Travelling to
Dinner Plain.
Local Weather, Road & Snow Conditions, Fitting Snow Chains
& Cars in the Snow
Additional advice for families for safe travel by road through the Victorian Alps to the Alpine School Campus.
Resources:
Local Weather & Road Conditions
Mount Hotham Resort Management
03 5759 3550
Vic Roads (24hrs) 13 11 70
re: Great Alpine Road, Mt Hotham
Vic Traffic Website
https://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/
The Alpine School – 03 5150 8100 www.alpineschool.vic.edu.au
Mount Hotham Resort:
www.mthotham.com.au.
Victorian Snow Report:
www.snowreport.vic.gov.au
Alpine Weather
On or prior to the scheduled arrival day, please check the weather forecast. The weather in the Victorian Alps can be very unpredictable. Please check local conditions with the Alpine School Campus prior to your departure.
*The television weather usually reports snowfalls in the Alps or, as a rule, if it is 14 degrees or less and raining in Melbourne it is probably snowing at Mount Hotham and/or Dinner Plain.
Cars in the snow
Before you leave home, ensure that you have antifreeze in your radiator and that your tyres and suspension are in good condition. Always bring a blanket, spare food and water in the car when driving in the mountains. Make sure you have detergent in your windscreen wiper wash to discourage freezing.
If driving a diesel fueled vehicle, you will need to top up your fuel with Winter blend/ Alpine Diesel – all service stations in Bright, Harrietville and Omeo automatically have this in their tanks. This will ensure that your regular diesel fuel does not wax up in the cold. Additive can also be purchased ahead of time from auto stores but must be added to your tank before the car engine is turned off and left in the cold environment.
After parking your car, leave the hand brake off (so that it does not freeze on). Most people also prefer to raise their windscreen wipers to that they don’t stick. If you drive a ute with a tray, leave the tray door down.
For more advice visit about Snow and Winter Driving visit the VicRoads website:
Mt Hotham Car Pass
(Ski Season Only)
If you wish to stop within the boundaries of the Mt Hotham Ski Resort, during the ski season, then you must pre-purchase a car pass online or run the risk of receiving a hefty fine.
You do not need to purchase a car pass if you intend to drive straight through the resort and not stop. CCTV Camera’s at Resort Entry point’s time your car entering and exiting the resort in a set time.
Snow Chain Advice.
Vehicles will be required by law to carry chains up the mountain during the declared Snow season:
(Kings’s Birthday long weekend until the end of September)
– they also may be required outside the snow season if we have had unseasonal dump of snow.
Chains can be hired from many places as you approach the mountain.
Chain Hire Outlets
Bright Ski Centre
22 Ireland St, Bright Vic 3741
Ph: 03 5755 1093
Harrietville – Hoys ‘A’ Frame Ski Hire
Ph: 03 5759 2658
Hoys Mobile Service – Mount Hotham roadside, they can hire, fit, and remove chains for you. (Located wherever chains need to be fitted on the Harrietville side of the mountain – i.e. does not cover the Dinner Plain side).
Omeo – Omeo Ski Hire and Service Station
Ph: 03 5159 1600
Be prepared…
If hiring chains for the first time, it is good practice to ask for a lesson – even if it means you are then able to help someone else. Bring thick washing up gloves / rigger’s gloves with you to use when fitting your chains as you may be in harsh conditions when asked to do so. It’s also handy to have your coat and hat in the car with you so that you don’t need to get it out of the boot.
Fitting your snow chains…
If Road Signage or personnel direct you to put the snow chains on your vehicle, pull well off the road into a chain fitting bay, put on your hazard lights and fit chains to the appropriate wheels. Refer to your car manual as to which wheels to fit the chains (front / back). Generally, chains go on the drive wheels of your car i.e., Front tyres for front-wheel-drive cars and back tyres for rear-wheel-drive cars.
‘Diamond Pattern’ snow chains
The chain hire outlets hire only use “diamond pattern” chains. These are specific and suitable for the Alpine conditions and are preferred by Vic Roads and the Mount Hotham Resort Management Board. Please note, older “ladder” type pattern chains are not applicable, and you may be refused entry to the resort by Vic Roads.
Directions to theAlpine School Campus:
If you are driving from…
From Melbourne and the Western Half of Victoria:
- Take the Hume Hwy north, to the Snow Road (Oxley/Milawa) exit left then turn right, just past (about 200 meters) the BP Garage or McDonalds between Glenrowan and Wangaratta.
- Follow the Snow Road through Oxley & Milawa, head towards Myrtleford.
- Turn Right at the Great Alpine Road and head toward Myrtleford
- Drive through Myrtleford on the Great Alpine Road head towards Bright.
- Get fuel at Bright if needed (No fuel available on mountain)
- Proceed through Bright on the Great Alpine Road towards Harrietville and head uphill towards Mt. Hotham.
- Dinner Plain is about 11 kms from Mt. Hotham heading towards Omeo.
- The Alpine School entrance is approximately 1 km past the entrance to the Dinner Plain Village.
There are large and clear signs at the end of the drive.
If you are driving from…
From LaTrobe Valley / Gippsland:
- Take Princes Highway to Bairnsdale.
- Proceed through Bairnsdale to the roundabout intersection.
- Turn left onto Great Alpine Road towards Bruthen.
- In Bruthen, turn left toward Omeo.
- Proceed through Tambo Crossing & Ensay to Omeo.
- At Omeo turn left towards Mt. Hotham & Dinner Plain.
- The Alpine School entrance is approximately 1 km before the entrance to the Dinner Plain Village.
- There are large and clear signs at the end of the drive.
