Where to ski, stay and apres at Mt Hotham

Steve MadgwickBy Steve Madgwick
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Mt Hotham is probably Australia’s best resort for advanced riders needing an adrenaline shot.

The village itself doesn’t quite pull off the ambiance of some others, but it has a quirky inverted personality because the village sits on top of the mountain, meaning sublime views from your accommodation.

What it’s good for?

Hotham benefits from its altitude and, counter-intuitively, its distance from Melbourne; think more snow and shorter lift lines.

 

It’s chock-full of deep, steep gullies, with around 40 per cent of the mountain suitable for experts; although beginners aren’t given the cold shoulder. The jewel for blue and black chasers is the Heavenly Valley run.

Where to stay in Hotham

Most of Hotham’s accommodation is close to the Great Alpine Road and easy to access.

 

Stand-alone, all-the-trimmings options abound in Hotham Heights , including the quirkily furnished Blowhard Chalet split over 10 levels with its own theatre room, while the two-bedroom Absollut Apartments are as about as good as you can expect here, 100 metres from the lift.

Hotham Heights Chalets 036 Pic Karl Gray
The spectacular panorama from Hotham Heights Chalets.

In Hotham Central, White Crystal apartments  and Zirky’s  are solid multi-roomed choices close to retail and bar therapy.

 

Around 10 kilometres down the road (by shuttle) Dinner Plain provides a village full of possibilities, including Peppers Rundells Alpine Lodge, scores of chalets and restaurants.

Mt Hotham Après

Yama Kitchen & Bar is Hotham’s hot ticket, a collaboration between Michael Ryan’s two-hat Provenance Restaurant, and Bright’s Tani Eat & Drink.

Think Japanese-influenced share dishes and snacks (kimchi and cheese jaffle). Your après migration may also lead you to Swindlers and Zirky’s for wine and/or schnapps.

For recuperation, there’s Onsen Retreat and Spa in Dinner Plain.

Plunge Pool Dinner Plain Onsen
Take the plunge at Onsen Retreat and Spa, Dinner Plain

How to get there

Mt Hotham is a 4.5-hour drive from Melbourne via Bright. HothamBus provides coach services from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.

 

Buy your lift pass online 14 days in advance for a discount.

 

Little-Known Fact: Order a helicopter transfer to Falls Creek and be skiing (using the same lift pass) in minutes.

MORE: Not Hotham this year? All the resorts profiled…
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan ArkinstallBy Megan Arkinstall
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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.