Victoria (Eastern Region)
The Highlands (Northeast)
The Victorian Alps, the southern extension of the Great Dividing Range, bear little resemblance to their European counterparts; they’re too gentle, too rounded, and above all too low to offer really great skiing. Nonetheless in July and August there is usually plenty of snow, good ambience, and the resorts are packed out.

This is the Victorian Snow Country and from June to October the Resorts of Mount Buffalo, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Mt Buller all provide good skiing and snowboarding. However this a region for all seasons, spring and autumn are magical for vibrant and diverse colours while in summer it is the perfect place for trout fishing and bushwalking in the mountains.

Most people come here for the downhill skiing, though the cross-country skiing, which is rapidly growing in popularity, is excellent: Lake Mountain, 21km from Marysville, is the region’s premier cross-country destination. Snowboarding, a relatively new alpine sport, was first encouraged at Mount Hotham and is now firmly established almost everywhere, especially with “cross-over” skateboarders and surfers. 

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Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Mount Buller are the largest and most commercial skiing areas, particularly the last which is within easy reach of Melbourne; smaller resorts such as Mount Baw Baw are more suited to beginners. While you wouldn’t come to Victoria especially to ski, you might as well give it a go if you’re here at the right time of year, though be warned that accommodation prices may take your breath away.

In summer, when the wild flowers are in bloom, the alps are ideal bushwalking territory, with most of the high mountains (and the ski resorts) contained within the vast Alpine National Park. The most famous of the walks is the four-hundred-kilometre Alpine Trail, which begins in Baw Baw National Park, near Walhalla in Gippsland, and follows the ridges all the way to Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. 

If you are doing any serious bushwalking, you’ll need to be properly equipped. Even in summer it can be very cold up here, especially at night; the weather can change suddenly and unexpectedly; and it’s often surprisingly hard to find water. Mansfield and Bright are good bases for exploration of the alps and great places to unwind. In summer the ski resorts can be ugly and only half the facilities are open, but there are often great bargains to be had on rooms.

If you’re driving, you’ll need snow chains in winter (they’re compulsory in many parts), and you should heed local advice before venturing off the main roads.

Climate
Being high country the temperatures are often below zero in the winter and blizzards are common above the snow line. while snow often falls in the spring warm sunny days are not rare. Summer days are usually warm to hot but care must be taken when hiking in the mountains as temperatures may drop suddenly and snowfalls are not uncommon.

For more regional information on the Highlands, go to:

Maps
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