Falls Creek

Falls Creek Travel Notes

• Location: 4.5 hours from Melbourne
• Lifts: 14
• Cost of Chair Lifts: adult $94, child $47
• Accommodation: Budget: $400 per person, mid range: $600 pp, Luxury: $1200
• Ski Hire/Rental:
  At Falls Creek - Central Snowsports, Falls Creek Sports, Gebi's Ski Hire, Halleys Ski Hire & Shop, Koki Snowsports Hire, Viking & The Village Ski & Board Hire, Yogi Moegel's Ski Mart, YMCA Windy Corner Cross-Country Ski Centre
  Off Mountain: Kiewa Valley Ski Hire, Ski Plus
• Website: http://www.fallscreek.com.au

Long established as one of Australia's premiere exclusive winter getaways, Falls Creek is also one of the most expensive. Touted as a "rich man's winter playground," the resort was re-launched as an all-season vacation destination, it still holds on to its reputation as the Australian Alpines' classiest ski resort.

Location

Strategically located at the crossroads to major Australian cities, Falls Creek enjoys the attention of the jet-setting populace from these areas. The resort is nestled within High Country Victoria, overlooking the magnificent vista of the Bogong High Plains. Nearest to Melbourne, the resort is a 350-kilometre drive.

Getting there

Driving
Visitors coming from Melbourne may drive to Wangaratta via the Hume Highway. From there, take a turn to Myrtleford leading to Mt. Beauty. This road leads to Bogong High Plains Road right into the village of Falls Creek. Drivers must be careful for the road from Mt. Beauty is quite winding.

Chauffeur Service
Visitors can start off their vacation in style by booking and reserving a limo from Ace Oncall Limousines, an affiliate of the mountain resort. Its service includes transferring of visitors from any place in Victoria and New South Wales to the resort by sedan and limousine.

Coach Transfer
If visitors want to take their own vehicle but do not want the hassles of negotiating mountain roads, vehicles can be parked at Pyle's Coach Depot upon reaching Mt. Beauty. From there, transfer to coach and relax with the scenery along the way to Falls Creek. The coach stops at the Over Snow terminal and makes stops at multiple accommodation spots.

Train then Coach Transfer
Visitors coming from Melbourne and Sydney may take a train that will move them to Albury. From there, they can hop on to Pyle's Coach that will transport them straight to Falls Creek.

Air Travel then Coach Transfer
Visitors from Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney may book a flight that will bring them to the Albury Airport. Then from the airport, visitors may choose from the transportation options of riding a Pyle's Coach or their own vehicle to Falls Creek.

Altitude

The altitude of Falls Creek is about 1,842 metres above sea level, while its village stands at the height of around 1,600 metres. The 14 lifts available at the alpine can take visitors to a height of up to 1,780 metres, overlooking a vertical drop of 267 metres.

Skiing Area

With a 451-hectare skiing area, there are steep and challenging terrains located on Mt. McKay ideal for ski experts and more gentle slopes for beginners. For the advanced skiers, the longest run is the Wishing well, measuring 3 kilometres, while the ski beginners may ski on the run Wombats Ramble measuring 2.2 kilometres.

Terrain mix – beginners/advanced

As one of the best ski resorts in Australia, Falls Creek has diverse terrains that can accommodate any skiing or snowboarding enthusiast. Seventeen percent of the ski area on Falls Creek is suitable for beginners while sixty percent is for intermediates. The remaining twenty-three percent is for the advanced skier and snowboarder. With the opening of Park Bully Kat, visitors can expect a freestyle terrain that is truly world-class.

Falls Creek makes for an ideal place to learn and practice snow sports, hence, the foundation of a snow sports school. Falls Creek's snow sports school provides lessons for first time skiers and boarders as well as programs for children and women.

Accommodation

Whether planning to visit during winter or other seasons, Falls Creek has a lot of on-mountain accommodation to offer. Among the choices of places to stay are clubs, apartments, lodges and self-catering, all available to suit different budgets and comfort standards. All in all, the hotels in Falls Creek can comfortably accommodate up to 5,000 persons. If visitors would want to experience the places and scenery off the mountain, they can stay at Bogong Village or at Mt. Beauty which lies just around Falls Creek.

Along with accommodation, the alpine resort also has a range of dining establishments that can cater as well to varied budgets and taste. Establishments include restaurants, bars and grills, cafes and wine bars.

Facilities

Upon arrival visitors have several transport options within the resort. These include:

Oversnow - transportation is available within the village that can take visitors to their accommodation. The Oversnow passes only certain places so this is not a viable option for all visitors. Oversnow rides cost around $17.10 for adults and $11.20 for children per trip and has limited spaces for luggage. Additional payment must be made for excess luggage.

Village Shuttle - unlike the Oversnow, the village shuttle can be ridden for free. Departing from Village Bowl, the shuttle travels only as far as Frueauf Corner, and from there, it turns around making its way back towards Pretty Valley Corner. This shuttle does not allow luggage transport.
Falls Creek has been extremely successful in providing great skiing areas and services to the city dwellers. Having a range of activities, programs and services for snow sports enthusiasts and other seasons' travelers, Falls Creek indeed makes one excellent all year round resort.