Ballarat's venerable Kryal Castle will soon take another step as a major tourist attraction, with extensive on-site accommodation planned for the precinct.
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Concept designs show medieval-style "glamping" - glamour camping - in yurts, as well as dozens of caravan sites, to encourage families to return to the area after a year devastated by the coronavirus.
According to general manager Melissa Dimond, plans have been submitted to Moorabool Shire Council after aspects were approved by the Environmental Protection Authority, with the project now entering the procurement phase.
The plans show 60 caravan sites, with 11 for the yurts, just outside the main castle area.
"I think we're most excited about the glamping part of it, every castle needs a village," Ms Dimond said.
"This is stage one, the 60 sites, and that includes upgrading our waste management system on-site, and some new attractions to increase the visitor experience."
Concept images show a rope-course and climbing wall on the battlements, and Ms Dimond said there will be more announcements to come in the new year.
"We've been working really hard through 2020 to push all of this forward, we're excited about 2021 and all it'll bring, especially the increased visitation, which will result in more employment opportunities for the local area," she said.
"it's having additional accommodation and powered sites for families, which offers up another space where they can stay and play - basing yourself at Kryal Castle, we're only 10 minutes from Ballarat and there's so many things in Moorabool Shire to do.
"To be able to base themselves here for a longer stay is key, I think."
The project is entirely self-funded by the business, Ms Dimond said.
"There's a couple more hoops to jump through - there always is - but the big key things with the longer lead time have been ticked off," she said.
"We're at the procurement stage, and looking at breaking ground early '21."
The park already has some on-site accommodation, which can be used for school camps as well as functions.
"We hold a lot of weddings, 2021's looking fabulous for weddings, and the murder mystery nights," Ms Dimond said.
"We already have group-style accommodation here - the (school camps) have been really missed this year, term three and four are really key for school camps, and we haven't been able to do that as much this year."
The park will have a starring role in the revamped Summer Sundays concert series, with livestreamed sets from the Ross Wilson Trio, Benny Walker, and Candy Wade on January 24, and it will soon kick into summer school holiday mode, changing its opening hours to later in the day for twilight jousting from Boxing Day.
This helps protect both horses and plate-armoured knights, Ms Dimond said, especially on hot days.
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"We couldn't do all our favourite characters that we'd run through the year, so it's Kryal Castle all-stars, throwing them all in the school holidays," she said.
"There'll be Alice and her friends, Rapunzel, Robin Hood, and the world-famous Kryal Castle knights - on those hot summer days, everyone's at the pool cooling off, but in the cooler evenings, come to Kryal Castle and enjoy a woodfired pizza and a jousting show, wear the kids out.
"We ran it last year and it really worked - open from 2pm until 8pm."
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