Wanderlust of Dill

“Skiing is a dance, and the mountain always leads” – Unknown

Not much can beat waking up to a fresh dusting of snow and cutting the first few tracks in the slopes of Mt Hotham. I was lucky enough to be doing this a few weeks ago. I am the first to admit I am not a top-notch skiier but boy is it fun and I had an absolutely brilliant time. I even made it down a double diamond black run, not in any good style or time but in one piece! Mt Hotham is smaller than the popular NSW ski resorts (Thredbo and Perisher) and is a bit trickier to get to from the northern states, but the boutique-style ski resort is worth the trip. The place has a wonderful atmosphere, the ski terrain is varied and suitable for all levels, the staff are super friendly, there are great restaurants and cafes and the Japanese-style Onsen in Dinner Plains is amazing after a hard day on the snow. It is also home to the biggest dart competition in the Southern Hemisphere and my sister has been lucky enough to work the season there!

The nitty gritty:

• We flew to Canberra and drove the 5ish hours to the ski resort. You can also drive from Melbourne, approx 4 hours.
• Stock up on food before heading up the mountain as the supermarket up there is super expensive!
• The last 24 hours fuel station coming from the north is in Myrtleford. We got caught out and had to backtrack to re-fuel.
• Give yourself extra time to drive on and off the mountain. If there has been a lot of snow or the conditions are bad they stop traffic and only allow single lane traffic up and down the mountain which could add a significant amount of time to your trip.
• We stayed in Dinner Plains which runs a shuttle service to the main mountain (about 20 mins). There is a baby slope here for beginners and a decent cross country skiing route.