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Travel to Mount Hotham with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Mount Hotham enjoys a deserved reputation as an experienced skier’s delight, boasting a generous array of challenging expert runs almost unrivalled in Australia. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of beginner and intermediate runs as well as improved resort facilities and accommodation options, making it one of the most popular all-round ski resorts in the country.

The base village is home to all the facilities you’d expect of a major ski resort including ski and snowboard rental, a kid’s club, ski and snowboard instruction, childcare, medical centre and basic shopping amenities such as clothing and sports outlets.

The ski resort in Mount Hotham boasts a great range of trails to suit all levels of experience, while the choice and number of expert runs featuring challenging chutes, bumps and steeps are the resort’s main attraction. There are over 600 acres of skiable terrain serviced by 13 chairlifts that operate at an hourly lift capacity of almost 25,000 skiers and a vertical drop of 1,295 feet. Snowboarders will enjoy the terrain park and half pipe, while there are also 22 miles of cross country trails weaving through magical natural scenery.

An extensive range of lodging options can be found both on the mountain and in the nearby alpine village of Dinner Plain. Over 20 restaurants and cafés dot the mountainside, while several pubs and bars offer regular live entertainment and a warm, friendly atmosphere. The kids can enjoy the two kids’ clubs, while a number of non-skiing activities can also be enjoyed in nearby Dinner Plain.

For something different, Mount Hotham ski resort offers daily helicopter connections to nearby Falls Creek, another ski resort offering even more choice of runs. Nearby Dinner Plain is an interesting township to explore and is located on the highest freehold land in Australia.

The official ski season runs from early June through to early October, with package deals being cheaper towards either end of the season. The most convenient way of getting here is to fly into Hotham Airport, Australia’s highest commercial airport, located just over 12 miles from the resort.

Skiing in Mount Hotham

Skiing in Mount Hotham is extremely popular among experienced skiers attracted by the resort’s challenging terrain and number of expert runs. There’s also an extensive beginners’ area, kids’ clubs and a great ski school, along with a seemingly endless array of restaurants, cafés, lodges and chalets, making it an excellent all-round ski resort.

Mount Hotham’s ski runs are spread over 600 acres, with 20 per cent suitable for beginners, 40 per cent for intermediates and the remaining 40 per cent for advanced skiers and boarders, over a vertical drop of 1,295 feet. Thirteen chairlifts provide an hourly lift rate of almost 25,000 skiers, while there is also a terrain park, half pipe, toboggan run and 22 miles of cross country trails. The longest run comes in at over 8,000 feet and night skiing is on offer several times per week.

Plenty of entertainment is on offer after dark, with several pubs and bars open well into the night, while the range of restaurants and cafés here and in nearby Dinner Plain ensures there is something to suit all tastes.

Mount Hotham is famous for its number of expert runs and range of challenging terrain, but the last few years has seen a spate of development and renovation, giving the resort a much more rounded feel. Facilities offered now compete with what is expected of a major world-class ski resort.

The ski season runs from early June until early October, with the best dumps of snow usually occurring during July and August. The best way of getting here is to fly to Hotham Airport, from where it’s only a 20-minute picturesque drive to the slopes.

Transportation to Mount Hotham

Mount Hotham is nestled high up in the beautiful Victorian Alps, a 4-hour drive from Melbourne. The most practical means of transportation to Mount Hotham is to fly to Hotham Airport, a 20-minute drive from the slopes. The country’s highest commercial airport serves regular QANTAS flights direct from Sydney and Melbourne as well as chartered flights during the ski season.

If driving from Melbourne, take the Hume highway north to Wangaratta before turning east onto the Great Alpine road, which takes you through Bright and up to Mount Hotham. The journey from Melbourne is popular as a classic scenic motoring route, with a distance of around 230 miles and takes about 4 hours, 30 minutes by car.

The XPT train connecting Sydney and Melbourne operates daily, and connects with buses at Wangaratta and Hoys for the final leg to Mount Hotham.

Coach and bus services operate regularly during the ski season, with coaches leaving Melbourne’s Spencer Street Station and Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) daily and stopping at major towns along the way.

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