Falls Creek

Tucked up among the magnificent Victorian Alps, Falls Creek Alpine Resort is Australia’s best refuge for alpine adventures. Located in the Hume area of Alpine National Park in northeastern Victoria, this resort is roughly 350 kilometers (220 miles) from Melbourne; Mount Beauty is the closest town, only 30 kilometers (20 miles). Rising from 1,500 to 1,830 meters (4,921 to 6,004 feet), the resort’s highest lifted point is 1,780 meters (5,840 feet). For those looking for more vertical challenges, Mount McKay’s neighboring peak, rising to 1,842 meters (6,043 feet), calls and is reachable from the resort by snowcat.

Falls Creek is an unusual unincorporated area directly under the authority of the Victorian government. Surrounded by the Alpine Shire, it offers a beautiful scene mostly suited for novice and intermediate skiers and snowboarders, with almost 80% of the resort dedicated to these skill levels. But the resort’s erratic snowfall makes snowmaking absolutely essential, especially early in the season. Water for this snowmaking operation comes from nearby Rocky Valley Lake. Although most of the resort’s guests are domestic, it does draw international attendees for particular events including Stylewars, the Australian Slopestyle Championships, and the Kangaroo Hoppet, Australia’s Worldloppet event.

Complementing the remarkable 4,500 lodging beds of the resort are a wide range of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs adding vitality to the evenings. While some residences are privately owned, the resort management specifies their availability for rent when not used by the proprietors. Beyond the winter wonderland, Falls Creek becomes a summer base for visiting the nearby national park, providing an other kind of odyssey when the snow melts.

Bogong High Plains Road from Mount Beauty provides access to Falls Creek; it is open all year long. Snow chains are required, though, and should be fitted if advised during the winter. Though this road is closed during the snow season, it winds the High Plains and drops to cross the Omeo Highway. These paths become a refuge for cyclists in the summer and stage challenges like the Falls Creek Peaks Challenge.

Deeply ingrained in history, the annals of Falls Creek entwine the growth of the Kiewa electrical scheme following World War II with Workers from the scheme built the first ski lodge on ground once used for summer cattle grazing in 1948. First installed in 1951 and then proudly home Australia’s first chairlift in 1957, the resort also saw the construction of a rope tow. Originally providing telegraph and telephone services, the Falls Creek Post Office opened for business on June 9, 1958.

From 1851 until 2005, the high plains around Falls Creek were used for cattle grazing; until the Victorian Government stopped renewing grazing licenses to protect the fragile alpine environment, Some of the old cattlemen’s huts still stand today and draw summer visitors. The highest peak in the area, Mount Bogong, Victoria, adds even more appeal.

Vail Resorts bought Falls Creek and Hotham for AU$174 million in 2019, expanding their portfolio to include three of Australia’s biggest ski resorts plus Perisher Ski Resort in New South Wales. Experience an alpine warm-summer humid continental climate at Falls Creek; short, cool summers and cold, snowy winters set apart The resort registered a temperature of just 0.5 °C (32.9 °F) notably on February 3, 2023; it shares the record for Victoria’s lowest temperature at −11.7 °C (10.9 °F), noted on July 3, 1970.

Falls Creek has made significant investments recently to improve its capacity for snowfall. The resort set aside AU$1.88 million in 2021 to replace its snowmaking equipment with new TechnoAlpin guns at the base of Drovers Dream, Wombats Ramble, Main Street, These new additions enhance the current snowmaking equipment at Ruined Castle and Main Street so that Falls Creek may always provide a consistent and thrilling skiing experience despite the vagaries of natural snowfall.

Remaining a pillar of Australia’s alpine tourism, Falls Creek Alpine Resort offers a unique mix of adventure, rest, and cultural legacy with its storied past, modern conveniences, and stunning natural vistas.