Mt Buller sunset

Snow road trip begins at dawn

While many migrate north when winter strikes, the stillness of the season is the perfect time to slow down and soak up the picturesque snow-peaked scenery with those you love.

It's still dark when we ease out of the driveway, headlights slicing through the quiet of morning. The world is quiet, still tucked beneath its blanket of dark. But minutes into our journey, the sky begins to stir – brushstrokes of pink and amber fanning out above us. It's just my husband and me awake; our two little girls still in their pyjamas and curled into their car seats. Whenever we have a distance to drive, we like slipping away before the day begins. With young kids and bags that somehow multiply with every trip, we've learnt that the early start gives us the best shot at calm.

Snow is the promise dangling ahead. Snowflakes and snow angels, ski runs and huskies – but before the mountains we've planned a few stops along the way, overnighting in different towns in each direction.

Southern Highlands RV stopovers

From Sydney, we head to the Southern Highlands first. Mittagong greets us with bare-branched trees reaching toward a pale sky. We slow down through town and watch an elderly couple – gloved hands clasped, beanies pulled low – wandering past shopfronts like time is in no hurry.

Bowral is our breakfast stop, and we stretch our legs with a stroll down Bong Bong Street. It's such a pretty town, dotted with interesting boutiques like Barbara's Storehouse and Dirty Janes – part antique trove, part curiosity cabinet. 

The Press Shop, a café tucked inside a historic letterpress studio, does an excellent breakfast. I can't go past mushrooms and eggs, so my choice is easy. Across the table, my husband tucks into zucchini and corn fritters with a generous swipe of chilli jam, while the girls nibble toasted banana bread, milk moustaches forming as they sip (and spill) their babycinos.

Wine tasting and country charm on your winter road trip

By 10am, we're wine tasting at Centennial Vineyards. Well, just me. It feels a little cheeky to be buying bottles before midday, but I'm thinking ahead. Meanwhile, my husband takes the kids to Berrima's riverside, where they apparently trace wombat burrows and explore bush trails … or at least that's the story he goes with when I ask why everyone's caked in mud.

The kilometres start to stretch after that, so we break them up with little stops and detours. We'd hoped to visit Blackwattle Alpaca Farm near Murrumbateman, but the gates are closed today. Another time. We've trekked with alpacas in Argentina and picnicked among them in the UK, and the kids can't get enough of these weirdly cute, calm creatures.

Family snow holiday detours: From Yass to Albury

Yass is only a few turns off the highway, and we swing in to grab fresh bread, local cheese and some fruit. Not long after, we're pulled over at one of those classic roadside picnic spots – good views, functioning loos … it really does feel like an Australian road trip. 

As the sun begins to dip, we roll into Albury and check into the Albury Gardens Tourist Park – neat, cheerful cabins and sites nestled among tall gums, with a wide stretch of grass where the kids can run off the day. We decide to save town for tomorrow and instead rug up for a stroll along the riverside track, crunching leaves underfoot and watching dusk settle in before heading to dinner.

After our walk, we're ready for something hearty … and quirky. The original Ettamogah Pub is just out of town – a cartoonish, lopsided building brought to life with timber stairs, comically exaggerated rooflines and all. It's a fun spot for the kids and nostalgic for anyone who grew up seeing the cartoon in the Australasian Post.

Albury culture and winter wanderings

By morning Dean Street, the town's main drag, is bright beneath a blue sky. We amble past bookstores and cafés, one parent pushing the pram and the other holding our eldest's hand tight. I duck into the library for an hour with my laptop, while my husband takes the girls to the adjoining museum to while away the time. The building itself is striking – a fusion of history and light and part of Albury's cultural precinct, which cleverly links heritage with community space. 

Centennial Vineyards, Bowral

 RV travel to Mt Buller: Snow in our sights

We skirt the border of Wodonga and soon the talk turns to snow. The girls have seen snow before, but it's still a novelty; the kind that turns the backseat into a bubbling cauldron of questions and excitement. Mansfield signals we're nearly at the gateway to Mt Buller, where snow gear is hired, groceries are topped up, and logistics get sorted. It's the last stop for vehicles without snow chains. 

As we climb, the shift is sudden. Rolling paddocks fade into frost-dusted bushland; alpine gums becoming sparser, branches edged with white. Higher up, snow carpets the road's edge. By the time we reach the village, it's another world – rooftops blanketed, snow crunching under boots, the air crisp and electric with possibility.

A rare Aussie snowfall for your snow road trip

What we don't know yet is that we've timed it perfectly. Two days after we arrive, the skies open and snow falls thick and fast, blanketing roads and rooftops and creating a rare chance for skiers to glide straight out of their lodges. It's not often Australia delivers this kind of snowfall. Word spreads, and busloads of tourists roll in from Melbourne to snap photos and walk among the snow-drenched trees.

We ski, make snow angels, eat snow, laugh, and meet the Australian Sled Dog Tours huskies. The kids can't believe just how much snow there is – and this is coming from kids who've seen Austrian snow. To be honest, neither can we. Friends message me after seeing a reel I post on Instagram, asking what country we're in. I get a quiet thrill writing back: Australia.

Ending your snow road trip in Gundagai

Heading home, we stop at Kimo Estate in Gundagai for a couple of slow days with family who've driven down from Orange to meet us. There are too many of us to squeeze into the luxe hilltop huts the estate is known for, so we've booked a country cottage instead. 

Snow gear still in the boot, we cook slow meals, swish around glasses of wine (and hot chocolate for the kids), and stretch out on the deck as the clouds drift by. The eldest runs wild across the paddocks; the youngest shuffles around, poking at sticks and rocks and whatever else catches her eye. And we just sit. Funny how, after so many hours on the road, the simple act of being still – with the rustle of kids and the low hum of cattle in the distance – feels like exactly what we need.

Blackwattle Alpacas, Murrumbateman  (Destination NSW) 

Ending your snow road trip in Gundagai

The road to Mt Buller is open and free outside the snow season for the majority of types of vehicles, making it perfect for a scenic drive in your RV or campervan. 

During snow season, while day visits are allowed, overnight stays in car parks are not permitted. For a more convenient option, stay in Mansfield which offers RV-friendly campgrounds and bus access to the snow.

Category: Destinations
Written: Sun 01 June 2025
Printed: June, 2025
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