Have a Beautiful Stay with Cinemascope vision - Astra Lodge.
Bluebird day. This happy-sounding phrase describes a near perfect winter’s day in the ski fields when snow has fallen overnight, there’s not a cloud in the big blue sky — maybe a wisp — and little of the wind that makes a snow trip hard going.
Remarkable Cinemascope vision from Towers chairlift at Falls Creek, with full sensory accompaniment of warm sun on my face and the scent of snow gums in the air as skiers and boarders navigate the slope below with varying degrees of competency.
And ideally, you’d be staying somewhere like Astra Lodge. Astra opened 30 years ago and became one of THE places to sleep and have a good time in the Australian snowfields, its then owners intent on complementing a day in the snow with good food and wine and other little luxuries delivered with alpine flair.
Under the stewardship of Sydney financier Seamas (OK) Dawes and his wife Rosy Seaton, owners since 2014, that ethos hasn’t changed and indeed the lodge was named Australia’s best boutique ski hotel.
THE ARRIVAL
Astra is the only lodge at Falls to offer guests a private transfer from and back to the central oversnow terminal at the base of the village as part of their package, using its own Polaris vehicles. Passengers in a front cabin and luggage and skis in the back, it’s like a twin cab ute but for the snow. Astra has two front doors. The main entry leads into a cosy reception area. The second door leads directly into the heated boot room, lined with spacious lockers for skis, boots, helmets etc.
THE ROOMS
Here’s a tip if you have booked one of Astra’s six new studios and find yourself in No. 305. Forget which side of the bed you sleep on at home and claim the right-hand spot for yourself. The decor is simple yet warm, with alpine touches such as deer print cushions, a motif taken from an antique trophy mounted over the fireplace in the restaurant below.
THE FOOD
Breakfast, eaten under the watchful eye of said animal which met its end in Highland Scotland in the 1920s, is included in the room rate. You can make your own sourdough toast, grab a pastry or choose from a hot breakfast menu.
GETTING THERE
Falls Creek is a 4 1/2-hour drive from Melbourne or seven hours from Sydney. Virgin, QantasLink, Regional Express fly to Albury, a two-hour drive from the snow.
