Getting to Mt Buller In The Car

If you are thinking about heading up to Mt Buller there are two ways of getting yourself up on the mountain- Bus and Car. Driving the car would have to be the best method; it’s flexible and convenient, whereas the bus requires a bit more discipline. However, there are varying options to consider when going in the car. It’s not as simple as hopping in the car and just following the signs till you get to the resort village.

In this post I’m going to look at three routes to get to Mt Buller.

Which Way To Go?

There are many varying ways to get from Melbourne to Mt Buller. Which route you chose depends on what kind of trip you want to have, your level of driving experience and the time you have available for driving.

Although there are many routes, the most used routes are via the highways leading to Mt Buller – the Hume Highway, the Melba Highway and the Maroondah Highway. These are the easiest routes to follow and will get you to Mt Buller in roughly three hours.

I will give a brief run down on these routes and suggest a couple of stops.

1. Hume Highway

The Hume Highway provides the easiest route as there is little navigation to be done. This is ideal for first time travellers and possibly the quickest of the three.

From Melbourne, head up the Hume Highway and turn off at Seymor. The Goulburn Valley Highway will take you through the town of Yea and then the ‘base camp’ town of Mansfield.

From Mansfield it will take another 20 minutes to reach the base of Mt Buller and a small stop called Mirimbah. At Mirimbah you can either continue on up the mountain to the village car park or leave the car at the Mirimbah car park and catch the bus to the village.

(There are pro’s and con’s for each which will be discussed in a later post.)

2. Melba Highway

The next way of heading to Mt Buller is via one of the two minor highways. The Melba highway is very scenic, but the road is not as free flowing as the Hume Highway, so some initial navigation from Melbourne is required.

I prefer this route when I travel to Mt Buller; it has lovely scenery and fantastic stops if you want a leisurely trip. The Melba Highway also passes through the Yarra Glen winery region, perfect opportunity to buy a local bottle to enjoy up on the mountain!

The Melba Highway is accessed from Melbourne by taking the Maroondah highway via Ringwood and Lilydale. Outside of Lilydale you will come to a fork in the road where you can either chose to continue on the Maroondah Highway to Healesville or turn off onto the Melba Highway and head to Yarra Glen. Take the Yarra Glen option. From Yarra Glen it will take you roughly an hour to get to Yea. Turn right at Yea and head to Mansfield (please read ‘Hume Highway’ for Mansfield to Mt Buller)

3. Maroondah Highway

The Maroondah Highway is, in my opinion, one of the loveliest highways in Victoria; it runs through a lush alpine rainforest and many quaint towns. Unfortunately, in February this year, a large portion of the area was destroyed by savage bushfires that claimed lives, houses, wildlife and vegetation. It is incredibly devastating to view and I ask that you please respect the privacy of those affected when travelling through the area. The fires are still very much in the front of people’s minds and will remain so for some time to come.

However, if you feel compelled to stop, make sure to spend money in the affected communities even if it is just to buy a coffee, soft drink or a light snack. Every bit helps to rebuild their local economy and livelihood.

The Maroondah Highway can be accessed from Melbourne via Ringwood and Lilydale. Once out of Lilydale, continue on the highway to Healesville instead of turning off to Yarra Glen as stated above. Drive through Healesville and continue on towards Marysville.

A strong word of warning that this section of the Maroondah Highway is affected by snow and icy conditions during ski season. This is a high accident prone area, especially for motorbikes. If you do decide to take this route, please drive carefully and within your limits.

Once through the Yarra Ranges National Park you will drive through the small town of Narbethong. Continue straight along the highway towards Alexandra. The section between Healesville and Alexandra will take roughly an hour, depending on other traffic and the conditions at the time.

From Alexandra drive towards Yarak. You will merge with the Goulburn Valley Highway which will take you through to Mansfield. (please read ‘Hume Highway’ for Mansfield to Mt Buller)

4. Driving from Interstate or Country Areas.

Not everyone who heads to Mt Buller comes from Melbourne, Mt Buller is also hugely popular with country and interstate visitors. For people coming from those directions, the best method of travel is via the Hume Highway. And those coming from South East Victoria are best to travel via the Melba or Maroondah Highways.

Recommended Stops

From experience there are three stops that I would recommend to break up the trip; Yea for the Hume and Melba Highway and Alexandra and for the Maroondah Highway. All three directions will pass through Mansfield.

Yea is the perfect “halfway” mark on the trip when travelling on the Melba or Hume Highway. The public toilets are located in the main street opposite the shopping strip. The toilets are always well maintained and cleaned. There are a few shops and a bakery if you are after a small snack.

Alexandra is a great town to stop and have a rest if travelling on the Maroondah Highway. The Public Toilets are located in the Rotary Park in the main strip. Alexandra has a variety of shops if you are looking for a light snack.

Mansfield is pretty much ‘base camp’ for Mt Buller and the last major town before you head up to the mountain. I strongly advise that you fill the fuel tank here if you think you need to. You will need to hire your snow chains here if you don’t have them already. Mansfield have numerous ski hire places, and you can pre-purchase your lift tickets if you need them as well. Mansfield has all the usual amenities and shops. If you are staying up on the mountain for an extended stay, or at self contained accommodation like Nutcracker, Mansfield has a major supermarket for grocery purchases. Most items are just that little bit more expensive in the resort village, and the supermarket there is limited with choices, so take advantage of the cheaper prices and availability in Mansfield. Mansfield is also a good opportunity to have another toilet stop. Public Toilets are locate near the round-a-bout and are clean and well maintained.

In the next post I will take a look at the options to get up to the Village. Should you take your car, or use the bus service? Each option has pro’s and con’s that may influence your decision.