Araluen Lutheran Camp Update

28 October 2024

Araluen Lutheran Camp at Anglesea is now serving almost twice as many campers as before the COVID pandemic. The Stage 1 build of a larger kitchen and second hall build has enabled this growth – plus the great customer experience we deliver.

To ensure that we can keep up the great customer service, we need to increase the management team, and as Assistant Manager will commence in mid-January 2025, to provide back-up for Manager Darren Linke and also help us to manage further growth.

We need the Assistant Manager to also live on site, so that when they are rostered on, they can deal promptly with after-hours guest requests, and also to manage some of the group bookings, and to act as Manager when Darren is on days off, or holidays.

Hence, we are currently building Stage 3 – staff accommodation. There is a large unit for the Assistant Manager and family, as well as a unit with two single quarters. The build is slightly ahead of schedule, and last week was almost at lock-up (see photos below).

But what about Stage 2? That was to take our bed numbers up by 40 to 182 and included two small meeting rooms. It was costed at $4m, which would be more than we can sensibly commit. Thanks to a good plan from Manager Darren and a local builder, we have grown the camp to 185 beds for just $220,000 – mainly by converting the seldom used “Upper Meeting Room” into dormitories, and the original accommodation “crazy multi-coloured” oldest dormitory block (rooms 17-19) into refurbished dorms, now with bathrooms.

All rooms at Araluen (and Tandara at Halls Gap) now have reverse-cycle air-conditioning too.

We look forward to continued growth, and also continued high customer feedback scores.