Falls Creek, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It is located about 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in the Alpine National Park
Alpine National Park
The Alpine National Park is a national park in Victoria , northeast of Melbourne. It covers much of the higher areas of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, including Victoria's highest point, Mount Bogong and the associated subalpine woodland and grassland of the Bogong High Plains...
, with the nearest town Mount Beauty, approximately 30 kilometres away. The resort lies between an altitude of 1,210 and 1,830 metres, with the highest lifted point at 1780 metres. Skiing is possible on the nearby peak of Mount McKay
Mount McKay (Australia)
Mount McKay is a mountain the Australian Alps region of Australia's Great Dividing Range. Skiing is possible during the winter seasons. Nearby is the Falls Creek Alpine Village.-External links:*...
at 1,842 metres, traveling by snowcat from the resort. Until 2005, when the Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
did not renew grazing licenses, the high plains
Bogong High Plains
The Bogong High Plains are a section of the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong. This area forms part of Australia's Great Dividing Range and in winter is one of the largest snow covered areas in the country. It can be easily accessed from...
in the area were used for cattle grazing in the summer since 1851. Mount Bogong
Mount Bogong
Mount Bogong , located in the Alpine National Park, is the highest mountain in Victoria, Australia. The Big River separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains to the south. "Bogong" in the local Aboriginal language means bigfella...
, Victoria's highest mountain, is nearby. Some of the cattlemen's huts still survive and are a tourist attraction in summer. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme
Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme
The Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme is the largest hydro-electric scheme in Victoria and the second largest in mainland Australia after the Snowy Mountains Scheme...
was started in the Kiewa River
Kiewa River
The Kiewa River is a major tributary of the Murray River in Australia.The river's headwaters include Victoria's highest mountain, Mount Bogong, and wind their way north-west about 100 kilometres, gradually slowing before joining the Murray east of Albury....
valley by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria
State Electricity Commission of Victoria
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria was a monopoly electricity generation, transmission and supply utility located in Victoria, Australia...
.
On land previously used only for summer cattle grazing in the natural alpine grasslands, the first ski lodge was built in 1948 by workers from the scheme. The first lift, a rope tow, was built in 1951 and the first chairlift in Australia was constructed there in 1957.
Falls Creek Post Office opened on 9 June 1958 (with telegraph and telephone facilities only until 1964).
Falls Creek, with its higher altitude, is regarded as having better runs for proficient skiers than Mount Buffalo
Mount Buffalo National Park
Mount Buffalo is a mountain plateau in Victoria , 200 km northeast of Melbourne. It is one of the oldest parks in the Australian Alps, being first established in 1898 when 1165 ha was reserved around Eurobin Falls...
or Mount Buller
Mount Buller, Victoria
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria, Australia east of Melbourne on the slopes of Mount Buller . Primarily a resort town, Mount Buller is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter due to its close location to Melbourne...
and ranks with Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Hotham Alpine Resort. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of above sea level...
as Victoria's best. It is also especially beginner/intermediate friendly, with almost 80% of the resort dedicated to these types of skiers/snowboarders. It has wide open vistas and rolling hills unique to the High Plains in Victoria, creating uncrowded skiing conditions and very short queues of just two or three minutes at most even on very busy weekends (cf. Mount Buller wait times of 20–30 minutes or more during peak times).
However, Australia's notoriously fickle snow conditions ensure that snowmaking
Snowmaking
Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun" or "snow cannon", on ski slopes. Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliability of their snow cover and to extend their ski...
using the water from the nearby Rocky Valley Dam
Rocky Valley Dam
The Rocky Valley Dam is located on the Bogong High Plains, near Falls Creek, Victoria, a winter ski resort. The dam is man-made and has a capacity of 28 000 megalitres and is situated at 1600 metres above sea level....
is sometimes, particularly early in the season, the main source of skiable snow. Consequently, like all Australian snowfields, Falls Creek's customer base is almost entirely domestic, however many international cross country skiers travel to Falls Creek for the Kangaroo Hoppet
Kangaroo Hoppet
The Kangaroo Hoppet is the Australian long distance cross-country skiing race in the Worldloppet Ski Federation. It is held in Falls Creek, Victoria...
, Australia's Worldloppet event on the last Saturday of August.
The resort features 4,500 accommodation beds, and consequently a large number of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs to amuse the guests at night. Some apartments are privately owned, but the resort's management requires that they must be available for hire when not occupied.
The resort also serves as a summer base to explore the massive national park surrounding the resort.
Quick Falls Statistics
Highest Altitude: 1,842 metres
Highest Lifted Altitude: 1,780 metres
Village Altitude: 1,600 metres
Number of Lifts: 14
In Winter
Snowline Altitude: 1,100 metres
Average yearly snowfall: 4 metres
Average days open in winter: 128
Alpine
Number of Runs: 92+
Longest Advanced Run: Wishing Well, 3 km
Longest Beginner Run: Wombats Ramble, 2.2 km
Terrain mix: Beginner 17%, Intermediate 60% & Advanced 23%
Cross country
Number of trails: 21
Groomed trail network: 65 km
Longest trail: Rocky Valley Dam Loop, 21 km
Terrain mix: Beginner 33%, Intermediate 48% & Advanced 19%
External links
- Falls Creek Official Site
- Falls Creek Ski Lifts Pty Ltd Site
- Falls Creek Terrain Park Site
- The Age - Falls Creek Corporate Ski Race Site
- Falls Creek Official Employment Site
- Falls Creek Race Club Official Site
- Falls Creek snow report on ski.com.au
- Ausi Ski Bum
- Falls Creek Trailmap
- Falls Creek on wikiski.com
- A list of all 36 lifts to operate at Falls Creek at the WikiSki lift directory.