This page provides information to help you enjoy your stay at Trapdoor as much as possible. We strongly recommend that you print it out and take it with you if it is your first visit to the lodge.

Click on the links below to jump to the relevant section.

• What to Bring
• Getting There
• When You Arrive
• While You are There
• When You Depart

What to Bring

You are requested to bring the following yourself.

Getting There

Before you leave be sure to check the current road conditions. Over winter, especially after snow fall, the Harrietville road can close. If this is the case it will be necessary to go via Omeo, an extra 1-1.5hrs but this road very rarely closes. To check road conditions, call Mt. Hotham Resort Management Board

Road Conditions: (03) 5759 3531 or (03) 5759 3550

Allow 4.5 to 5 hrs if going via Harrietville, and 5.5 to 6 hours if it is necessary to go via Omeo (times based on leaving from CBD - Melbourne. Yes it is a long drive, but it is worth it!). Don't forget that chains must be carried to all alpine resorts over winter regardless of car type.

Via Harrietville

• From Melbourne the easiest way is via the Hume Highway.
• Follow the Hume Highway to Wangaratta
• Take the turnoff to Bright, about 10-15km past Glenrowan BP/Macdonald's. Drive to Bright, and keep following the road to Harrietville.
• The drive up Hotham from Harrietville is only 30km but allow 45min-1hr during Winter and 30-40min during summer (at least). It is a particularly treacherous road, subject to thick fog, black ice and extreme weather conditions, so PLEASE drive carefully!
• If the ticket office, about 20km up is closed, you will have to go to the Mt. Hotham Resort Management Board Office the following day to purchase your mountain entry. (This is located at the top of the mountain in the main part of the village- same building as the digital temp meter)
• Drive through the village for about 2km (note the speed limit is 40km/hr during Winter and is strictly enforced)
• Drive past the 'Big D' and 'Jack Frost' on the right.
• Trapdoor is the third lodge on the right after Jack Frost (see map below).

Via Omeo

• Take the Monash Freeway to Pakenham where it turns into the Princes Highway (cheers Snorks!)
• Follow the Princes Highway through Warragul, Moe, Traralgon, Sale and on to Bairnsdale.
• Just after Bairnsdale, take the turnoff to Bruthen/Omeo.
• Keep following the 'Great Alpine Road' (B500) to Omeo.
• At Omeo take the turnoff to Dinner Plain and Mt. Hotham.
• Once you reach Hotham, you will pass a plant centre on the left hand side of the road.
• Shortly after this you should see lodges on the left.
• See the map below to help you find Trapdoor.

You may park your car temporarily on either side of the road while unloading, but you can not leave it there overnight. You can no longer park overnight out the front of the lodge. Overnight parking starts about 300m past Bust Stop 8 (Langi Taan) about 500m down the road from the lodge (towards Omeo) on the right hand side. A free shuttle bus runs very regularly until about 2am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and will come and pick you up once you have parked your car. At other times, flag down a bus prior to parking your car and let them know that you are going to the overnight car park. The bus will either follow you down or organise for another bus to pick you up. To the right is the view you would see looking towards the Section A part of Trapdoor from the Great Alpine Road Also please check the LODGE VIRTUAL TOUR for more details.

When You Arrive

When you arrive you will find the lodge in spotless condition. You may temporarily leave your gear in either the ski room (Section A), or the store room (section B), while you are unloading it. Perishable food that requires refrigeration, may be placed in one of the two large refrigerators/freezers located in the basement of section A and the store room immediately to the right of the section B entrance. Two small fridges are supplied in the kitchens, however these should only be used for regularly used items such as milk and butter.

If you are the first to arrive, the heating in the lodge and drying room may have been turned down. You should adjust these to the desired levels. Over winter the need to do this is uncommon as the lodge is nearly always occupied.

Guests and members are requested to vacate their rooms by 5:00pm the day they leave, so it should be possible to move into your room after this time. Please store all personal toiletry items in your room, not in the communal bathrooms.

While You are There

While at the lodge please follow the following rules for the comfort and safety of others.

• No Smoking anywhere within the lodge.
• No Candles to be used anywhere within the lodge
• The firescreen must be in place when the fire is unattended, even for very short periods
• Follow the instructions near rubbish bin for weekly disposal
• Store personal toiletry items in your room, not in the communal bathrooms
• Store personal clothing items in your room or drying room- not in the living room
• Store personal perishable food in basement, either in racks or refrigerators
• Conserve energy - If you are too hot, turn down heaters rather than leave windows open

There is a washing machine in the basement of section A for everyone's use. It is a front loader and is operated by turning the knob at the top to 1. Wait 5-10seconds, and it will start. Please ensure that you empty the washing machine as soon as the cycle is complete, so that others may use it. The drying room may be used to effectively dry clothes and sheets.

All recyclable glass, and plastic must be put into the clear recycle bags, and put out with the regular rubbish. Newspapers should be saved to assist in the lighting of the fire, unless is already enough. Cardboard boxes should be flattened and stacked in the basement for later disposal.

You will be sharing the lodge and facilities with other skiers. Most find it a bonus of Trapdoor to work together and make new friends. Whilst there, please be considerate of others with regard to shared spaces, especially food preparation, cleanup, and noise.

If you have any problems or questions during your stay, please do not hesitate to contact one of the following people. For Electrical/Plumbing/Fire Alarm/General lodge difficulties, PLEASE contact Andrew in the first instance before calling on mountain contacts.

When you Depart

On departure, please leave the lodge in the same spotless condition you found it.

• Set the fire for incoming guests.
• Please remove all personal gear from rooms by 5:00pm.
• Clean and Vacuum Bedrooms and Bathrooms
• Assist in the cleaning of all communal facilities
• Ensure all personal food is removed from refrigerators / cupboards. DO NOT leave food thinking others will eat it ... They wont!
• Check the drying room for all personal clothes. St. Vincent de Paul typically do quite well out of Trapdoor at the end of the season!

In addition, if you are the last to leave the lodge . . .

• Select minimum settings on all heating controls.
• Turn off all lights and kitchen appliances
• Make sure the Balcony access door is locked
• Close both external main access doors securely
• Place all rubbish outside in sealed bags for collection

Finally . . .

Hopefully this has helped answer some of the questions you may have had, and will help your stay at trapdoor be all the more enjoyable. If you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to ask the Bookings Manager- Andrew , or James (see above).

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