Victoria’s Best Ski Hills
Jay Martin – The Veggo Adventurer
September is the last month to hit the mountains in Australia, so if you’re planning a ski trip this year you’d better do it fast! Those of us living in Melbourne are fortunate to have a selection of ski resorts within just a few hours drive of us.
As luck would have it the bigger mountains are slightly further away from the city, but depending on your level of expertise you may not need to venture so far. Here is a quick run-down on the ski hills at Melbourne’s doorstep.
Mount Baw Baw
The closest ski resort to Melbourne, Mount Baw Baw lies about 120 kilometers east of the city. The resort area covers 30 hectares and is mostly beginner-intermediate runs. There are 7 ski lifts and a day pass will set you back $25 on a weekday (end of season special) or $75 on the weekend. The drive to Mount Baw Bay takes about two and a half hours.
Mount Buller
A slightly longer, 3-hour drive away from Melbourne you’ll find beautiful Mount Buller. With a much larger resort area of 300 hectares, the area is a haven for winter sports. With 22 lifts you’ll be spoilt for choice. The added trails and snow come at a price however, as a day pass here will set you back $116.
Mount Hotham
Four and a half hours drive north east of Melbourne sits Victoria’s highest resort village. From 1,750 meters up you can access all 320 hectares of ski area. There are 14 ski lifts at your disposal and 35 kilometers of cross-country trails here. A day pass here will set you back $121, however if you book online in advance you can save a few dollars.
Falls Creek
Finally we have Falls Creek, also around four and a half hours drive from Melbourne’s CBD. This alpine ski resort is the largest is Victoria with a skiable area or 450 hectares. Over 80% of the runs on at Falls are beginner/intermediate friendly, but with 14 lifts and 92 runs, you won’t run out of new terrain to explore in a hurry. An adult day pass at Fall Creek costs $114.
Jay Martin was born in Brisbane, Australia, but has spent his life traversing the world in search of excitement and freedom. From tearing up the slopes in Canada, the U.S. and New Zealand to backpacking across Europe and living the high-life in Asia, there’s always a new challenge on the horizon for this intrepid adventurer.
After graduating from the University of Queensland with a BBM (Marketing), and working at a few advertising agencies, Jay went out to start his own digital marketing firm. Assisting other businesses build their brands through the development of interesting and exciting content has helped him fine-tune his own passion for writing.
He is currently based between Hong Kong and Australia, with his job allowing him the freedom to travel and work from wherever his next escapade begins- as long as they have internet there.