WHAT will go down as one of the best starts to a snow season in recent memory has continued to be built on with non-stop snowmaking and grooming at Mt Hotham and Falls Creek alpine resorts.
Both were blessed with 60cms of natural snow which transformed the mountain villages into magical winter wonderlands over the opening King’s Birthday weekend.
And it has only gotten better since, with temperatures as low as -5.6 degrees bringing some further snowfalls and allowing snowmaking to get more lifts and terrain opened.
As we were going to press on 23 June further big dumps of snow were forecast this week, promising to only heighten the enjoyment on offer - timed perfectly with imminent school holidays.
Falls Creek opened both the Ruined Castle and Scott Chairlifts on 21 June, expanding access to a wide variety of intermediate and advanced terrain such as Scott Race Course, Shadow Ridge, and the scenic Ruined Castle area.
It also opened its Toboggan Slope Magic Carpet at Windy Corner, with $20 per 50 minute session.
Meanwhile, at the same time at Hotham, its legendary Blue Ribbon lift spun for the first time, unlocking advanced terrain beloved by seasoned riders.
The opening marked a significant milestone in the season, offering access to some of the resort’s steepest and most exhilarating runs.
“This is a chairlift that typically opens later in the season, so we’re all excited to be opening it early and giving our guests the time of their lives as we head towards our busy school holiday period,” said Tina Burford, Hotham’s vice president and general manager.
Also at Hotham, the brand new dedicated Big D Terrain Park opened for the season too - offering jumps, rails, boxes and jib features all serviced by the Big D Quad Chair for fast, fun park laps.
So far this season, snowfall totals have exceeded expectations, with consistent snowmaking and natural falls combining to deliver excellent early-season conditions.
Skiers and boarders are encouraged to book lift tickets, lessons, rentals and accommodation early, with high demand expected across both resorts, especially in the school holiday periods.
“SNOWZILLA” START
“Snowzilla” was how Mt Hotham Chamber of Commerce president Steve Belli was summing up the best opening weekend snowfalls the mountain had seen since 2000.
“It’s been a fantastic start with over 60cms and it really has set us up for the season,” he enthused.
“The mountain has been busy with plenty of apres ski celebrations, and many day trippers visiting...and we’ve certainly seen a spike in bookings too.”
Falls Creek Chamber of Commerce president Michelle Lovell said opening weekend snowfalls had provided a major confidence boost for the season ahead, with bookings increasing by 50 to 70 per cent for many businesses.
“The village vibe has been buzzing...it really is a winter wonderland...with ski-in, ski-out conditions for accommodation and restaurant venues,” she said.
Hotham marketing co-ordinator Alex Pankiw said the “incredible start” offered skiers and boarders early runs in fresh powder snow, with Pup’s Playground, Summit Trainer, Big D, The Summit and Road Runner operating in the first week of the season.
Cross country skiers were also able to access most of the northern trails - a big jump on last season when the first groomed trail wasn’t opened until June 30.
Falls Creek field marketing manager Betony Pitcher said alpine skiers and snowboarders enjoyed great snow experiences on Halley’s Comet, Towers Chairlift, Main Street Run, Mouse Trap Carpet and Wombat’s Ramble, while cross country skiers have had access to excellent groomed trails in the first weeks of the season.
According to official Victorian Alpine Resorts entry statistics, Falls Creek had 4244 visitors for the first week of the season ending 8 June, and 9947 the second week ending 15 June, giving a total of 14,191.
This is the strongest visitation in the past decade, ahead of the record 2022 season which was tracking at 12,908 for the first two weeks.
Mt Hotham had 1458 visitors for the first week and 4631 for the second week, for a total of 6089, which is the second strongest beginning to a season in the past decade, behind 2022 with 14,709 visitors in the first fortnight.
• For the latest resort information, including snow reports and activities during season 2025, visit mthotham.com.au, fallscreek.com.au, and visitdinnerplain.com
