I drive deep into the valley, passing majestic pines, rows of moss-covered orchards, fields of cattle grazing quietly and a series of small farmlets positioned along the river’s edge. Rising high above are two snow-capped mountain peaks with steep, jagged stony faces. Having grown up in the 90s, I can’t but help recall a scene from Mark Frost and David Lynch’s hit television series Twin Peaks, and the whimsical introduction of FBI agent Dale Cooper to the show:
‘Diane, 11:30 am, February 24th. Entering town of Twin Peaks: five miles south of the Canadian border, twelve miles west of the state line. Never seen so many trees in my life. As W. C. Fields would say, I’d rather be here than Philadelphia. It’s 54 degrees on a slightly overcast day. Weatherman said rain. If you could get paid that kind of money for being wrong 60 percent of the time it’d beat working.’
I myself, at 6:15pm, July 3, enter the small mountain village of Harrietville, 79 miles south of the NSW border, 10 north-west of Mount Hotham ski resort as the crow flies. I’m en route to sample the new dining menu at the quaint, community-focused Snowline Hotel. It’s so named because it’s the last watering hole you’ll find before climbing further up the alpine road to meet the snowline, rather than actually marking the snowline.
Cooper completes his voice-recorded spiel to his assistant with words I can relate to: ‘Oh, Diane, I almost forgot. Got to find out what kind of trees these are; they’re really something.’
As I drive into town the boulevard is lined with maples, elms, oaks and firs – they’re all here. At the end of the boulevard, before the road begins its ascent towards the top of the alps, I rest my vehicle, walk in, and meet the barman. I glimpse a stuffed elk hanging above the public bar. It’s Friday night, the place is packed, and while the hotel’s interior is pleasantly dated, its mix of quirky interior decorations including wall murals of Chinese miners, red Chinese lanterns and more taxidermy make it perfectly comforting. There is a range of people here from all walks of life: local townsfolk and farmers, small family groups, the ski crowd and singles. There is a community feel that’s welcoming and as I’m about to discover, the food is good and reasonably priced. That’s exactly what I need: good food, reasonably priced.
Before I eat I sip a beer at the well-worn ’50s public bar, a structure that leans towards the bar stools at an angle of 70 degrees or so. It’s lined with timber slats, and on one side is spray-painted with a navy and sea blue Cascade Ale mural. One might expect to see a bar like this in an outback pub like Silverton or at Mount Isa but this is a Victorian-era High Country pub. While it’s a classic reminder of the hotel’s many add-a-bit-here, add-a-bit-there renovations, pub owner Bennett Mountjoy thankfully lays out new 2016 renovation plans on the nearby pool table. These show an expansion of the venue’s decked areas to include more space and an Argentinian-style ‘rack’ BBQ for cooking the likes of tomahawk steaks and whole suckling pigs. Further integration of gardens will make it an ideal destination in summer and autumn. Inside, there’ll be cleaner lines, but for now it’s the commercial kitchen that has the brand new, perfectly polished appearance.
When the food starts flowing at the Snowline it becomes apparent that there’s a youthful energy driving the swift succession of colourful offerings, all of which seriously hit the mark. Head chef Kurt Adam, the man responsible, has a keen eye for detail. He shows me his magically beautiful collection of earthenware plates and the checker-designed paper-lining for the trays on which he presents his BBQ pork chop, sweetcorn cob, pickles, chips and slaw. While the pub has a history of delivering award-winning parmas, the new menu has outgrown Aussie pub simplicity, offering a more intelligent range of bar snacks, counter meals and specialty dining offerings.
There is a venison burger made with just the right combination of pork meat to keep the pattie ultra moist so it is both succulent and oh-so-flavoursome. Fun bar snack options include jalapeño pepper and cheddar croquettes served with chilli mayo and lime wedges, a fab grilled haloumi dish and more-ish morsels of sweet and spicy Korean sticky fried chicken that are textured with a ‘rice-bubbly’ crispy-crumbed outer skin. The chilli heat in this case is eased and balanced with fresh leaves of coriander and mint – it’s a great balance.
If you’re looking for a more elegant dining choice, book a table and consider beginning with the Snowline’s tasting plate of rabbit rillettes, jamón, Milawa cheese, duck liver parfait, relish, olives, dukkah and toast. It’s a standout winner, so much so that I rate this one as the most enjoyable I’ve sampled in the past 10 years. I paired this with a rather fat, silky and complex Pfeiffer Carlyle Shiraz, a wine that was a fair match for the peppery depth of the velvety-textured, super-fragrant and impeccably prepared parfait.
While the wine list does feature some smart, lighter-weight local wines such as Brown Brothers Pinot Gris and Ringer Reef Chardonnay, there’s much to love among the big fat reds. Ceccanti Cabernet and Brown Brothers Ten Acres Heathcote Shiraz are champion partners for larger plates like the beautifully-marbled Angus scotch fillet with bone marrow butter and root vegetables. Pub grub really doesn’t get much better.
The lounge/dining room is open plan and features exposed timber beams, polished hardwood tables, chesterfield lounge suites, an open fire and, in the centre of room opposite the bar, a timber band stage that’s raised just a little over 10cm high. I’m told its modest proportions help keep the egos of travelling musicians well in check. More hand-painted murals feature throughout the pub including a portrait of Ned Kelly on one dining room wall and a healthy young black and white mountain-country magpie on another. Appropriately alpine trophies cover the walls and include a huge rainbow trout, vintage snow skis, deer antlers and one deer head affectionately named Harvey, after the wallbanger cocktail. (It seems chef Kurt shoots as well as he cooks.)
Harrietville is a much-loved location treasured by locals. But it is a great regional destination, perfect as a base for outdoor exploration. It boasts parklands, cafés, riverside walking trails, nearby river fishing, a trout farm and extensive mountain bike and walking trails. If you’re fit enough, suitably advised, packed and prepared for all the alps can deliver (everything from blasting harsh winds to snow and ice), take a round-trip hike up the Bungalow Spur to Mount Feathertop, across the Razorback and back down to Harrietville via the Bon Accord Spur. I’m told that’s a fine way to kill a few days and see some very impressive mountain scenery (though you need to respect the terrain lest you bugger up your knees).
On a more practical level the Snowline Hotel offers motel rooms that present some clever advantages over staying on the mountain during ski season. Not the least of its appeal is that you don’t need to layer up with every piece of clothing you own when you walk from your room to the dining table. (Whereas you might well think you don’t own enough, should you choose instead to brave the blistering Siberian gales that frequently blow atop Hotham.)
Because Harrietville is located in the sheltered Ovens Valley, just below the snowline, you won’t require a messy snow-chain hook-up before arrival. Book accommodation here and you can sleep like a log as you dream about your mountain adventures. Waking refreshed you can enjoy the slow drive up the mountain, watching the snow build up on the trees as you climb towards Hotham’s crest and stop to admire glimpses of Feathertop.
And there you have Victoria’s own ‘twin peaks’ – Feathertop and Hotham, a spectacular backdrop for the ultimate Australian backcountry alpine wilderness experience. Make Harrietville your launching pad with the Snowline Hotel your friendly base camp. Now that the Snowline is firmly marked on the culinary map, it also serves as a natural and rewarding meeting place where kindred souls can recharge their bodies with good food and fine wine as they reminisce about the day’s adventure.
237 Great Alpine Road, Harrietville, Victoria
Tel 03 5759 2524
www.snowlinehotel.com.au
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