the lodge for a successful stay, as well as the lodge rules and code of conduct. Gunuma is a community that depends on everyone to make it a great place to stay, and spending some time helping our guests figure out the lay of the land is very helpful. One example is explaining how the rubbish and recycling system works, which can be complicated to the uninitiated, including what to put where, how the bins go out, and where to find replacement bin bags of different varieties.
AGM
The 2022 AGM will be held in Canberra in the afternoon on Sunday the 4th of December, with a virtual invitation as usual. Stay tuned for further details.
End of Season Workparty – 5th/6th of November
The final work party for the year is the weekend of the 5th of November. This is an important workparty to sort the lodge out after a busy winter season, and prepare it for summer guests. There are currently no volunteers – please contact Stephan Belacic (Maintenance Manager) maintenance@gunumalodge.com.au if you can help on this weekend.
Remember that work parties can be a fun weekend. There is the opportunity to bring games and food to share in the evening, and meet other members. Jobs are not onerous and will not be outside your skill set. However any registered tradies would be much appreciated!
Membership Matters
The committee has written a discussion paper on lodge membership members. The committee has presented several options going forward to support the core objectives for Gunuma Lodge – to be financially viable, provide affordable accommodation, and to allow members a reasonable opportunity to access accommodation during the ski season. Please read the paper and think about how you envisage the future of Gunuma Lodge.
All members should have received a survey about a number of matters relating to the running of the lodge. Please email replies to membership@gunumalodge.com.au by the 14th of October. The committee is aware of members’ concerns in regards to the booking system, and a working party is looking at ways to improve this – please don’t include these issues in your response.
Capital Works and Lodge Maintenance
The Committee is hoping that a break in the Covid pandemic will give us an opportunity to address the backlog of maintenance issues and continue capital works commenced during this building season. Lots of behind the scenes work with NSW Planning and the NPWS has been taking place to get a development application for the southern bathrooms approved. We are not the only establishment in the mountains with this backlog and the availability of tradespersons etc is causing major delays. We have discovered issues with the sauna trays that have put that reinstallation back, the back deck is waiting on a stonemason to undertake repairs and reinstate the lighting, microwaves and ovens that have failed this season need replacing, and there is a plethora of small electrical jobs. And of course, the perennial water leak is still being sorted. A full report on work undertaken and future capital program will be presented at the AGM.
Smiggin’s Bowl
From Vanessa Palmer
The annual Smiggins Bowl/ Shield inter lodge event was held on Saturday 17th September.
As it had not been on during the past few years due to COVID , there was much excitement amongst the lodges about getting out racing again.
Around 240 participants registered for the event including 14 from Gunuma.
We all got up excited on Saturday morning and headed to the start point ready to do our two runs down the Giant Slalom course on either skis or boards.
The weather was crazy with a near white out and snow bucketing down .
We were all warming up the legs and then unfortunately Perisher called the race we off for safety reasons. 🙁
However the x country ski event was still going ahead.
Three Gunuma participants Rae , Vanessa and Zoe were registered for the event and headed out to the
X country trails.
This is where the fun began. Many participants just participated for fun and lack of skills made for very entertaining viewing for our cheer squad and Rach our personal photographer, lots of thrills and spills.
Amazingly Gunuma participants Zoe and Vanessa came away with medals which was a big surprise when our names were called at the presentations at Smiggins Hotel .
Big thanks to our team, Geoff, Hamilton, Sasha, Anthea , Jacinta, Zoe, Shaun, Elliot, Sophie, Alex, Rae, Owen, Vanessa and Arabella and Rach for doing the photography.
Hopefully next year we actually get to complete the whole event and we have heaps more Gunuma members and families join in the fun.
Remember all skill levels and ages encouraged to enter. It’s all about the fun.
Walking the Bicentennial National Trail
On a very different note, and a long way from Gunuma and the snow, Kathryn Rodda and Lyndal Callister have spent the 2022 ski season walking the Bicentennial National Trial from Cooktown to Rockhampton in Far North Queensland. They have crossed crocodile infested rivers, climbed up and down the Great Dividing Range several times, and waded through mobs of cattle on stations while raising funds and awareness for Beyond Blue.
They had a brief break in September for the birth of a baby and a wedding, and made a quick trip to Gunuma to take advantage of the late snow. They now have to go back to the heat and storms of FNQ to walking the final 200kms – wish them luck! You can find them on Instagram and Facebook @boots.books.butterflies, and at Beyond Blue.
