Oaks Ranch in Mossy Point has reopened after renovations and plans to become a boutique tourist destination for visitors and locals alike.
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General Manager Josh Tyler said visitors to the ranch had been "wowed" by the new upgrades.
"It's like being on holiday in your own town," the Malua Bay local said.
"The beach is a few kilometres away, but you feel you are in the hinterland, a million miles from anywhere."
The professional chef is excited to be seeing "world-class" venues such as the ranch opening in the Eurobodalla.
"It is another venue enticing people to travel to the area," he said. "It is great for tourism."
A constantly evolving venue
The 300 acre block between the Tomago River and Candlagan Creek was originally used as a jackaroo kids camp with onsite archery, horse riding and a pool in the early 70s.
It evolved into a hotel and conference function centre with a restaurant. Over time, new facilities and features were added such as the nine-hole golf course on site.
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Recent renovations began in June 2021 during COVID, finishing in February.
The main restaurant space was renovated, and each of the 14 accommodation rooms refitted.
After COVID, there was a backlog of weddings booked in to the venue, with eight consecutive weddings upon the ranch reopening. Guests were checking in to the venue for the first wedding the day the renovations concluded.
"This place is a constant evolution," Mr Tyler said.
The ranch plans to have three bonfire pits, daybeds around the pool for guests or locals to spend a day "on holidays," Mr Tyler said, and a new nine hole golf course designed by Greg Norman Golf Course Design.
Training local talent
However Mr Tyler is most excited about the opportunities for training and upskilling the venue provides for locals.
"When I grew up here, there were limited places you could work - especially during winter," he said.
He left the Eurobodalla pursuing his career, which has taken him all over the world, cooking in kitchens in France and, most recently, Bali.
When COVID hit, Mr Tyler returned to his Malua Bay home from Bali. At first the move was temporary, but became permanent as the situation worsened.
The former owner of Tyler's Kitchen Malua Bay and Tyler's Pantry Mogo began teaching commercial cookery at Moruya TAFE.
His work at the TAFE dovetails with his vision for training the next generation of local young people through Oaks Ranch.
"The more venues you have like this, the more people will come in the off-season, the more we can encourage local kids to stay and train without having to go to Sydney," he said.
"The more places we have that can keep employing locals, the better it is for the community."