Amazing Photo at Turners Creek near Kinloch

With Glenorchy about to celebrate its 150th anniversary seeing photographs or things in their current authentic state from yesterday framed beautifully in photographs such as this is really special.https://www.facebook.com/REEMCBETHPHOTOGRAPHY

I mentioned some amazing local people that work for us.  Sharee is one of them.  Glenorchy is a hard place to make ends meet whether you are a business or a local person trying to support a family.  One needs to work harder for less and you need to be able to think outside the square to succeed.

Sharee has three great kids between 4 and 8, a great husband who works for DOC and lots of furry animals to look after.  Aside from this Sharee follows her passion for fine photography and is in the process of building a highly successful business in photography.  We love the shoot she did of the Glover children last year.  When the kids are in tow, you may find Sharee at the Lake House using her eye for detail, making over our guest rooms or working on her photographs at the Trading Post over a cappuccino.  We are trying to persuade Sharee to sell some of her wonderful photos, framed with matt board and in cellophane.  This is the perfect souvenir from Glenorchy.

Looking to get the right people on the bus

Recently I read a book by Jim Collins - Great by Choice.  In fact I listened to this while travelling to and from Glenorchy on www.audible.com.  If you have little time though do a bit of driving then I thoroughly recommend this book and Audible.

Jim Collins talks about getting the right people on the bus.  Wherever possible, we always seek to offer locals work and have 3 fantastic locals that work on a contract or casual basis with us already.  If I had their permission I would put them in the blog, though I will mention them when I have asked permission.

Finding people that get you, your values and your business is probably the most important thing you can do. Working with a good team on a win/win basis is fantastic. I was incredibly lucky last year to have the most amazing local working for me doing this job.  Sadly she left for the more lucrative shores of our our closest neighbour -Australia.  Working with the wonderful Ashtyn made me realise that not just trying to employ locals, employing the right local is key to the continued growth and success of our Glenorchy arm.  Equally, it has taken us too many turns, to learn the lesson of the devastation for everyone when you try and make a job work for someone, rather than find the right person that fits your values and the job description.  Our hospitable side has had us sometimes make bad employment decisions.  We have tried to 'help' by giving jobs to people that have wanted to work in the past at both Kinloch and at Glenorchy when we haven't had the right position for them.  Thanks Jim Collins - I totally hear you.  Your most valued asset is not the people it is 'the right people.'

We are able to get an endless string of fantastically qualified overseas travellers with one year work permits whom are able to work through our busy season, though part of all of our problems in Glenorchy is seasonality....  Watch this space, I am very sure the right person for the Trading Post is under our noses.  If you have interest in looking at the sort of person we are looking for in Glenorchy click on the link Glenorchy Trading Post Positions

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Our life is a little different and perhaps that is why I thought I would start a blog, or maybe it is just to keep a record of those things that go on here so we can look back and celebrate that that we achieve and not beat oneself up for the things that don't quite get done.
Today is Sunday and I am at Kinloch as John has done my usual Sunday run with the kids of 160 km round trip to take the kids to swimming lessons on a Sunday at Alpine Aqualand in Frankton.  The reason I am not doing the run is due to not being able to swim with the kids after a small operation last week.  A small though extremely painful operation that still has me downing tramadol, voltaren and paracetamol on a regular basis.
This operation is hopefully the last needed as after three in a year, I have had enough of not having the possibility of boundless energy.
The date is 26 August, only 5 days till Spring.  My notebook with a massive list of things we need to do is still in the car in Frankton, though this week is going to need to be all about the restaurant and everything on our Qualmark list, prior to our inspection on 20 September.  Things are going well at Glenorchy Lake House and the Trading Post with the business finally getting to the point that with a good member of staff year round the business will be able to sustain itself without my day to day input.  This week I will advertise for that staff member.