Falls Creek
The Ruined Castle chairlift and terrain park
Location	Mount Beauty
Nearest city	Wodonga
Coordinates	36°59′0″S 147°16′0″E / 36.98333°S 147.26667°E / -36.98333; 147.26667 (Falls Creek)
Top elevation	1780m
Base elevation	1400m
Skiable area	450 ha.
Runs	92
Longest run	3km
Lift system	14 lifts
Snowfall	4m (overall per season)
Web site	Falls Creek

Falls Creek Hotel in summer (January)

Falls Creek is a ski-in, ski-out ski resort in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. It is located about 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne in the Alpine National Park, 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 at 1,842 metres, traveling by snowcat from the resort.

History[edit]

After World War II the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme was started in the Kiewa River valley by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. 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).^[1]

The high plains in the area were used for summer cattle grazing from 1851 until 2005, when the Government of Victoria did not renew grazing licenses due to concerns about the cattle's impact on the fragile alpine environment. Some of the cattlemen's huts still survive and are a tourist attraction in summer. Mount Bogong, Victoria's highest mountain, is nearby.

Alpine resort[edit]

Falls Creek is beginner/intermediate friendly, with almost 80% of the resort dedicated to these types of skiers/snowboarders. However, Australia's notoriously fickle snow conditions ensure that snowmaking using the water from the nearby Rocky Valley Dam 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, Australia's Worldloppet event on the last Saturday of August and international snowboarders to Stylewars, The Australian Slopestyle Championships and Australia's highest sanctioned TTR World Tour event held in the first week of September.

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 national park surrounding the resort.

Falls Creek is accessible by the Bogong High Plains Road from Mount Beauty all year round, though like all of Australia's snow resorts snow chains must be carried during winter and fitted if directed. The road continues across the High Plains and descends to meet the Omeo Highway north of the hamlet of Anglers Rest, however the route from this side is closed during the snow season.

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%

Lifts[edit]

• International Poma: 4:50 per ride, 1525 to 1775m
• Gully Chair (3 person)
• Summit Chair (4 person)
• Eagle Chair (3 person)
• Falls Creek Express (4 person detachable): 3:35 per ride, 1560m to 1750m
• Drovers Dream Chair: 6:45, 1640m to 1745m.
• Towers Chair (4 person): 6:00 per ride, 1615 to 1745m.
• Board Walk
• Mouse Trap
• Monkey Bars
• Lakeside Poma
• Scotts Chair (4 person): 6:00 per ride, 1615m to 1740m.
• Ruined Castle Chair (4 person express): 4:30 per ride, 1655m to 1755m

See also[edit]

• Skiing in Australia

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• 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
• Falls Creek Trailmap
• Falls Creek on wikiski.com
• A list of all 36 lifts to operate at Falls Creek at the WikiSki lift directory.

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