Looking towards Mt Buffalo from Bright

Mount Buffalo
Beautiful township, particularly in autumn and spring, on the edge of the Snowy Mountains.
Situated 320 km north-east of Melbourne Mount Buffalo is one of Victoria's, and Australia's oldest skiing resort destinations.

It is thought that Mt Buffalo, in Mt Buffalo National Park, was once twice or even three times its current height (1723 m). Its 35-sq-km plateau is littered with striking rock formations such as the Leviathan - a 30 000-tonne rock balanced on a tiny base. The mountain owes its name to the bovine impression it left upon the explorers Hume and Hovell.

Aborigines were once drawn to the area in summer by the large numbers of bogong moths which were seeking relief from the higher temperatures of the plains. After roasting them in strips of bark they ate the bodies or ground them into a paste. It is said the moths tasted like prawns.

The mountain's highest peak is The Horn. It was first climbed by Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller in 1853, a government botanist, who collected many unrecognised species on his excursion. Visitors were drawn to the magnificent views as early as the 1850s and an alpine club was established in 1883 to promote tourism. A local guide book came out in 1887 featuring local walking tracks and bridle paths. Some of these historic tracks are still in use. The first land was set aside as a national park in 1898. Australia's first ski tow and ski lifts were installed here in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Centenary Heritage Festival is held in late March and early April.

Things to see:  

Skiing for families and other activities
Mt Buffalo is considered to be a particularly good resort for families. It offers good beginners slopes, as well as more advanced tracks. There are also cross-country trails and toboggan courses, ski hire and ski schools. Hang-gliding, abseiling and horse riding are also possible within the park.

Facilities at Mount Buffalo
Accommodation and camping supplies are available at the Tatra Inn or you can stay at one of Victoria's oldest guest houses, the Chalet which also sells basic foodstuffs, hires out horses and canoes and has a lookout designed for the disabled. There are facilities for day visitors at Cresta and Dingo Dell. Summer visitors (November-May) can book a site at the camping park near Lake Catani where they can swim, sail, canoe and fish. There are toilets, solar lighting, hot showers and fireplaces but no powered sites.

Exploring the Park
Details of the park's 400 plant species - eucalypt woodland, scrubby heathlands and an array of springtime wildflowers - its impressive array of birds and other fauna, including lyrebirds and wombats, its waterfalls, escarpments, granite tors, high plains, deep river valleys, exceptional views of the Alps and 90 km of well-signposted walking tracks, as well as the dress and preparations appropriate for lengthy walks, can be found in pamphlets available from the park's information centre, tel: (03) 5755 1466.

For general enquiries about National Parks in Victoria ring 131963.

	Lodges & Chalets
	Mount Buffalo Chalet Mt Buffalo National Park Mount Buffalo VIC 3741 Telephone: (03) 5755 1500
	Camping & Other
	Tatra Inn Mt Buffalo National Park Mount Buffalo VIC 3741 Telephone: (03) 5755 1988
	Restaurants
	Mount Buffalo Chalet Mt Buffalo National Park Mount Buffalo VIC 3741 Telephone: (03) 5755 1500
	Tatra Inn Mt Buffalo National Park Mount Buffalo VIC 3741 Telephone: (03) 5755 1988