If you love extreme sports, Mt Buller local Tony “Harro” Harrington has your dream job. Harro takes action shots of the world’s best skiers and surfers. Eight months of the year, the award-winning photographer and filmmaker is chasing big waves and steep drops around the globe, including far-flung corners of Alaska and Greenland.
But every winter Harro returns to Mt Buller, where he owns the Photo Shop and a new Rip Curl store. After many winters at his home mountain, Harro knows all the best bits. Here are his top five…
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The Mountain
- Honestly, narrowing Mt Buller down to a top five is impossible. Wherever you are on the mountain, there are magical views and it changes constantly. As a photographer it’s overwhelming. Mt Buller has 360 degree views from its summit and super wide panoramas from just about any ski run. The mixture of green valleys and multi-coloured ridge lines off to the horizon make it hard not to stop in the middle of a ski run to take yet another photo. (Editor’s note – check out Harro’s photo of Mt Buller at the top of this page.)
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Tirol Cafe
- Tirol is a favourite spot for a coffee and a freshly made toastie between runs. Jimmy Camerino, who runs the show, is a local legend and when you walk through the door it feels like you’ve been transported to a little European alpine hut somewhere in the alps. Find it at the top of the Shakey Knees run.
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The North Face
- A couple of ripper ski runs on the northern side of the mountain are Cow Camp and Dam Run. Storms rolling in from the WNW can plaster the northside with snow. In the right conditions, skiing down can be here is as fun as it gets. There is nowhere else in the world you can ski beneath towering Woolly Butt eucalypts like down here. Magic.
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Black Cockatoo & Pension Grimus
- There are a two must-experience dinner venues at Mt Buller. When you settle in at Black Cockatoo or Pension Grimus (right), you know you have a special night ahead. Both offer warm service and really top notch food. The Pension is a Mt Buller icon and you can’t beat the Austrian vibe of the dining room and the presence of Hans Grimus doling out snuff and schnapps. Black Cockatoo is more modern Australian and following a new fitout and chef last year it’s humming. Start with a cocktail by the fire and then make sure you leave room for dessert.
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McLaughlin’s Shoulder
- This run that peels north off the top of the Summit at the Grimus lift is one of the most gorgeous of any Australian off-piste run. The sun softens the snow around mid-morning and into the afternoon makes hero skiing an easy task. The terrain is undulating and somewhat technical without being over the top and if you catch it on a powder day you’ll be raving to your mates all winter. I love shooting there.
