| Falls Creek |
Article Index for Falls |
Website Links For Falls Creek |
Information AboutFalls Creek |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FALLS CREEK, VICTORIA | |
| ski areas and resorts in victoria | |
|
'' Falls Creek is also the name of a town in central Pennsylvania, former home of Jackson China. Falls Creek is a Carfree 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 at the foot of the ranges. The resort lies between an alititude of 1,500 and 1,600 metres, with the highest lifted point at 1780 metres. Skiing is possible on the nearby peak of Mt McKay at 1,842 metres, travelling by snowcat from the resort. The High Plains in the area have been is use for summer cattle grazing since grazing licenses were first issued in 1851. Mount Bogong , Victoria's highest mountain, is nearby. Some of the cattlemen's huts still survive and are a tourist attraction in summer. After World War 2 a Hydroelectric power 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. The resort now features 15 ski lifts and 40 kilometres of groomed cross-country skiing trails, ranging from gentle nursery slopes to expert runs. Falls Creek, with its higher altitude, is regarded as having better runs for proficient skiiers than Mount Buffalo or Mount Buller and ranks with Mount Hotham as Victoria's best. 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. 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 massive national park surrounding the resort. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|