A hotel in the Central Highlands has been forced to close for the next several days after suffering significant damage from frozen pipes, heavy frost and the coldest temperature recorded in Australia this year.
The Great Lake Hotel on the Marlborough Highway in Miena is battling through a bitter cold snap that brought -13.5°C temperatures to nearby Liawenee on Thursday.
After days in the negatives, a hotel spokesperson on Friday confirmed they would not be back open until July 10 at the earliest.
The business was initially planning to reopen on Saturday, but continued cold temperatures have made this impossible.
“We are literally stuck without water and will be unable to open until [the pipes] thaw out,” they said.
“Thank you for all the messages of support and for your understanding at this time.”
The closure comes as school holiday begin for two weeks, with many families planning trips to the Highlands with the hope of seeing snow.
Tasmania Police are warning drivers to take care on the roads, which could be dangerous in bad weather.
“Motorists are asked to be extremely careful if travelling on roads affected by ice and snow today and to refrain from doing so if possible,” police said on Friday.
“The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Road Weather Alert noting that icy roads will make driving conditions dangerous.”
“If you’re on the roads, please take it slow. Black ice is often invisible.”
“Put your headlights on if visibility is poor, leave plenty of space between vehicles [and] obey any road closures or warning signs about hazardous conditions.”