A snow lover’s road trip to Falls Creek

Within Falls Creek ski village, roads are closed to cars during winter. It’s a small detail, but one that creates alpine-European charm.

Falls Creek is Victoria’s largest ski field.Credit: Aimee Hyde

The streets are dusted with snow, like icing sugar, and peppered with warmly lit pubs and restaurants. The air is fresh in every sense of the word. White-capped mountains and sub-zero temperatures conspire to make you feel alive and 450 hectares of skiable terrain beckons.

This winter wonderland is (much) closer to home than, say, Canada’s Whistler or Japan’s Niseko. And having been crowned “Subaru AWD Country” since 2022, it’s also prime road trip territory – Falls Creek is just four-and-a-half hours northeast of Melbourne or a mere two-hour drive from Albury airport.

So why not buckle up for an adventure?

If you do, here’s how to make the most of it.

The road to Falls Creek

As with any good road trip, the journey is half the fun.

Outside The Golden Tricycle.Credit: Georgia Boonen

The drive from Albury is a cruisy hour and fifty minutes, but it delivers a dazzling montage of scenery: wide bronzed plains, leafy green canopies, winding hills and deep valleys where regal gums stretch to the sky. Signposts (some hand-painted) signal some of the best views, like Cranky Charlie, Roper’s Lookout and Fainter Falls.

A stopover in Yackandandah is well worth the short detour. The former goldmining town is a treasure in its own right, with streets steeped in history and lined with leafy English trees. On High Street, the wide awnings of shops and galleries are strung with colourful bunting – and the interiors are just as enchanting.

Peruse “collectibles n’ delectables” at The Golden Tricycle Antiques or llama wool sweaters, artisanal perfumes and ethically sourced cowhides and sheepskin rugs at Vivienne Cate.

Pro tip: Lunch at Gum Tree Pies in Yackandandah is a must. The lamb and mint pie is a bestseller for good reason, and be sure to order a pecan slice for the road.

In the driver’s seat

When snow driving, there are two markers of a great car: confidence and comfort.

Subaru Solterra brings the brand’s iconic symmetrical all-wheel drive to an all-electric SUV.Credit: Aimee Hyde

I drove a Solterra, Subaru’s first all-electric SUV. It boasts the symmetrical all-wheel drive the car manufacturer is beloved for, which sends power to all four wheels simultaneously and, combined with X-mode, instinctively shifts it to those with the best traction. The result is superior control in wet and slippery conditions and more balance navigating Bogong High Plains Road’s twists and turns.

Ample space makes travelling with a full car plus ski gear a breeze, and heated seats and steering wheel add a luxurious touch.

The EV is more than capable of taking on the drive from Albury, or further afield, to Falls Creek. A little preparation is key. Use an app like PlugShare, a comprehensive map of charging stations, to pre-plan your route.

Have snow chains on hand – it’s mandatory to carry them Victoria – but if you’re in an AWD car like I am, you likely won’t need to fit them unless advised to. You’ll also need a resort entry permit for each vehicle.

Pro tip: If you’re a Subaru owner, you can reserve a VIP parking spot, conveniently located near the gear hire shop at St Falls Resort. There’s also an EV charging station mere metres away.

Welcome to Subaru AWD Country.Credit: Aimee Hyde

Your stay, your way

There’s an apartment, hotel or lodge for every kind of traveller at Falls Creek.

As far as ease goes, St. Falls Resort is hard to beat. In true ski-in, ski-out fashion, it sits snug at the bottom of Wombats Ramble ski run with Halley’s Comet chairlift practically at your doorstep.

Underfloor heating makes retiring for the night feel like a treat, but the pièce de résistance is the spa on your private balcony. After a long day on the slopes, slip into your hot tub and soak up the sweeping view of Kiewa Valley. With a book (or champagne) in hand, you’ll watch the sun slip behind snow-capped mountains. Bliss.

Feeling peckish? Head to Dicky Knees for a kransky hotdog. Or Frying Pan Inn – the heart of Village Bowl – for pub classics, a game of pool and a perfect view of the fireworks at 7pm every Thursday in August.

A feast at 1550 Restaurant from Japanese-fusion pop up Nama Please.Credit: Georgia Boonen

This season, Japanese-inspired pop-up Nama Please calls 1550 Restaurant home. The roaming restaurant’s global tour started four and a half years ago, chef Geoff Marett tells me. “I love that because the creative flow keeps going. This menu accumulates so many dishes from the past.”

Expect an inventive and nostalgic feast. “There are dishes on there that mean a lot to me,” he explains.

The saké clams in kombu butter dashi are a highlight, and Nama’s signature ebi toast lives up to its zesty backstory: “We were working on a caviar farm, playing around with prawn toast, playing around with our own version of Vegemite. We got drunk one night, put it all together, and now it’s one of our star dishes.”

Pro tip: Don’t overlook the white anchovy. Served on a Bin Bin rice cracker, this tasty morsel pays homage to Marett’s childhood lunchbox.

Let it snow!

With the largest ski field in Victoria, Falls Creek Alpine Resort has over 90 runs, 15 lifts and something for everyone.

It’s time to hit the slopes.Credit: Aimee Hyde

Ski instructor Zoe grew up on the slopes at Falls Creek. Between Australia and Japan, this is her twelfth season… at least (she’s lost count). But Falls is a firm favourite. “It’s home,” she says. “I know everyone says Australian snow is whatever, but the atmosphere here is unbeatable.”

If long, meandering runs are your cuppa, you’re in for a treat, 60 per cent of the runs cater to intermediates. And there’s also the terrain parks to freeride, freestyle and slopestyle.

Venture off the beaten track with Falls Creek Backcountry Tours. Your seasoned guide will take you by snowmobile into the wild to empty slopes and breathtaking views. And the sunset tour lets the sled do the work, so you can enjoy drinks, a cheese platter and Mt McKay at dusk.

And on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Wombats Ramble lights up after dark to let you ski under the stars.

Pro tip: “Book a lesson,” says Zoe. “It may seem obvious coming from me, the ski instructor. But learn to ski or board well, and you’ll have so much fun.”

The all-new Subaru Solterra brings Subaru’s trusted reliability, state-of-the-art safety technology, and legendary Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive engineering to an all-electric SUV.