Your Travel Experience with ARRIVAL
Day 1
ARRIVAL
Early start from Melbourne, transfers included. The city drops away quickly once you're on the Great Alpine Road, winding up through High Country towns with the altitude climbing and the air getting colder. Lunch is included on the way through. There's a proper stop in Bright, a stretch of the legs and an alpine town worth slowing down for, before the snow gums close in and Dinner Plain appears at 1600m. Check into the chalet, settle in and breathe the cold air for a minute. Tonight is a shared group dinner by the fire, included and unhurried. Good food, five days ahead, and the kind of first night that makes everyone feel like they made the right call.
Day 1 - 3
Alpine Chalet, Dinner Plain (or similar)
A cosy shared chalet tucked into the snow gums of Dinner Plain village at 1600m. Fireplace, shared living spaces, ski storage and walking distance to the slopes. The kind of place that feels better the colder it gets outside.
Day 2 - 3
Days 2 & 3: Mount Hotham Ski or Snowboard
This is what you're here for. Two days on one of Victoria's most scenic mountains. Steep terrain, long runs and views that earn the chairlift ride on their own. Lift pass included, host on the mountain with you. Whether you're carving confidently or finding your feet for the first time, Hotham has the runs for it. Feel the skier’s high at Après in the village afterwards, or head back to the chalet fireplace for a hot chocolate.
Day 3
Day 3: The Great Alpine Road
Not just a transfer. The road east from the Victorian Alps through High Country towns, open farmland and river bends is one of Australia's great drives and it sits right in the middle of this itinerary.
Day 3 - 5
Boutique Cottage Retreat, Gippsland Lakes (or similar)
A peaceful bushland retreat near Metung and the Gippsland Lakes. Pool, outdoor areas and a slower pace that fits the second half of this trip well.
Day 4
Day 4: Surf Lessons on the Gippsland Coast
A welcome surprise for most people on this trip. Board and wetsuit sorted, instructor on the sand, quiet coastline with no crowds and no pressure. The focus here is actually learning. By the end of the session the mountain feels like a lifetime ago.
Day 4: Metung Hot Springs
Geothermal pools set against the Gippsland Lakes with nothing on the schedule. After four days of skiing, driving and surfing this is exactly where you want to be. Stay as long as the light holds.
Day 5
Departure
No rush this morning. The lakes are still, the bush trails are close and an included breakfast is on the table whenever you're ready. Watch the water, wander the trails, or talk someone into one last soak at the springs before checkout. Then back in the van for the return transfer to Melbourne, arriving late afternoon. The drive home is quieter than the one up. Snow legs, surf arms and five days that covered two completely different versions of Victoria. Back in the city before dinner. Slightly sore. Very glad you booked the trip