Rock star skiing just a flight away

CRAIG Tansley discovers that for a very affordable price, you can fly away on the ultimate ski fantasy.

Eco-friendly ... jet to the snow like a rock star for budget prices and only use the same amount of fuel as a large four-wheel-drive would use to Hotham from Melbourne / supplied.

IF, like me, you know there's a pampered celebrity inside you waiting to get out, but you're on a pleb's budget, then the latest fly-to-the-snow service is likely to appeal.

Lilydale Air Services pilot/operations manager Jonathan Merridew likes to call it "rock star skiing".

He'll fly you from a Melbourne airport of your choice (Lilydale is cheapest), land you at Hotham Ski Resort where you'll be met by a taxi driver on the tarmac, you'll ski all day, then when others are preparing for the five-hour trek back to Melbourne, you'll be viewing the sunset from the plane on your 45-minute flight home.

You'll even be back in time for dinner and your favourite TV show.

But the best part is you can jet around like a rock star for budget prices. And if you're worried about emissions, perhaps you don't need to feel so guilty.

"People talk about environmental concerns with planes, but the flight only uses the same amount of fuel a large four-wheel-drive would use on the drive up to Hotham from Melbourne," Merridew says.

My day of being a celebrity jetsetter starts out terribly. It's a miserable two degrees in Melbourne's bayside suburb of St Kilda and raining solidly. I doubt we'll make it out of Lilydale.

But Merridew knows better.

Three minutes after a smooth take-off I'm reaching for my sunglasses in the cockpit. It's 180km to Hotham as the crow flies – on the way you'll see national parks, mountains and the coastline all the way over to Lakes Entrance.

On touchdown a taxi arrives on cue (there's no Hummer or groupies – someone has obviously forgotten my order).

Half a metre of recent snow lines the gum trees and the bonnets of cars. Fresh snowfall means my first run is through virgin snow past my ankles.

Continuing the fantasy we stop for lunch at the White Room, where we eat oysters and swordfish and drink cocktails while gazing out over the winter wonderland.

Then we ride more fresh snow until 3pm when I decide it's time for someone to attend to my stressed-out body; I have a massage at the on-piste White Spa Retreat.

By 4pm I am drained. Stars need their sustenance, so we have a couple of Coronas at Swindlers bar.

A short taxi ride later and there is Merridew waiting for us behind the controls, ready to fly us back to Melbourne – and reality.

I've been fortunate to snowboard all over the world, but there's something special about having such an amazing snow experience so close to home.

As Merridew says, "I've had people say to me that they go back to the office the next day and they can hardly believe this day happened. It just seems like it was too easy."

Sunday Herald Sun