650-hectare national park in the Snowy Mountains, which straddle the eastern Victoria-New South Wales border. In winter this is Australia’s skiing territory. There’s usually sufficient snow from late June to September. Some of the downhill runs are tame compared with their counterparts in the European Alps but there’s some great cross-country skiing. The best runs are at Mount Buller and Falls Creek. For the best cross-country skiing, head for Lake Mountain or Lake St Gwinear. In summer the park is justly celebrated for its great bushwalking. You can also go canoing and rafting here.

The best place to pick up a map and details of activities in the park is at the Tourist Office on Mansfield, 80 km south of Benalla (which is on the main Hume Highway). However, by far the easiest and cheapest way to ski is to join a day or weekend package tour from Melbourne. For more information visit the Melbourne Ski Centre at 17 Hardware Street.