Victoria’s largest ski resort just got a bougie glam-up with the unveiling of a 10-metre-high sculpture to mark the opening weekend of the ski season.
Suspended over the snow-covered crags above Falls Creek, the super-sized installation greeted powder hounds in a geometric bloom of golden petals as they returned to the ski fields for the first time this year.
And if you thought art was for viewing not touching, hold on to your helmets because this immersive artwork is part sculpture, part public viewing platform. Follow the walkway between the petals for an over-the-edge-of-the-mountain view of the alps like they’ve never been seen before.
The new sculpture Flower of the Alpine Sun by Giovanni Veronesi is revealed at Falls Creek. (Credit: Catherine Best)
The $750,000-plus Flower of the Alpine Sun artwork was officially unveiled on day one of the 2026 ski season, as snowboarders and skiers zipped up Halley’s Comet Chairlift for the first runs of the year.
Trumpeted as one of the highest-altitude artworks in Australia (certainly the largest in the alps), the Alpine Sun sits at an elevation of more than 1,600 metres. You’ll find it near Cloud 9, the newly renovated restaurant at the gateway to Mouse Trap, the beginners’ ski run at the top of Halley’s Comet.
Dine at Cloud 9, the newly renovated restaurant.(Credit: Peter Bennetts)
The ski season opens at Falls Creek. (Credit: Peter Bennett)
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Meet the artist
Milan-born Australian artist Giovanni Veronesi created the sculpture after taking a punt on an off-brief design. The original brief called for a sculpture in the village carpark, but Veronesi thought it would be epic to create an artwork ‘lookout’ on the mountain.
Drawing on his love of the alps and geometric fabrication, he designed a walk-through sculpture that frames a mountain panorama across Falls Creek village and beyond.
Falls Creek Resort’s Fred Weir (left) and artist Giovanni Veronesi at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Alpine Sun. (Image: Supplied)
“There is something about when you have those really cold winter days, when the sky is deep blue and the sun is blazing, and you can feel the wind biting your face while you’re skiing. I’ve always associated it with the feeling of being really alive, and so I wanted to put that feeling into physical form and share it with the audience," Veronesi says.
The sculpture, funded by the Victorian Government’s Alpine Business Support Package, was unveiled shortly after a winter blast dumped 32cm of snow on Falls Creek, raising hopes of a bumper ski season.
What’s new at Falls Creek in 2026
Soak in the new hot and cold mineral plunge pools at Nelse Lodge. (Credit: Supplied)
In addition to Falls’ new mountain bling, snowcationers can also expect a revitalised lineup of aprés-ski entertainment and hospitality. Nelse Lodge, one of the mountain’s original 1950s lodgings, has reopened to the public after a five-year makeover. The lodge, which operates as a ski resort in winter and high-performance athletes’ hub in summer, has a new 12-person sauna, hot-and-cold mineral plunge pools, gym, and reimagined Euro-inspired bar and restaurant.
Cooroona Alpine Lodge has launched its luxe Skyline Penthouse Apartments, promising some of the lushest digs on the mountain, as well as an expanded menu at on-site restaurant Cooroona Cantina. For aprés done your way, Cloud 9 Restaurant now offers live music on the mountain, while Lakeside’s new afternoon soirée serves up fireside aperitivo snacks and spritz. Did we mention it’s the best place to watch the Thursday evening fireworks?
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Falls faves
Warm up at Astra Falls Creek. (Credit: The View From Here/ Visit Victoria)
If you fancy your powder with a side of pampering, check in to Astra Falls Creek. The lodge has been named the Best Boutique Ski Hotel in the World Ski Awards for 10 consecutive years for good reason. If you can’t afford to stay here, at least splurge on a treatment in the spa or cosy up on the leather couch with a cocktail by the fire. If you ask nicely, the staff will even proffer marshmallows for your toasting pleasure.
Harvey Hour at locals’ favourite the Falls Creek Hotel has become a village tradition, with punters flocking to the balcony overlooking the Village Bowl for jugs of Harvey Wallbanger. It’s little wonder the pub has become Australia’s biggest importer of Galliano.
When you pass through the bowl, keep a lookout for the old 1960s ticket booth, today home to Falls Creek Distillery. This ‘gin with altitude’ is distilled with alpine botanicals and can be enjoyed at venues throughout the High Country. Don’t leave town before grabbing a hot jam donut at Snownuts Donuts at the bottom of Halley’s Comet to fuel your on-mountain adventures.
Grab a deal
Celebrate ski season for less. (Credit: Chris Hocking/Visit Victoria)
For a more wallet-friendly snow stay, take advantage of the early-bird specials. Falls Creek accommodation providers are offering up to 30 per cent off early-season bookings, while the Epic Australia 4-Day Pass offers lift access at three resorts – Falls Creek, Hotham and Perisher – for $669, (on sale until 17 June). New to snow sports? Try the new Epic Beginner Bundle – offering three days’ beginner lift access, group lessons and rentals for $499.
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From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.
I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.
For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland, and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.
Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.
The best coastal hikes in Gippsland
Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)
Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.
Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)
The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit, which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.
Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)
You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk, even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.
George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)
Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk, usually done over seven days.
Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The best bush hikes in Gippsland
The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)
Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.
Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.
Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.
Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.
The best cultural hikes in Gippsland
Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)
Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.
As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park, along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.
Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)
The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail, a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.
The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)
Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park, known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.
A traveller’s checklist
Staying there
Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)
Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.
Eating there
Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)
Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.
Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.
The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.
