Winter snow puts ski resorts in spotlight for all travellers
There’s an alpine destination to suit everyone – even those who’d rather soak in a spa than take to the slopes.
Australia’s all-too-brief snow season is nearly upon us, with most ski resorts due to open on King’s Birthday Weekend (yes, get used to the new name) in the second week of June. But not all resorts were created equal, and neither were their guests. We all want something different out of our trip to the snow, whether it be early morning powder stashes, apres ski sundowners, gentle groomers or backcountry abandon. You don’t even need to hit the slopes to enjoy being in an alpine environment, with resorts rich with unique on-mountain experiences, from mountain-top feasts to hidden “hypedomes” among the snow gums, to luxe day-spa pampering. Whatever you seek from the mountains, there’s a resort with your name on it this winter.
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THE BEGINNER
You can learn to ski or snowboard anywhere, but I have a soft spot for Falls Creek, where first-timers aren’t stuck repeating laps of the same tedious slope. At 2.2km, Wombats Ramble is Australia’s longest green run, and it’s a beauty; benign enough for beginners, but with comely curves and an ever-evolving outlook over the Bogong High Plains. Graduate from there and work your way through a progression of slopes increasing in difficultly as you head across the mountain (the resort is also an intermediate skier’s dream).
Thredbo has a world-class ski school and dedicated beginners’ area at Friday Flat, while Perisher’s high speed Village Eight Express chairlift ensures learners get their hours up on Front Valley. But the surprise package could be Mt Hotham, which despite its reputation as an advanced skiers’ mountain has reported a surge in first-timers signing up for lessons and cruising the gentle terrain off the Big D and Summit chairlifts above the village (gorgeous when it’s not blowing a gale).
Falls Creek lift tickets $159-$199 a day
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THE ADVANCED SKIER
Mt Hotham is the clear winner for the serious skier or boarder, with 40 per cent of its terrain rated advanced. You can thank its unusual “upside down” topography for this. The sprawling village sits at the top of the mountain, with ski runs plunging off ridgelines into steep, tight and technical gullies, converging at the base of chairlifts at the bottom. The black runs are usually groomed, and there’s nowhere you’d rather be on a powder day. Earn your cred on the double black diamond Mary’s Slide, a legendary run within the mountain’s “extreme” zone, beginning from the top of the Gotcha chairlift and funnelling down a narrowing chute to a bridge across Swindlers Creek. Check out Spargo’s and One Tree Hill, sparsely populated black runs that weave between snow gums on the opposite side of the valley (accessed via the Orchard chairlift), with views back towards the village.
Mt Buller also has fantastic advanced terrain, especially off the Federation chairlift and the summit, while Thredbo has plenty of long, steep blacks and off-piste trees and bumps to explore.
Mt Hotham’s lift tickets $159-$199
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THE BACKCOUNTRY ADVENTURER
The pandemic saw a boom in skiers and boarders making forays into the backcountry, and the bug seems to have bitten. Perisher and Thredbo are sublime launching pads for exploring the seemingly limitless untracked terrain around the Main Range of Kosciuszko National Park. Perisher Valley gives easy access to the Crackenback Ridge and Mt Wheatley, just a short hike from the Perisher carpark. The Paralyser Range lies just beyond Mt Perisher, or for a more remote experience park your car at Guthega, cross the dam wall and make your way towards Mt Tywnam. Dead Horse Gap, the saddle on Alpine Way just past Thredbo, is a great base to access the Ramshead Range.
If you’d prefer a guided experience Thredbo offers three tours to suit beginners through to advanced adventurers, and is introducing a new Women’s Backcountry Weekend (August 18-19), led by all-female guides.
Call into Alpine Backcountry in Berridale to hire equipment for alpine touring, telemark and pattern-based ski touring, and chat with owner John Morell – a best-in-the-business backcountry guide – about current snow and weather conditions, and get tips on the best backcountry entry points.
Perisher lift tickets $162-$213
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THE CROSS COUNTRY ENTHUSIAST
With over 65km of free, groomed trails fanning out from the village, Falls Creek is a chook-footers’ paradise. The 7km Sun Valley loop is a favourite for views over Rocky Valley Lake and across the Bogong High Plains, while the 15km Watchbed Creek Trail throws in some High Country heritage with a visit to Wallace’s Hut, the oldest remaining cattlemen’s hut in the Alpine National Park. The annual Kangaroo Hoppet race takes place on August 26 and is always a great spectacle.
