It comes as a further surprise that in the last few decades skiing has become one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia. The Victorian Alps, located just off the wide four-lane freeway connecting Melbourne and Sydney, have some of the very best ski resorts in the country. Once off the freeway, you will find scenery which matches some of the best and most verdant in Europe.
Pine forests line the mountainsides.
The mountains of either side of the Ovens River will presage first glimpses of the secret valleys which are unbelievably rich and fertile. In the season tractors that look as if they are on stilts will be tending the carefully nurtured tobacco plants which fill fields everywhere along this valley. Next comes Bright, one of the loveliest small tourist towns in Victoria and the base from which many people visit the local snowfields. If you are heading for Falls Creek skiing village you may find a guided tour of the State Electricity Commission's hydro-electric installations at Mt Beauty, some 27kms up into the mountains, very interesting. From Mt Beauty the various Victorian ski resorts seem to fan out in all directions.