Falls Creek, Victoria

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Falls Creek
Falls-creek-ruined-castle-and-terrain-park.jpg
The Ruined Castle chairlift and Terrain Park in Falls Creek
State : AustraliaAustralia Australia
State : Flag of Victoria (Australia) .svg Victoria
Founded : 1948
Coordinates : 36 ° 52 ′  S , 147 ° 17 ′  E Coordinates: 36 ° 52 ′  S , 147 ° 17 ′  E
Height : 1600  m
Area : 2.7  km²
Residents : 293 (2016)
Population density : 109 inhabitants per km²
Time zone : AEST (UTC + 10)
LGA : Alpine Shire
Website :
Falls Creek, Victoria
Falls Creek
Falls Creek
Falls Creek Hotel in Summer (January)

Falls Creek is a winter sports resort in the northeast of the Australian state of Victoria . It is located approximately 350 kilometers by road from Melbourne and approximately 30 kilometers southeast of the nearest town, Mount Beauty . The winter sports area is at altitudes between 1210 m and 1830 m; the highest mountain station is at 1780 m. You can also ski on the nearby Mount McKay (1,842 m), which can be reached by snowmobile from Falls Creek.

history

After the Second World War , the State Electricity Commission of Victoria began the hydropower project in the valley of the Kiewa River . In 1948, the first ski hotel was built on the alpine pastures that had previously only been used as summer pasture for cattle. The first ski lift, a drag lift , was built in 1951 and the first chair lift in the area (and in Australia!) In 1957.

The post office in Falls Creek opened on June 9, 1958, but did not offer telephone and telegraph connections until 1964.

Until 2005, when the Victoria government no longer updated the grazing licenses, the Bogong High Plains were still used as pastures for pasture in the summer, as had been the case since 1851. Mount Bogong , Victoria's highest mountain, is nearby. Some alpine huts have survived to this day and are a tourist attraction in summer.

Ski Area

The Falls Creek ski area is good for beginners. 80% of the slopes are easy or moderately difficult. But Australia's well-known unsafe snow conditions mean that snow cannons are often - especially at the beginning of the season - the only way to create usable ski slopes. They are fed from the nearby Rocky Valley Reservoir . As with most Australian ski resorts, Falls Creek is almost exclusively home-based. But also many international cross-country skiers come to take part in the annual Kangaroo Hoppet , Australia's Worldloppet event on the last Saturday in August. International snowboarders come to Stylewars , Australia's most famous TTR World Tour event. in the first week of September.

There are 4,500 beds in the ski area and a large number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. There are also private rooms and vacation rentals, but the management requires that they be offered for rent if they are not occupied.

In summer the place also serves as a holiday resort and starting point for discovering the national parks around Falls Creek.

Falls Creek is accessible year-round from Mount Beauty via Bogong High Plains Road . In winter, it is advisable to take snow chains with you, which, if so arranged, must also be put on. The road continues over the Bogong High Plains and then down to the Omeo Highway north of Angler's Rest . However, this section of the road is usually closed in winter.

statistics

Highest peak: 1,842 m
Highest mountain station: 1,780 m
Altitude of the resort: 1,600 m
Number of lifts: 14

in the winter

Snow line: 1,100 m
Average annual snowfall: 4 m
Average duration of the winter season: 128 days

Alpine skiing

Number of slopes: over 90
Longest difficult run: Wishing Well, 3 km
Longest beginner run: Wombats Ramble, 2.2 km
mix of difficulty: beginners 17%, advanced 60% & professionals 23%

Cross-country skiing

Number of trails: 21
Length of the groomed trails: 65 km
Longest trail: Rocky Valley Dam Loop, 21 km
mix of difficulty: beginners 33%, advanced 48% & professionals 19%

Web links

Commons : Falls Creek, Victoria  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics : Falls Creek (L) (Vic.) ( English ) In: 2016 Census QuickStats . June 27, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Premier Postal History: Post Office List . Retrieved April 11, 2008.
  3. ^ Stylewars - the Australian Slopestyle Championship . ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stylewars.com.au
  4. TTR World Tour ( Memento of the original from June 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ttrworldtour.com