Hotham, Australia’s highest alpine village, the perfect place to swap your city life for some crisp mountain air and Australia’s amazing vistas; from memorable 360-degree views of the encircling rugged mountain ranges to stunning misty sunrises. It’s considered by Aussies as a year-round resort, which means it’s wintertime, making all your well-loved snow-based activities available. Don’t forget the summer sun there that brings out striking landscapes and numerous trails for biking, hiking, and trail running. The place never runs out of new adventures that need to be explored.
If you have plans to visit Hotham on your next flight to Melbourne, here are the top things to see and do on Mount Hotham:
1. Learn to Ski
You don’t need to worry about waiting in long queues and for the right weather to come through just to ski. Hotham has 13 lifts that can cater to over 24,000 people an hour, downhill runs up to two and a half kilometres long, and advanced snow-making facilities which mean you have plenty of time on the slopes.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time skier, Hotham has a lot to offer to get you heart racing and test your skills. They provide lessons for beginners of all ages, private sessions, and even different programs that can help intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders sharpen their skills. If you’re an experienced skier wanting a new challenge, you may abandon the slopes and discover Hotham’s backcountry terrain on accompanied tours.
2. Enjoy Big Mountain Views
The location of Hotham has plenty of advantages, including stunning views and straight-to-the-slopes access for much of the accommodation. Aside from that, you are sheltered inside the place while there’s a blizzard happening outside. Walking around the village of Hotham can seem like it’s an exercise in polar endurance and since it comes from a higher place, the access to the road can get rough, especially when the visibility is low and the snow is falling.
But they also provide other options like shuttle services from Harrietville and somebody else do the driving or get access from the eastern, or Gippsland, border of the mountain, a long drive, but on a distant less weather-affected road.
3. Try Cross-Country Skiing
The ideal place to try cross-country skiing is here Hotham. It has a network of trails hidden among the snow gums and provides a free village shuttle service that comes convenient to get to the trailheads. Once you manage to do it successfully, journeying along on lightweight cross-country gear can be compared to jogging with lessened gravity. The trails are customized and they are free to use and there are networks and loops at Hotham and at Dinner Plain together with cruisy, 12-kilometre noticeable trails linking two areas. If you want to use the Dinner Plain Shuttle, there is an available charge and smart card system to get you on board, but take note that you are not allowed to purchase the card on the bus, which can be a bit annoying for casual users.
4. Visit the Kids Snowzone With Kids
If you are visiting Hotham with your young little ones, you may want to check out the Kids Snowzone, where children from 3 to 14 can study how to board or ski. It features a wide range of customized lessons and programs for children of all ages to learn how to be out on the slopes in no time.
And if you need some break from the kids or want an hour to work on your jumps, you can drop off the small ones at the Hotham Daycare for an entire day, half-day or even by the hour. It’s recommended for kids of 3 months to 5 years since they have three fun-filled playrooms and an individual family room.
5. Explore the Backcountry
Hotham is filled with some of the best terrain for the purpose of exploring the backcountry, and they have a resort that provides guided, daily backcountry tours at starting or advanced levels. You can rent their gear since they have them available for snowboarders and skiers.
6. Have Fun With Huskies, Helicopters, and Heavenly Nights
If you want to relax and appreciate striking and panoramic views, it’s ideal that you go for a sunset tour. Or you can choose something a bit out of the ordinary like riding a helicopter over the mountains and enjoying the skies. But if you hate heights, you can join a team of lovely and friendly Siberian huskies, on the other hand, and race around the backcountry trails while riding a sled dog tour. Or just cuddle up with your kids as you explore the winter wonderland! No matter what you want to do, the view of the surrounding landscape is already enough to make your heart flutter.
