Snow play at Victoria’s smaller resorts
Victoria's smaller alpine resorts, Lake Mountain, Mt Baw Baw, and Mt Stirling, provide enjoyable and affordable snow experiences close to Melbourne.
Take the family to a smaller resort for the weekend or just for the day, and enjoy a range of activities from snow-tubing and toboganning to cross-country skiing and snow-shoe walking tours.
These smaller resorts have areas where you can throw snowballs, build snowmen or toboggan. Snow play areas at many resorts are conveniently located near car parks, so it’s easy to pack up the car and drive within a few metres of the snow. Enjoy a day in the snow at Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain and be back in time for dinner.
Mt Baw Baw is the closest downhill ski area to Melbourne, only a 2.5 hour drive, making it a popular destination for day-trippers. With two lifts dedicated to beginner and intermediate skiers, Baw Baw is an easy place to learn to ski or snowboard.
The terrain on Mt Baw Baw also makes it a cross-country skier’s paradise, with 10 kilometres of sheltered, well-marked and groomed trails to suit every level of skier. An integrated network of five ski lifts services over 30 hectares of skiing terrain, providing stunning views and an easy return to the village from every trail.
Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers a wide variety of accommodation to cater for overnight and longer stays, including self contained cabins, ski lodges, backpacker accommodation, apartments and hotel rooms that offer ski-from-your-door convenience.
Mt Stirling, a three hour drive from Melbourne, offers a unique Alpine experience, combining stunning snow gum forests with fantastic cross-country trails. It’s a true winter adventure playground and an ideal place to experience the wonders of snowcamping, tobogganing, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing - all within a pristine Alpine environment.
There’s only a 30 minute drive between Mt Buller and Mt Stirling, making it easy and affordable to experience the unique features each mountain has to offer.
The ski area at Mt Stirling includes 68 kms of groomed trails of varying difficulty. Snow depth is on average 40 centimetres. The absence of ski lifts at the resort allow more room to ski and experience unforgettable scenic views.
Camping at Mt Stirling amongst pristine bushland is a great nature experience to share with family and friends. Alternatively, nearby Mansfield offers a wide variety of different types of accommodation including caravan parks, motels and B&B accommodation.
Renowned as Australia’s premier cross-country ski resort, Lake Mountain is the third
most-visited cross-country Alpine resort in the world. A network of well-marked cross-country trails span 39 kilometres, creating 2,400 hectares of ski area.
It is also the closest resort to Melbourne (an easy two hour drive) making it an excellent day trip destination and ideal for families to enjoy tobogganing, snow tubing, sled rides, snow shoeing and playing in the snow.
Lake Mountain is a day visitor destination with no on-mountain accommodation. However, the nearby township of Marysville, located 15–20 minutes from the resort, offers an abundance of affordable accommodation.
Mt Baw Baw, Mt Sterling and Lake Mountain provide a friendly, non-intimidating environment for new skiers and families, and excellent ski conditions and cross-country trails also cater for the more experienced skier.
For further information about the resorts and the great value packages of offer, contact the resorts directly:
Lake Mountain:
www.lakemountainresort.com.au
(03) 5963 3288.
Mt Baw Baw:
www.mountbawbaw.com.au
1300 651 136
Mt Stirling:
www.mtstirling.com.au
(03) 5777 6077
Media contacts:
Lake Mountain: Jo McInnes, T. (03) 5773 4236 or email lakemt@virtual.net.au
Mt Baw Baw: Andrew Cyples, T. (03) 5165 1136 or email marketing@mountabawbaw.com.au
Mt Stirling: Amber Gardner, T. (03) 5777 6077 or email amber@mtbuller.com.au