Ballarat families are being encouraged to explore the region as they search for activities to do over the school holidays.
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A time usually spent escaping the cold - by heading elsewhere in Victoria or interstate - has been thrown into disarray thanks to COVID-19.
Ballarat Regional Tourism (BRT) CEO Natalie O'Brien said because of this, families should revisit some local attractions during the school holidays.
"I think it's really important across the state that Victorians explore what's around them," she said.
"For Ballarat, it may be people exploring things that they may have done as a child or things that they haven't done for a long time."
Mrs O'Brien said remaining safe and following COVID-19 restrictions is crucially important for anyone travelling or taking part in any activities these school holidays.
She pointed out major attractions such as Kryal Castle, Sovereign Hill and the Ballarat Wildlife Park as possible locations for families to enjoy because of their open settings.
"It is a really challenging time in this period of restrictions, especially as restrictions were not eased in the way that we were expecting," she continued.
"It is a balancing opportunity in terms of allowing families to spend time and continue doing activities together for health and wellbeing.
"I think the fact that attractions like Kryal Castle, Sovereign Hill and the Ballarat Wildlife Park have large outdoor areas fits really well with meeting those safety guidelines. I think that Ballarat is well placed to provide a safe environment for families."
Other areas that are gaining popularity for locals during the school holiday period are the region's scenic parks and natural attractions such as the Mt Buninyong lookout and Lal Lal Falls.
Alfredton residents Chris and Susan Anstis were among the community members enjoying the views at Mt Buninyong last weekend.
Mr Anstis said this is the time of the year he and his wife would travel out of Ballarat, however because of COVID-19, they are wanting to remain close to home.
"Normally this time of year we'd look to go interstate, maybe jump on a plane to Queensland but at the moment we're just looking to stay close to home," he said.
"We're still not 100 per cent confident about going out to licenced venues, so we decided to do something a bit different.
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"I hadn't been to the top of Mt Buninyong for around 25 years, so I enjoyed a nice picnic lunch up there... it was lovely."
While some Ballarat residents have looked at leaving the region over the school holidays to avoid the scores of tourists from metropolitan areas travelling here, Mr Anstis said his trip to the lookout was simply about enjoying the local scenery.
"It's not so much about avoiding crowds, more about staying close to home for us. We love to go to Lake Wendouree and Lake Burrumbeet and enjoy the local views."
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