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July on the slopes: Falls Creek, Mount Buller and Mount Hotham
If you still have visions of powdery ski runs and manoeuvring that tricky half-pipe from your recent winter holiday and are raring for more, look no further than the High Country. Majestic peaks and luxuriant scenery are its hallmarks, and the region loses none of its lustre in winter, merely exchanging its leafy mantle for a splendid coat of snow. Ski season opens around the first to second week of June and closes about the end of September to the beginning of October, depending on levels of snowfall and weather.
Falls Creek
Home to Australia’s cross-country ski team, Falls Creek stands out for its expansive skiing grounds and varied winter sports facilities. Victoria’s largest ski resort boasts 450 hectares of ski area which host over 90 trails, and whether you are a novice strapping on your first pair of skis or a seasoned winter sportsman, its perfectly groomed slopes will get your pulse racing in no time. Four terrain parks were created in 2007 for snowboarders wanting to bust their moves, and both kids and experienced freestylers will find a pipe suited to their skills.
Mount Buller
Figgles, telemarking and snowshoeing – this delightful hodge-podge of words is symbolic
of the range of activities available on Mount Buller. Flawlessly smooth runs set the stage for the ultimate ski experience, and its sophisticated system of 25 ski lifts, the largest in Victoria, make for seamless transitions from slope to slope. It is little wonder then that the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia is nestled among the slopes of Mount Buller.
Mount Hotham
A trip to Hotham village is an inimitable experience, where you wend your way up the slopes of Mount Hotham before stopping a little more than 100 m from its peak, which rises to 1,861 m. The bracing, rarefied mountain air only serves to whet your appetite for the snowy slopes, and the high level of annual snowfall has earned it the epithet of ‘powder capital’ of Australia.
Even expert skiers will find a challenge on Hotham’s double-black slopes, which are the toughest in Australia. Beginners, however, should not worry as slope difficulty is well- distributed, and over a quarter of the terrain has been marked out for starters.
As you head back to Melbourne for your flight home, you will undoubtedly be leaving with the knowledge that another trip is in order to catch what you missed of Victoria.
Distances from Melbourne
Falls Creek Mount Buller Mount Hotham
350 km 248 km 375 km
14 I MARCH-JUNE 2008
stay
0825 Bayview Apartments, Phillip Island
0827 Mansfield Country Resort, Mansfield
0830 Kyneton Bushland Resort, Kyneton
0953 Murray Valley Resort, Yarrawonga
1169 Nepean Country Club, Rosebud
1179 Sunraysia Resort, Mildura
Fun Facts
• Victoria was the first Australian colony
to have its own
flag (1870)
• Echuca-Moama has the world’s largest fleet of paddle- steamers
• Five of Australia’s top 10 golf courses are in the state of Victoria
• The famous poem, ‘The Man from Snowy River’, is set in Corryong, Victoria
All other photos courtesy of ©Tourism Victoria