If you're a powder hound, a foodie or a history buff, you'll find something to thrill your senses in the High Country of northeast Victoria.

The High Country, a 45-minute flight from Melbourne or an 80-minute flight from Sydney, is the home of some of Australia's best and most accessible snowfields, including Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.

Mount Hotham, in the heart of the Bogong National Park, is known as the ‘powder capital' of Australia.

It holds the record for the state's highest snowfalls over the past decade and you can ski and board some of Australia's most challenging terrain, including 80 downhill runs.

Mount Hotham is also a great starting point for you to go cross-country skiing as there are tracks throughout the Bogong Plains, Whisky Flat, Wire Plain and longer trails stretching to Mount Loch and beyond to Falls Creek.

Another highlight of the High Country is driving along the Great Alpine Road, one of Australia's great touring routes, which winds through the Alpine National Park on the highest altitude road in Victoria. Along the way, you can soak up the history of bushrangers and gold rush towns, sample gourmet food and wine and make the most of the alpine landscapes.

Start in Wangaratta in Victoria's northeast and continue on until you reach Bright, a delightful town where you can enjoy a relaxing picnic or barbeque in beautiful Centenary Park - or go for a stroll along one of the walking paths that surround the town such as Mount Porepunkah, Canyon Walk and Mystic Mountain.

It's also a great stepping-off point for the surrounding historic towns. Explore preserved relics of the gold rush in Beechworth, see the six metre-high Ned Kelly statue, complete with homemade armour and helmet, which 'guards' Glenrowan, and visit the historic huts of legendary cattlemen like AB ‘Banjo' Patterson in the Bogong Plains.

Bright's backdrop is the huge granite outcrops of Mount Buffalo National Park. You can rock climb on the gorge here - it's considered one of the best rock climbing locations in Australia. You can also abseil, hang-glide and para-glide.

Just 10 kilometres from Mount Hotham is Dinner Plain, where you can go on a horseback riding adventure or enjoy fly-fishing and bushwalking. If you love to fish, head to Lake Eidon and Lake Dartmouth where you can snare a rainbow or brown trout.

Historic Rutherglen produces some of the world's greatest tokays and muskats. Winemakers have been taking advantage of the area's mild climate and fertile land since the early 1800s, making it one of the oldest wine-growing areas in Australia. As well as sampling the wines here, you can taste superb handmade cheeses and ambrosial honeys on the Milawa gourmet food trail.

If you don't want to worry about having a tipple, you can hire a limousine or tour bus to explore the winery circuit. To finish, pick up a gorgeous crusty loaf from a bakery and a local Michelini wine from Myrtleford. Take your supplies to Lake Buffalo, 22 kilometres from Myrtleford, at the southern base of Mount Buffalo and have a picnic to remember.

Browse All Holidays

• Nearest City:Melbourne
• Distance to Melbourne:373km
• Nearest Airport:Mt Hotham
• Distance to Mt Hotham Airport:20km

Local Attractions in the Area

• Ski Mt Hotham
• Explore Dinner Plain
• Outdoor Activities in the High Country
• 'The High Country' Website
• High Country Activities & Attractions

Helpful Links for the Area

• Mount Hotham
• Hotham Alpine Resort
• Victorian Snow Report
• Alpine Region Tourism:Mt Hotham, Dinner Plain & Ome

Seasonal Events

• Bright Autumn Festival
• Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues: November
• Alpine Valleys Wine & Food Festival: March