Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is a ski resort in the High Country of Victoria, catering to both beginners and advanced.
Understand
Get in
By plane
Mount Hotham has an airfield that used to be served by Qantas but as of 2008 there are no commercial flights at all. You will need to charter a plane, or with appropriate licensing pilot one yourself, to fly to Hotham. The closest airport with commercial flights is Albury.
By car
From Melbourne either:
- take the Hume Highway to Wangaratta and then the Great Alpine Road through Harrietville, taking about 4.5 hours; or
- take the Princes Highway to Bairnsdale and turn onto the Great Alpine Road via Omeo and Dinner Plain, taking about 5.5 hours.
From Sydney take the Hume Highway to Albury-Wodonga, and follow the signs to Yackandandah and turn off to Myrtleford. At Myrtleford turn off onto the Great Alpine Road through to Harrietville and Mount Hotham. This is about 8.5 hours' driving.
From Queensland take the Newell Highway to Cobram, then onto Wangaratta and the Great Alpine Road as per the route from Melbourne.
In all cases, cars must carry fitting snow chains when travelling on the Great Alpine Road between Harrietville and Omeo between June 1 and October 10 every year. You must be able to fit them when the signs indicate: there are numerous chain fitting bays located on the road. Chains are available for hire in Harrietville and Omeo.
Resort Entry Permit fees at Hotham are $51 per day (2019), paid online. It is based on vehicle registration number and dates. Parking is free until midnight if your first entry of the day is after 3PM. Parking inspections are frequent before 3PM and after midnight when the free evening parking passes run out. If you are just driving in to drop someone off you must still pay resort entry. If you're just driving through without stopping, no fee applies provided it is done within the time limit.
Drivers who don't wish to drive in the snow can park in the security car parking at Hoys Skis in Harrietville for $10 a day (cheaper for longer stays) and catch a bus to Mount Hotham.
By bus
The Snowball Express (tel 1300 65 65 46, fax ☏ +61 3 9372 0689, email reservations@snowballexpress.com.au) service runs services to Mt Hotham from Melbourne, Myrtleford, Bright and Harrietville.
Christian's Bus Company has buses to and from Albury airport on Fridays and Sundays during the snow season from June 27 - September 14 in 2008. They depart the airport at 10AM, 1:45PM and 5PM and return 8:30AM, 12:30PM and 4PM. Call Hotham Holidays on 1800 468 426 to book.
Hoys Mount Hotham (tel +61 3 5759 3017) operate a bus from Dinner Plain several times a day, no bookings necessary (timetable ). Return trips are $14 for adults and free for children under 15. The ticket includes the drop-off fee at Mount Hotham.
O'Connell's Ome Bus Services offer charter services from Omeo to Mount Hotham. They have many years of safe driving in alpine areas. Contact them at or 0428591377
By train
The nearest train station is in Wangaratta, on the main Sydney to Melbourne line. Travellers would then need to transfer to a bus to Bright and a second bus to Mount Hotham.
Get around
The Great Alpine Road runs through the middle of the resort (in fact, there's a point on the Sun Run where you can ski over a road bridge). Most runs or lifts to them leave at an easily accessed point on the road. However, parking near the center of the resort is difficult to get, and you may need to park at the edges and catch the free bus to the run of your choice. Be careful of pedestrians: people catching the bus up and down the resort frequently have to cross the road on foot with armfuls of gear, and there are no marked crossings. The usual practice is to give way to any pedestrians.
The village bus service is operated by a set of clunky old school buses with big SNOW BUS labels. This free bus service drives up and down the length of the Great Alpine Road inside the resort. Catch it at any of the "Village Bus" bus stop signs which are located near most carparks and major lifts and run end-points on the road. It arrives every 5-10 minutes. Skis must be stored in the holders on the outside of the bus, but snowboards are carried on board. Be careful when waiting for the bus, particularly if waiting on the side of the road that has a drop-off. There are no fences or safety rails protecting you from walking off the edge; although obviously the bus doesn't park right next to it, it also doesn't stop far away from it.
See
Visitors are treated to stunning views of the surrounding mountains but the village itself is all about snowsports.
Do
- Ski or snowboard. 2011 season lift passes cost from $106 for 1 day ($53 for children) to $497 for 7 days ($248 for children). Season passes are available, as are combined lift and hire prices.
- Learn to ski or snowboard.
Buy
No petrol or other vehicle fuel is available at Mt Hotham, or in the alpine area at all. You will need to travel down to Bright or Omeo for fuel.
There are plenty of stores selling skis, snowboards and other gear. By the base of Big D is a bottle shop and grocery store carrying the essentials.
Eat
The General Store offers delicious and affordable pizza with the best views and is open all year round.
- 1 Snake Gully Hut, Davenport Access Track, ☏ +61 404 359 493. 8:30AM-4PM.
Drink
The two main (and competing) drinking holes are Swindlers at Hotham Central and The General (The Jenny) close to Big D. Swindlers seems to attract the younger, fashion-conscious crowd while The Jenny is more down to earth. Both stay open late and often put on live music and DJs. Both get suitably messy as the night wears on with mountain staff trying to relieve the cabin fever.
Other places to go include The Snowbird Inn and Zirky's both of which are located within the village.
Sleep
- 1 Arlberg Hotham, 1 Great Alpine Rd, Hotham Heights, ☏ +61 3 5759 3618. Just a small cozy place to sleep. Includes a restaurant.
Stay healthy
Medical facilities are provided by:
- Mt Hotham Medical Centre, Great Alpine Road (At the Hotham Central carpark opposite Hoys and the Transit Centre), ☏ +61 3 5759-3551. The Mt Hotham Medical Centre specialises in treating skiing and boarding injuries, although it provides a general practice service. The Mt Hotham Medical Centre is expensive because unlike public hospitals it receives very limited Government subsidy—it does not bulk bill for Australian Medicare card holders. The nearest public medical services are at the Wangaratta public hospital, some 2 hours drive away.
In winter months Ski Patrol will assist injured people on the snow, providing first aid and transferring you to an ambulance or to the medical center as needed. Ski patrol wear red and black jackets with a large white cross on the back and smaller white crosses on the arms. Resort employees such as the lift operators can summon Ski Patrol to assist you. If there is an accident on the snow, someone should be sent down to the nearest lift to alert the operators and tell them where to send the patrol. Flying injured skiiers off the mountain by helicopter is fairly common, make sure your insurance cover this or sign up for an ambulance membership.