When it comes to planning a family snow holiday, finding a destination that pleases everyone can be a challenge. We discovered that Mt Baw Baw, only a 2.5-hour drive from Melbourne CBD, ticks all the right boxes.
Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort boasts a range of facilities designed to cater specifically to families. From cozy lodges and comfortable accommodations to kid-friendly dining options, families can feel at home here throughout their stay.
About Mt Baw Baw
Mt Baw Baw is Melbourne’s closest downhill ski, snowboard, toboggan and snow play resort. Sheltered among beautiful snow gums, the resort offers a friendly holiday destination for families to enjoy snow play, learn the basics or improve their skiing and snowboarding skills.
Facts:
- It’s only 2.5 hours from Melbourne CBD
- There are 35 hectares of ski terrain
- Mt Baw Baw village sits at 1460m
- Mt Baw Baw’s summit is 1564m
- There are 25 ski and snowboard runs
- The longest run is 750m
- There are seven lifts
Mt Baw Baw snow cam and weather
The snow season, or the ‘white’ season, generally runs from June to the first week of October. On average, the weather from June to September is around:
- June: -1° to 3° with 12 days of rain
- July: -2° to 2° with 16 days of rain
- August: -2° to 3° with 16 days of rain
- September: 0° to 6° with 13 days of rain
The lowest temperature recorded at Mt Baw Baw is -8.5°.
Skiing and snowboarding at Mt Baw Baw
Since Mt Baw Baw is not as large and overcrowded as other more well-known ski resorts, it’s a great place for beginners to learn how to ski or snowboard. Intermediate skiers will appreciate the uncrowded slopes to fine-tune their skills even further.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the right gear either, as equipment can be hired here.
Ski and snowboard lessons
Lessons are available for ages three years and up for both skiing and snowboarding. Classes are grouped by age and ability, with groups for 3 – 6 years, 7 – 12 years and 13+ years. The classes are small and limited to a maximum of eight people, guaranteeing a tailored experience.
Fun family lessons are also available with an instructor who can work with everyone in the family, regardless of skill level or discipline. In the family lessons, you can decide how much time the instructor spends with each family member to ensure everyone gets the attention they need to learn or improve.
Tank Hill Terrain Park
When conditions allow, the Tank Hill Terrain Park opens with pipes, boxes and rails for those with beginner to intermediate abilities.
Cross-country skiing
Mt Baw Baw is known for its cross-country ski trail. Set among the majestic snow gums and alpine meadows, there are 10 kilometres of cross-country trails within the resort itself and access to even more trails within the Baw Baw National Park.
Cross-country skiers can even cross the Baw Baw Plateau to visit Mt St Gwinear if snow conditions permit.
Other fun stuff to do at Mt Baw Baw for families
Many families come here not necessarily to ski but to enjoy snow play and the winter wonderland. Here’s what else families can do:
Tobogganing
Tobogganing at Mt Baw Baw is snow much fun! (See what I did there?) The reason it’s extra fun here is because the recently renovated Frosti Frog Toboggan Park offers a Magic Carpet. If you’re not in the know, a magic carpet is basically a flat escalator you stand on that takes you back up the top of the toboggan hill. This, of course, saves tired legs and allows you to keep going!
Mt Baw Baw also offers a snow guarantee on the toboggan park with a machine that ensures there is always enough snow to have fun on. Toboggans can be hired, or you can bring your own.
Snow play
Wanting to build a snowman and maybe throw a snowball or three at each other? Just stroll around the resort until you find a soft patch of snow with your name on it.
Meet and greet the Alpine Dingos
Families can book an encounter with Rowdy, Warragul and Bunji at the Mt Baw Baw Dingo Resource Centre. Learn about the dingos and their role as apex predators in this unique ecosystem.
You can easily tell them apart as Rowdy has ginger fur and is an alpine/desert dingo, Warragul is 100% alpine dingo and has light fur, and Bunji has tan and black fur. He is a 100% alpine dingo cub, son of the well-known Wandi.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get to cuddle a dingo, but this can’t be guaranteed as, at the discretion of staff, the session will be adapted to each individual to ensure the safety, well-being and happiness of the dingos and guests.
Snowshoeing
The sheltered bowls and slopes of the Mt Baw Baw plateau are ideal for beginner to intermediate snowshoeing. Snowshoes can be hired at the resort and from other snow-hire businesses in the region.
Accommodation at Mt Baw Baw
You’ll find a range of accommodation at the Alpine Resort, including lodges, cabins and apartments. Choose from self-contained cabins and apartments for your family or one of the lodges or ski clubs for larger bookings.
If you prefer not to stay at Mount Baw Bay Alpine Resort or have left it too late to book, Erica Caravan Park at the bottom of the mountain is a top spot with cosy cabins and caravan sites.
How much will it cost to visit
Snow season fees:
- Car resort entry for the first day: $62
- Extra day resort entry: $21 (capped at $167)
- Bus entry: $20 per person
- Season resort entry pass: $475
- Adult lift pass: $85
- Adult season lift pass: $555
- Child lift pass: $52
- Child season lift pass: $410
- Family lift pass (2A+2C): $225
- Toboggan session lift pass: $12
Once you arrive at the resort, clothing and equipment can be hired for an additional cost. Alternatively, you can bring your own gear or hire from any of the many rental stores on the way to Mt Baw Baw.
Do I need snow chains to visit Mt Baw Baw?
During the declared snow season, visitors to alpine areas in Victoria are required by law to carry diamond-type snow chains. They must be carried from South Face Road and Tanjil Bren.
A chain fitting service operates at the resort entry from 9 am – 5 pm daily for a fee. However, they do not stock chains for all tyre sizes. So you are better off hiring chains before you arrive to avoid disappointment. Chains can be hired from Erica Ski Hire.
Getting to mount Baw baw
Located around 2.5 hours from the CBD, Mt Baw Baw is the closest ski resort to Melbourne. There are a few different ways to get there, but Google Maps will point you in the right direction. Most visitors from Melbourne take the Mt Baw Baw Tourist Road (C426), which is known for being picturesque but curvy.
For those considering a bus, Dreamtours offer a shuttle service from Melbourne. This is a great option for those who don’t want the hassle and expense of dealing with snow chains and potentially driving in snowy conditions.
It’s also possible to reach My Baw Baw by train by jumping off at Moe Station on the Gippsland line. However, transport between the station and the resort must be booked separately via taxi service, which starts getting fairly pricey.
Where to next?
Let me know what you think!