ACCOMMODATION: Much anticipated new-look Mossman backpackers resort in final stages
BUDGET ACCOMMODATION
A historic Mossman hotel will soon start to provide a major gap in accommodation for hospitality and tourism workers in the Douglas region– when a re-themed backpackers’ resort opens for business at the Exchange Hotel.
In about six weeks’ time under its new owners Nathan Bonneau-Plassa and Julien Bonneau, the Exchange Hotel & Backpackers Resort as it will be called, will offer what their website says are “budget prices” on a total of 28 beds in a variety of room types.
Accommodation will be offered on the basis of a minimum one-week stay.
The re-vamped traditional Aussie Queenslander pub was supposed to be already up and running – but an extensive clean-up as a result of Cyclone Jasper flooding disrupted the couple’s planned opening.
Nathan Bonneau-Plassa has told Newsport that despite the delay, they’re looking forward to being able to help fill a much-needed accommodation gap in the hospitality sector – especially when Dougies and the Pandanus Caravan Park in Port Douglas close later this year.
“I feel sorry for the mum and dad businesses, owner-operator businesses in Port especially, that are so heavily reliant on backpackers,” he said.
“It’s already hard enough for them trying to find accommodation in peak season up here, so to lose all that stock (Dougies and Pandanus) is going to have a detrimental effect.”
The Exchange Backpackers is initially focusing on getting the accommodation up and running – with the added comforts of a cinema room with ‘classic charm’, gym, games room, media room and a pool – then later on, a bar and beer garden.
More ‘official’ effort needed to house backpackers
Mr Nathan Bonneau-Plassa was strongly critical of Douglas Shire Council, who he said has not done enough towards finding new ways to accommodate the itinerant hospitality workforce beyond the expected November closure of Dougies and Pandanus.
“They’re going to wait until it happens and then go, ‘oh s**t we’d better do something, then it’s going to be too late!” he said.
“Small businesses can’t afford to have another hit after the cyclone. That was devastating enough for all of us.
“Let’s just say they need to put together a caravan park; that was one of the things Michael Kerr was saying to me a few weeks ago.
“Don’t just think about it, pull your finger out and do it mate, because November’s around the corner, and a new caravan park in the middle of nowhere, with no facilities, is not just going to appear out of nowhere. This takes time.”
Filling needs in Mossman
In the meantime, he said he believes the new-look Mossman Backpackers will go at least some of the way to providing the vital hospitality and tourism staff accommodation much needed in the region.
“We’ve called it a backpacker resort because it kinda has that chill. There’s a huge beer garden, huge pool and you’ve got all the amenities here. We kinda have to do that in Mossman I think, because there’s not a lot else out here.
“Hopefully in doing that, it’s going to encourage people to live that extra 10 minutes out of Port.”
