Expert tips for making a trip to the snow more affordable

After a series of seasons hit by pandemic-induced restrictions, solid snow cover and pent-up demand saw record numbers at Australia’s mountain resorts in 2022 – 2,594,000 skier days (one skier or snowboarder buying a lift ticket for a day) according to the official records of the Australian Ski Areas Association.

Goldie Adams, 3, at Thredbo.

This winter has also seen strong snow falls; whether the trend in visitor numbers continues in a weaker economy remains to be seen, but they’re certainly circumstances that make looking for some value all the more pressing.

Going to the snow is a bit like parking in the city, albeit with the days in reverse – park on a weekday when the rest of the working world wants a spot and it’ll cost you a fortune. Park on the weekend with all those empty spaces and you can do it for loose change.

Everybody wants to be at the snow during the July school holidays, in the peak weeks of August and on most weekends. But visit mid-week or during September and it’s an entirely different picture.

Snow sports are expensive, no argument, but fishing and golf can be expensive too, depending on where you are and the equipment you use. To cut the costs on a trip to the mountains, it comes down to timing, location and preparation.

Skiing above it all at Mount Buller.

First the timing – from now until the end of August is peak season in most areas. Things change in September though, when it becomes shoulder and low season. Prices fall dramatically, but the snow cover doesn’t – statistically, September is the most reliable month for snow depth.

At Thredbo, buying a three-to-seven-day lift pass in advance for September can bring the cost down from $588 to $388.

At Mount Buller, midweek lift passes drop to $115 for adults and $69 for children in September, from as much as $198 a day for adults in peak season. Accommodation deals are also available where up to two children stay free with two paying adults.

Buy a lift pass on the day you need it at Falls Creek, Mount Hotham or Perisher and it can cost as much as $219; get it online ahead of time to ski any day Monday to Thursday and it drops as low as $159.

The more that’s packaged up together – including lift passes, accommodation and equipment hire – the better the discounts get – as much as 35 per cent at all mountains.

Another option is to stay off-mountain and drive to the snow each day; especially for mid-week visits. Watch out on weekends though – the roads to popular areas like Perisher, Mount Buller and Falls Creek were occasionally closed last winter when they reached capacity.

For the NSW Snowy Mountains, towns like Jindabyne, Berridale and Cooma have a range of self-catering accommodation as well as equipment hire outlets.

The same goes in Victoria with towns like Mansfield for Mount Buller, Omeo or Bright for Mount Hotham and Mount Beauty/Tawonga for Falls Creek.

On the road to Mount Buller.

In NSW, families just starting out in the sport should look at Cooma or Adaminaby as their base and head to Selwyn Snow Resort on the northern edge of the Snowy Mountains.

Recently reopened after a major rebuilding project (Selwyn was badly impacted in the 2019/20 fires) the resort is ideal for beginner skiers and snowboarders or people who just want to do some tobogganing and have a day playing in the snow.

Lift passes are $99 for adults and $65 children, but from the end of August that drops to $79 and $45. There’s also a dedicated lift for tobogganing that costs $25 for a day or $99 for a family of five.

There’s a similar option in Victoria with Mount Baw Baw, a small area on Melbourne’s Gippsland side with a neat alpine village and lift passes coming in at $85 for adults and $55 for children.

Also in Victoria, for people just looking for some tobogganing and a day playing in the snow, Lake Mountain and Mount Buffalo are the best choices.

Lake Mountain, near Marysville, is about 120km north-east of Melbourne and Buffalo 340km.

Buffalo is a national park, so entry is free but there’s little infrastructure – no toboggan hire for example.

Lake Mountain charges a $55.80 entry fee (if bought online) but has a good base facility with cafe, hire and shelter. Both are excellent areas for cross-country skiing when the weather and snow cover are right.

Snow for your dough

• Park entry for a day, NSW $29
• Resort entry for a day, Victoria $53.50
• Perisher, Hotham, Falls Creek, lift pass for a day $159
• Thredbo, lift pass for a day $162
• Selwyn Snow resort, lift pass for a day $79
• Mount Buller, lift pass for a day $115
• Mount Baw Baw, lift pass for a day $85

These are starting prices, advance purchase of season passes or multi-day passes for lifts and entry bring the costs down.

10 more snow saver tips

• Stay at a club lodge and cook for yourself – you don’t always have to be a member; check with your resort’s central booking service.
• Stay at a caravan park or campground – camping is free in the Kosciuszko National Park and low cost in places like Bright, Harrietville and Jindabyne.
• Use age to your advantage. Mount Buller, for example, provides free skiing and boarding for under fives and over 70s and charges child rates for people up to 18 years and 65 to 69.
• If you want a lesson, go off-peak for cheaper rates. Thredbo offers a 10 per cent discount on lessons in the afternoon.
• Book lifts, lessons and rentals together and at least seven days in advance for discounts of up to 35 per cent.
• Enjoy free events, like fireworks (Falls Creek, Hotham and Thredbo) or marshmallow toasting (Falls Creek and Buller).
• Do a mix of dining in and eating out – self catering is great for the budget.
• Buy your 2024 season pass early. They usually start being offered in spring at early bird prices that can be as cheap as the cost of five or six day lift passes.
• Use your season pass for significant discounts on other in-resort purchases.
• And finally, the top tip from people in the mountains already: “work a season at your favourite resort.”