Mount Buffalo National Park

Mount Buffalo is a granite massif that rises abruptly from the Ovens Valley to a plateau at around 1,300 metres, topped by tors, boulder fields and the summit of the Horn at 1,723 metres. It was declared a national park in 1898, among Australia's earliest, and the Mount Buffalo Chalet, built by the state in 1910 as a mountain guesthouse, still stands above the gorge, closed to guests for years but a landmark. The Gorge is a granite chasm with lookouts and, for climbers, some of the longest multi-pitch routes in Victoria. Lake Catani offers summer swimming and camping, Eurobin Falls drops off the northern face, and snow gums and alpine wildflowers cover the plateau.

History

The Mitambuta and Taungurung peoples climbed the mountain in summer to feast on bogong moths, meet and hold ceremonies, and the explorers Hume and Hovell named it in 1824 for its likeness to a reclining buffalo. Gold miners and botanists followed, tourism began in the 1880s, and on 4 November 1898 an area round the plateau and Eurobin Falls became one of Australia's oldest national parks, enlarged in 1908 when a road reached the plateau and again in 1980; the Mount Buffalo Chalet was built in 1910 and run for years by Victorian Railways, and the mountain had the first ski tow in Australia (Wikipedia, Mount Buffalo National Park).

What's there

• The Gorge - the granite chasm with lookouts and long climbing routes.
• The Chalet - the 1910 government mountain guesthouse above the gorge.
• The Horn - the summit with views over northeast Victoria.
• Lake Catani - the plateau lake with swimming and camping in summer.

When to go

November to April for walking, swimming and climbing; the plateau holds snow in winter and the road can require chains. Wildflowers peak in December and January. The chalet is not open for accommodation and its future has been debated for years.

Good to know

The access road is steep and winding, unsuitable for large caravans. Lake Catani campground closes over winter. Weather on the plateau is much colder than in Bright below. The chalet can only be viewed from outside.

Nearby

Bright lies southeast; the Great Alpine Road passes below the mountain.

Key facts