Victoria’s largest ski resort just got a bougie glam-up with the unveiling of a 10-metre-high sculpture to mark the opening weekend of the ski season.
Suspended over the snow-covered crags above Falls Creek, the super-sized installation greeted powder hounds in a geometric bloom of golden petals as they returned to the ski fields for the first time this year.
And if you thought art was for viewing not touching, hold on to your helmets because this immersive artwork is part sculpture, part public viewing platform. Follow the walkway between the petals for an over-the-edge-of-the-mountain view of the alps like they’ve never been seen before.
The new sculpture Flower of the Alpine Sun by Giovanni Veronesi is revealed at Falls Creek. (Credit: Catherine Best)
The $750,000-plus Flower of the Alpine Sun artwork was officially unveiled on day one of the 2026 ski season, as snowboarders and skiers zipped up Halley’s Comet Chairlift for the first runs of the year.
Trumpeted as one of the highest-altitude artworks in Australia (certainly the largest in the alps), the Alpine Sun sits at an elevation of more than 1,600 metres. You’ll find it near Cloud 9, the newly renovated restaurant at the gateway to Mouse Trap, the beginners’ ski run at the top of Halley’s Comet.
Dine at Cloud 9, the newly renovated restaurant.(Credit: Peter Bennetts)
The ski season opens at Falls Creek. (Credit: Peter Bennett)
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Meet the artist
Milan-born Australian artist Giovanni Veronesi created the sculpture after taking a punt on an off-brief design. The original brief called for a sculpture in the village carpark, but Veronesi thought it would be epic to create an artwork ‘lookout’ on the mountain.
Drawing on his love of the alps and geometric fabrication, he designed a walk-through sculpture that frames a mountain panorama across Falls Creek village and beyond.
Falls Creek Resort’s Fred Weir (left) and artist Giovanni Veronesi at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Alpine Sun. (Image: Supplied)
“There is something about when you have those really cold winter days, when the sky is deep blue and the sun is blazing, and you can feel the wind biting your face while you’re skiing. I’ve always associated it with the feeling of being really alive, and so I wanted to put that feeling into physical form and share it with the audience," Veronesi says.
The sculpture, funded by the Victorian Government’s Alpine Business Support Package, was unveiled shortly after a winter blast dumped 32cm of snow on Falls Creek, raising hopes of a bumper ski season.
What’s new at Falls Creek in 2026
Soak in the new hot and cold mineral plunge pools at Nelse Lodge. (Credit: Supplied)
In addition to Falls’ new mountain bling, snowcationers can also expect a revitalised lineup of aprés-ski entertainment and hospitality. Nelse Lodge, one of the mountain’s original 1950s lodgings, has reopened to the public after a five-year makeover. The lodge, which operates as a ski resort in winter and high-performance athletes’ hub in summer, has a new 12-person sauna, hot-and-cold mineral plunge pools, gym, and reimagined Euro-inspired bar and restaurant.
Cooroona Alpine Lodge has launched its luxe Skyline Penthouse Apartments, promising some of the lushest digs on the mountain, as well as an expanded menu at on-site restaurant Cooroona Cantina. For aprés done your way, Cloud 9 Restaurant now offers live music on the mountain, while Lakeside’s new afternoon soirée serves up fireside aperitivo snacks and spritz. Did we mention it’s the best place to watch the Thursday evening fireworks?
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Falls faves
Warm up at Astra Falls Creek. (Credit: The View From Here/ Visit Victoria)
If you fancy your powder with a side of pampering, check in to Astra Falls Creek. The lodge has been named the Best Boutique Ski Hotel in the World Ski Awards for 10 consecutive years for good reason. If you can’t afford to stay here, at least splurge on a treatment in the spa or cosy up on the leather couch with a cocktail by the fire. If you ask nicely, the staff will even proffer marshmallows for your toasting pleasure.
Harvey Hour at locals’ favourite the Falls Creek Hotel has become a village tradition, with punters flocking to the balcony overlooking the Village Bowl for jugs of Harvey Wallbanger. It’s little wonder the pub has become Australia’s biggest importer of Galliano.
When you pass through the bowl, keep a lookout for the old 1960s ticket booth, today home to Falls Creek Distillery. This ‘gin with altitude’ is distilled with alpine botanicals and can be enjoyed at venues throughout the High Country. Don’t leave town before grabbing a hot jam donut at Snownuts Donuts at the bottom of Halley’s Comet to fuel your on-mountain adventures.
Grab a deal
Celebrate ski season for less. (Credit: Chris Hocking/Visit Victoria)
For a more wallet-friendly snow stay, take advantage of the early-bird specials. Falls Creek accommodation providers are offering up to 30 per cent off early-season bookings, while the Epic Australia 4-Day Pass offers lift access at three resorts – Falls Creek, Hotham and Perisher – for $669, (on sale until 17 June). New to snow sports? Try the new Epic Beginner Bundle – offering three days’ beginner lift access, group lessons and rentals for $499.
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From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.
Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.
Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.
But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences. Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.
Getting there
Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)
Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.
Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.
Visit historic villages
Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)
The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.
European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.
The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township, a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.
Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.
Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)
At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.
Back in Warragul, the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.
In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.
Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.
One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve. A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.
Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.
Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail, which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.
Taste the best eats of West Gippsland
Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.
For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.
Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.
Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.
For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter. Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.
Time your visit with the Truffle Festival
Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival, running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.
