Falls Creek, Victoria
Skiing in Victoria
We met up with family who live in Melbourne for a proper winter holiday in the snow. It is the first time the kids have seen snow and the first time the husband and I have been this cold in a number of years.
From Sydney to Falls Creek
We drove down from Sydney which was just over 7 hours as we didn’t stop at all because the kids were happy in the car. Astounding.
The drive is an easy drive until you turn off Hume Highway. It’s not bad from that point but the roads are narrower.
Cause for car sickness
As you approach Mt Beauty the roads wind. Once you pass Mt Beauty you’re going to want to avoid car sickness as you will wind up the mountain and it is very curvaceous. The scenery is just stunning as it charges from the farm lands to the cold mountains.
The last stop before Falls Creek
The closest ‘big’ town is Mt Beauty where you can fill up with petrol, get your snow chains (all vehicles entering the resort are required by law to carry snow chains even 4WD vehicles) and a cup of coffee. We stopped at an excellent coffee shop. If you need any pharmaceutical stuff you need to get it from Mt Beauty Pharmacy.
Fill up with petrol in Mt Beauty because there is no petrol available at Falls Creek.
What you need to enter Falls Creek
To enter Falls Creek you will need a vehicle Resort Entry Permit. For all permits and passes it is cheaper to buy online, if you know exactly which permits and passes you want.
The standard vehicle permit is $49.50 per day ($45 if you buy online) if you arrive after 1pm the price is half and after 4pm it’s free.
Closed Village
Falls Creek Village is closed to vehicles from late June to late September. So once you enter Falls Creek you will be transported to your accommodation by Oversnow Transport. The cost of this is $20 for a single adult transfer, $12 for kids from 5 years old, free for kids under 5. Return costs $32 for adults and $20 for kids over 5. It is advisable that you book your return transport as soon as you arrive should you need to leave at a certain time. There are restricts on the amount of luggage you can take with you and because kids under 5 are free there is no luggage allowance for them.
Outside of skiing or snowboarding there are three ways to get around the village:
- There is a village shuttle which operates 7 days a week between 8 am and 5:30pm.
- Walking as there are fast-track stairs and fixed walkways.
- The village bus which travels along Bogong High Plains Road.
All maps are available on their website, click here to be taken to them.
Hiring Snow Gear
There are so many places you can buy or rental your snow gear from I won’t even get into this. Thankfully Aldi had the snow gear special on just at the time we decided to come so I kitted out the family mostly from Aldi.
Falls Creek Snow Pass
In order to get on the lifts you need a Snow Pass for $5. You can then add your passes to or top up as you go along. You can buy this online and it’s cheaper to do it this way – there is a 15% discount if you buy it 14 days in advance and 5% if you buy it 1 -13 days before. Otherwise you can purchase it at various locations at Falls Creek.
My husband and son went off for lessons and baby and I stayed indoors as she wasn’t well. Thankfully we stayed somewhere great, Altitude Apartment (you can access the review of the accommodation here). Had I been able to go off and ski there is a day care who looks after little ones, you just have to book and send their updated immunization information.
Facilities around the Falls Creek Village
We brought tons of food in with us but there are places to buy basics and also to eat out if you’re in the mood.There are a number of facilities available at Falls Creek including
- Day Spas (Astra Day Spa and Spa Q)
- Medical Centre at the base of Gully Chairlift which is open from 9:30 to 5pm.
- Post Office (for those emergency letters :))
- Foodworks supermarket in the lower building of the St Falls complex.
- ATM at the supermarket
- Community gym ($20 for a single visit, $45 for a week and $125 for the winter season)
- 19 cafes and restaurants
- 4 pubs
Standard Weekly Events
While there are events running for most of the winter which vary there are standard weekly events:
- Tuesday: kids street party featuring Pete the Snow Dragon
- Wednesday: night skiing
- Thursday: fireworks and night show
Available Lessons
As with any good ski resort there are lessons available for adults and children from 3 years of age. There are group lessons and private lessons for any number of days from 2 to 6 days. If you’re interested in cross-country skiing there are lessons and rentals available.
Do not forget the donuts
If you get to Falls Creek and you hit the slopes make sure you get some donuts. They’re hot and they’re AMAZING!! You can get them from the slopes or down at the entrance.