Accommodation at Dinner Plain, High Country review: A village for all seasons

Jane Reddy warms to the charms of a mountain resort, even without the snow.

It's a crisp alpine morning and a young crowd is gathering at the village playground. As the shrill whistle marks the start of the Easter Sunday egg hunt, the children surge towards thousands of chocolates in glistening wrappers hidden among the snow gums and surrounding bush.

More familiar with Scrooge-like offerings, our little ones are bug-eyed as they join the stampede, then drag their bags of booty back to Alpenglow, our chalet for the weekend at Dinner Plain.

Snow may be the final flourish here but on this autumn weekend, in the village surrounded by the Alpine National Park, we are sated with a blue sky, endless walking trails and a frisson of anticipation about the ski season.

Like most other accommodation, the chalet is within a short walk of anywhere: the Dinner Plain Hotel for honest pub food; Cilantro, making its first coffees for the year; the Brandy Creek Supermarket for ice-cream; and the Pinnacle DP outlet with smart ski gear.

We've booked through Accommodation at Dinner Plain, which manages 60 properties, each kitted out by the individual owners. In the case of Alpenglow, it's generous, spotless and thoughtful. All we need do is add food and drink.

Downstairs are three bedrooms, two with double beds and built-in wardrobes, the third with two bunk beds and a cupboard full of board games for all ages. Two modern bathrooms have latte-coloured tiles, one with a big corner spa. The linen is crisp, the towels are thick and the staircase is negotiated easily by even the youngest member of our group.

The winter ante-room is just as useful in summer, fitting our mountain bikes, walking boots and other clobber. But it's upstairs where, surrounded by the gums, we perch. We spend our days chasing the sun, spreading out in the big living area with its recessed L-shaped seating that runs the length of each window.

The mountain bikers tackle surrounding tracks while others in our group head to Carmichael Falls, a two-kilometre return walk south of the village. For entertainment at night there's a flat-screen television, a cupboard of Monty Python DVDs and an iPod-docking station.