Victorian High Country

The Victorian High Country changes completely with the seasons and rewards those who come in all of them. In winter, Falls Creek and Mount Hotham are genuine alpine ski resorts with runs that test intermediate and advanced skiers — compact by European or North American standards, but with terrain above the treeline and reliable snow from June to September. In summer, the same slopes are walking and mountain biking trails through alpine ash and snow gum, past wildflower meadows where brown mountain streams run cold from the snowmelt.

The Man from Snowy River country extends across the high country from Mansfield to the NSW border — a landscape of granite tors, mountain cattlemen's huts and sweeping views from Mount Buller and Mount Buffalo. Ned Kelly rode through this country; Banjo Paterson wrote about it. The Bogong High Plains, accessible from Falls Creek, are one of the most beautiful high-altitude landscapes in Australia — treeless, wind-scoured and magnificent.

Lake Eildon sits at the base of the high country — Victoria's largest reservoir and a genuine family destination with houseboats, fishing and well-managed camping. Bright, in the Ovens Valley, has developed a food and wine culture anchored in the autumn foliage season (April–May), when the town's European tree plantings turn the main street gold and the surrounding slopes brilliant orange. It's one of Victoria's most anticipated annual events.