Harbour house a tourism hit

WITH a new lease on life, the former harbour master’s house at Flagstaff Hill is now bringing in a swag of tourism awards for the maritime village.
Lighthouse Lodge, operated by Flagstaff Hill, was named best new accommodation development at the National Accommodation Industry Awards for Excellence.

It is the lodge’s second award since it opened in March 2010, winning the best new product category at last year’s Victorian Tourism Awards. Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village manager Peter Abbott said the win was recognition of the hard work of local contractors and staff who were involved in the redevelopment.

“It was a small investment but it has been a real success, creating something unique for the Great Ocean Road,” he said.

“It’s brought a new element to Flagstaff Hill, people from all around the world and locals have stayed there.

“We used all local contractors, lots of local people were involved in this project which has developed something new for our tourism market.”

The accommodation was transformed from the rundown 1911 harbour master’s home into a three-bedroom residence with modern comforts.

Mr Abbott said Lighthouse Lodge, which is wheelchair accessible, generated about $60,000 in revenue in the past year, compared to $10,000 when it was used as rental accommodation.

He said guest comments have all been positive with the lodge also rated number one on Trip Advisor, a website where guests can give feedback and rate their stay.