THE SPRING school holidays are usually the tip of the iceberg before Lake Keepit's holiday park hits peak period but heavy rain has caused concern this year.
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Reflections Lake Keepit could face major losses lasting the rest of 2022 - and affecting the improvement works they have going on - due to recent flooding and heavy rain.
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The September school holidays generally mark the start of busy summers for the park, and typically indicate how much business the busiest time of year will bring, park manager Lauren Hockley said.
In the lead up to the holidays, access to the park was cut back due to flooding on Rushers Creek Road from both Manilla and the Oxley Highway.
Almost 50 families cancelled their weekend plans on the lake because of flooding.
"With the limited road access and the flooding around Gunnedah and Tamworth, we have had quite a few cancellations, especially last weekend," Ms Hockley said.
"We do still have quite a busy outlook over the school holidays at this point, so long as we don't get anymore rain."
The park's resources have been strained. Out of a total of 10 staff members, just the two living on-site are available when access to the park is impossible.
"If staff can't get through, guests can't get through," Ms Hockley said.
"If people can't get into work, people's livelihoods, their families are going to have an impact from it as well."
If flooding doesn't dry up, she hopes to make the losses up in the coming weeks by enticing guests back as the weather warms up.
"The dam hasn't been damaged by debris in any way or shape, so it's still really good for boats and skiers and swimmers," Ms Hockley said.
"We've got a couple of kids out there swimming on the pontoon at the moment."
The dam has been fluctuating near full for close to a year and regular water releases have helped keep it there, Ms Hockley said.
Water NSW maintained minimal releases from Keepit Dam to mitigate flood impacts in the Gwydir and Namoi valleys.
Keepit Dam was sitting at 97.6 per cent late on Tuesday, with some releases continuing.
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Eva Baxter
Eva is a Northern Daily Leader journalist based in Tamworth. She covers health, politics, energy, arts & entertainment, business, community, and a bit of everything else.
Eva is a Northern Daily Leader journalist based in Tamworth. She covers health, politics, energy, arts & entertainment, business, community, and a bit of everything else.
