Mount Buffalo is one of the best known of the State's national parks. The top of the mountain is a granite plateau, snow covered in winter, filled with wildflowers in the summer. And the views are simply magnificent. Stand on the top of the gorge and you look down over the river valley and across to the huge expanse of the high country.
It is a place to relax, whatever the season. You can take it at whatever pace you want. Walk, ride a bike, ski or just sit and read and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the mountain.
If you're more energetic you can go fishing or canoeing on Lake Catani or sit and watch the hang-gliders launch themselves from the granite clifftops.
The Chalet, which opened first in 1909, is a wonderful place to stay and was, until the opening of the lodge at Cresta Valley, the only accommodation available. The gardens that surround it make a magnificent showing in spring and summer. Stand on the verandahs and Rosellas will eat from your hand and, maybe in the public carpark, maybe along the Catani track, you may just find that creature so timid elsewhere, the Lyrebird.
Skiing
Skiing here is for beginners to intermediates – and it’s a gorgeous place to learn, among surreal-looking snow-covered gum trees. Relatively inexpensive packages, including accommodation at the Mount Buffalo Chalet, ski lessons and other fees, can be arranged through Mount Buffalo Reservations. The Mount Buffalo Inn, a tiny resort at the ski slopes of the Cresta Valley, has motel units as well as dorm beds in a bunkhouse, plus kitchen facilities, a bistro and restaurant.
Mt Buffalo offers scenic skiing and boarding in a sheltered bowl that is unashamedly aimed at the beginner and family groups. Actually Mt Buffalo advertises that if you are looking for 2km black diamond runs and a big busy corporate ski resort then they are probably not for you! Mt Buffalo consists of two separate ski areas, Cresta Bowl (the main area) and Dingo Dell, which really only opens as a beginners overflow area during peak season with two pomas.
Cresta Bowl offers 3 pomas and two chairs and Buffalo actually claim that by the end of your day the lifties will probably know you by name! With snowmaking covering all the beginners area first timers should never be disappointed, the Cresta Poma and double chair both offer good intermediate skiing while there are a couple of tougher runs off the top of Cresta Poma down through the rocks.
With a range of lift tickets to ensure that getting on the snow is affordable for everyone, excellent kids and teenagers clubs, a genuinely friendly feel and some of the most spectacular scenery in the country Mt Buffalo really offers something different for the Australian ski industry. It would be hard to be disappointed after a stay at Buffalo - even if you were unlucky and there wasn't a lot of snow!
Offseason
The Chalet Café (daily 9.30am–4.30pm) is a no-frills, no-views cafeteria; if you want to have a proper meal, book to reserve a place in the main dining room (phone number as for chalet, above). On the way to the chalet, you’ll pass Lake Catani, where there’s the only camping in the park (tel 03/5755 1466; Nov–April; booking essential), as well as swimming, canoeing, kayaking and trout-fishing; the chalet rents out equipment. Bent’s Lookout, opposite the chalet, has tremendous views over the Ovens Valley, with small stone cabins doing duty as winter picnic areas. There’s a hang-gliding ramp near here: if you’re experienced and want to leap into the void, contact one of the operators in or near Bright. Beyond the chalet a sealed, not too steep road continues to Mount Buffalo itself (1721m).
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