By JESSE GRAHAM
MICHAEL Meinhold knows tourism.
Starting as a volunteer for the Healesville Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in May 2010, the retired teacher has four years of experience at the centre and a lifetime of knowledge about the Yarra Valley.
He said that he began volunteering after seeing a note requesting volunteers at a local supermarket, and hasn’t looked back since then.
Mr Meinhold’s work involves talking to tourists and passers-by at the VIC and on the phone and letting them know what there is to do in the area and places they can go.
He said that his favourite part of volunteering in the tourism industry is simply sharing his experience and his knowledge of the area with new visitors.
“It’s sharing my love of the Yarra Valley with people who are experiencing it for the first time, and witnessing the delight they show in realising what we have on offer,” he said.
“I have met new people who have become good friends and extended my network of familiar faces in the local area.”
According to figures by Yarra Ranges Tourism, in the year leading up to December 2013, the Yarra Valley and Dandenongs had 3.2 million domestic daytrip visitors, 28,500 international overnight visitors and 624,000 domestic overnight visitors.
Of all the people who have passed through Healesville VIC’s doors, Mr Meinhold said one of the most memorable was a man who had an historic connection to the town.
“A man came in who told me that his name was John Heales and that he was visiting from Western Australia,” he said.
“He was here for the first time and felt he should visit the town which got its name from his distant relative – Richard Heales a politician in Victoria in 1856.”
The VIC has historical relevance of its own because it is located in the town’s old courthouse, and Mr Meinhold said that many people ask about the building and the old lock-ups on the site.
He said that he’s thoroughly enjoyed his time volunteering, which led him to start volunteering at Healesville Sanctuary, too.
The Yarra Valley Visitor Information Centre is located on Harker Street, Healesville.
For more information, visit www.visityarravalley.com.au or call 5962 2600.
