There are multiple services to Falls Creek from Melbourne and Sydney to Albury via QantasLink or Rex Airlines. Once at Albury Airport, hire a car, catch a bus or book a private transfer service that will get you to Falls Creek in about two hours. Falls Creek Coaches has a service that runs from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne and Melbourne Airport to Albury or Mt Beauty and onto Falls Creek. Catch a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Albury where you can connect with a V/Line coach to Falls Creek.

Zigzag through the snow gums to get your après on at newly transformed Cloud 9. Cloud 9 now offers one of the best dining experiences in Falls Creek with expanded viewing decks that overlook the mountains. The bar and restaurant at Victoria’s largest ski resort provides a suitable backdrop for soup, pizza or pasta paired with local craft beers and wines sourced from the southern states. Watch the sky run the gamut of blues until 5pm when you can catch the chairlift back to base. Top of Halleys Comet Chairlift; cloud9fc.com.au

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming name. Frying Pan Inn is one of the best restaurants in the Victorian ski village of Falls Creek. Take on the long steep run known as Mary’s Slide and then stop in at the Frying Pan Inn in the famous Village Bowl. The restaurant has a rustic pub feel and is a top spot to be kissed by the radiant heat of a fire after a day spent tearing down the slopes. Order the grain-fed scotch fillet with chargrilled broccolini. 4 Village Bowl Ct, Falls Creek; fryingpaninn.com.au

You will have seen a few crooked signs on fence palings pointing to fresh produce on your way to Falls Creek. Victoria’s High Country is renowned for its food and wine and 1550 is a top spot for getting a taste of the terroir. The restaurant is open to the public for breakfast and lunch, but exclusive for guests during dinner service. Expect dishes with Japanese accents such as takana tartare and chicken katsu sandos. 17 Bogong High Plains Road, Falls Creek; stfallsresort.com.au

Hit the slopes and then saunter into Sorella where you can thaw out fireside over roasted harissa chicken with grain and yoghurts or meltingly tender lamb shoulder with tzatziki and pickled radish. The bar, all timber, teal and copper tones, is Falls Creek village dining at its best. Those more into the après scene than schussing down the mountain will appreciate the killer cocktails. Open during winter for brunch, lunch and dinner. 18 Slalom St, Falls Creek; sorellafallscreek.com.au

Lose the fluffy pink earmuffs and thermals and don a little black sparkly dress to match the night sky. You’ll be bang on-brand at Astra, which means stars in Latin, and aims high with its alpine-inspired menu and award-winning wine list. The dining room in the reimagined European-style ski lodge is dazzling, a Scandi-chic ode to stone and wood. Order the char-grilled half kilo T-bone with salsa verde or a mountainous serve of risotto fragrant with porcini. 5 Sitzmark St, Falls Creek; astrafallscreek.com.au

Steer your skis towards the base of Scott’s Chair at Falls Creek and pull out your best stem Christie to arrive in style at Dicky Knees, surrounded by a rumpled blanket of snow. Forget trail mix. Instead, head to Dicky Knees for a coffee and pretzel or hot dog stuffed with a meaty kranksy. Strike a pose at the Dicky Knees Photo Board before heading back up the mountain. Bottom of Scotts Chairlift, Falls Creek; victoriashighcountry.com.au

You’ll want to sling a few superlatives in the direction of the chefs at Huski Kitchen after a carefully curated feast featuring dishes from the new menu of southeast Asian delicacies. Think nourishing bowls of tonkotsu ramen. Or Japanese fried chicken that has a crunch so loud it should be illegal. Alternatively, opt for a light papaya salad so you can still squeeze into your salopettes for the last run of the day. Don’t forget to pose for a selfie in front of the mural of a husky dog. 3 Sitzmark Street, Falls Creek; huskikitchen.com.au

Attunga is an Aboriginal word for ‘a high place’. And that’s where you will find Attunga Lodge and Apartments in Falls Creek. Fuel your mountain adventures in Attunga Restaurant & Bar in the Victorian High Plains where you will find a dedicated apres menu of small bites. Think precious little prawn and ginger dumplings and lamp kofta with green labneh and chilli. Order the alpine pepper kangaroo and a confit of trout for a sense of place. 10 Arlberg St, Falls Creek; attungalodge.com.au

Counter the cold winds pouring down the mountain with a little après-ski action at the Powder Keg. The bar cranks out cocktails, craft beers and local wines along with indulgent bar bites such as chips and dips, Korean fried chicken and pork belly tacos. The bar is at St Falls Resort so you won’t have to worry about skiing back to your accommodation. 7 Bogong High Plains Rd, Falls Creek; stfallsresort.com.au

Ask a seasonal worker where they eat in ‘Falls’ as it’s affectionately known and they’ll likely say Ory’s Falls Creek. Don your favourite quilted jacket so you can dress to impress the hipster-heavy crowd at Ory’s Falls Creek. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and named in honour of Orest ‘Ory’ Frueauf, one of the pioneering legends of Falls Creek. Order the fork-tender braised lamb shanks or comforting plate of moussaka. 4 Schuss St, Falls Creek; orysfallscreek.com.au

Nelse Lodge has entered its second act. After a five-year restoration, this ski-in ski-out lodge in the heart of the village emerges with Nordic-chic interiors, beautifully appointed apartments and lodge rooms and a wellness suite of gym, sauna and mineral plunge pools. Expect European alpine fare at the restaurant and German beers around the fireplace bar at Nelse Lodge, a Falls Creek icon since the 1950s. 17 Slalom St, Falls Creek; nelsefallscreek.com.au

The boutique Huski Apartments range in size from studios to four-bedroom apartments. Sit fireside, glass of gluhwein in hand, as the sound of skiers whooshing down the mountain floats up to your balcony. Or wait until night falls and the air feels quiet and calm so you can enjoy a soak in your own outdoor hot tub. The apartments are impossibly charming with excellent ski-in and ski-out access and an onsite restaurant. 3 Sitzmark Street Falls Creek; huski.com.au

The greatest luxury of a stay at Falls Creek Hotel is the fact there are three lifts within 150 metres of the door. Forget about checking the ski cam. Just glance out the window to see how much snowfall there’s been overnight. The lodge – family-owned and operated since 1972 – is surrounded by the outstretched limbs of pretty snow gums. Sit on your balcony when it’s bathed in sunshine to watch skiers attempt the Summit. Or head to the bar for ‘Harvey Hour’ (jugs of Harvey Wallbangers). 23 Falls Creek Road, Falls Creek; fallscreekhotel.com

Falls Creek has been a destination for skiing holidays since forever ago. Lakeside Falls Creek is a great jumping-off point for said ski fields, a legit ski-in, ski-out experience just 200 metres from the Village Bowl and Eagle and Summit Chairs. The hotel has a range of newly renovated rooms to choose from as well as a cosy communal lounge with a pool table, library, board games and roaring fire. Hang up your skis mid-arvo to join an afternoon soiree for fireplace aperitivo. 14 Schuss Street, Falls Creek; lakesidefallscreek.com.au