I love the 12km Brabralung Trail, which follows an ancient Indigenous route linking Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain (itself a great base for cross country skiing), weaving between marbled snow gums and basalt boulders. Lake Mountain is only two hours from Melbourne and is a mecca for cross country, with 40km of trails, but check there’s sufficient snow before leaving home.
Perisher is the place to be north of the border, with myriad trails radiating from the Nordic Shelter in Perisher Valley, also the base for regular events (August 5-13 is ‘Cross Country Ski Week).
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THE SNOWBOARDER
I don’t snowboard, but Tess Coady, Australia’s bronze medallist in Slopestyle at the 2022 Winter Olympics, certainly does. Coady grew up riding at Mt Buller but has chosen Thredbo as her base, partly for its rapidly expanding terrain park. “It’s going to be world class and will have something for everyone, from first- timers to competition riders.” Her hot tips for free-riding runs are Waimea leading into the Ballroom (over on the Merritt’s Gondola side), and Sasha’s Schuss leading into Funnelweb, off the Karels T-bar, Australia’s highest lifted point. The resort’s other selling point is its easy access to the backcountry. “I really get a buzz split-boarding out there, especially the runs off Ramshead (Range), around Lake Cootapatamba and down to Dead Horse Gap,” says Coady.
Thredbo also hosts a series of freestyle events, including the new Thredbo Triple Crown event, Project Shred and Battle of the Bluff, plus the Coady-hosted Bush Doof (September 1-2), two days of competitions and parties at the Alpine Bar. For some though, the biggest event is demo weekend (July 1-2 at Burton’s store), when you can test ride the latest gear.
Perisher has great terrain parks and loads of natural features, especially around Blue Cow (beware the tiresome traverses between the four resort areas), while Charlotte Pass is another launch pad for split-boarding on the Main Range. The Victorian resorts all have plenty to offer, with Falls Creek’s terrain park off the Ruined Castle chairlift one of the biggest and best.
Thredbo lift tickets $189 - $199
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THE ‘I’M JUST HERE FOR THE APRES SKI’ VISITOR
With more than 30 bars and restaurants, from underground music venues to sun-kissed slope-side decks, Mt Buller is the undisputed home of the Aussie apres. Pull up to Moosehead Whisky & Blues Bar under the ABOM chairlift for European-style alpine cuisine, live blues music and a crackling fire, or stash the skis near the deck at Spurs Restaurant, for smoky barbecue, DJs, spritz or ski shots in the sun. Koflers Hutte is a classic apres haunt, and the best spot for summit views, people-watching and hard-earned cocktails. Or call in for frosty margaritas and Latin vibes at Bull Run Cantina, at the base of the Bull Run chairlift. Although the building is new, the iconic Kooroora nightclub in the village still kicks on until 3am. The resort also offers inducements for flexible skiers who can visit on week days, such as the Champagne ice bar that pops up on the Bourke St run every Monday for canapes and bubbles.
Mt Buller lift tickets $115-$198
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THE ‘I DON’T EVEN SKI’ SKIER
Going to the snow is about so much more than screaming down a mountain with planks strapped to your feet. My top pick is Mt Hotham’s Alpine Nature Experience, which will be unveiling new “hypedomes” in its hidden eco-village among the snow gums. These futuristic-looking sleeping bubbles have one-way windows for stargazing, a wood-fired heater and plush double bed. Book early for the French-flavoured fondue nights, with fireside mulled wine and a three-course dinner in a Nordic teepee. Thredbo boasts Australia’s only alpine gondola, which you can ride in weather-proof comfort to Merritt’s Mountain Haus for a Bavarian-inspired feast. Or don your woollies for a snowcat ride to Kareela Hutte for canapes and Champagne while watching the Saturday night Thredbo Flare Run and fireworks show, or for a four-course dinner on selected Wednesdays in July and August.
Just being immersed in the car-free, walkable village of Falls Creek is a joy. Astra Falls Creek will host fine-dining dinners in its wine cellar, and is home to a luxuriant day spa and Roman grotto-like indoor pool. Fireworks explode over Village Bowl on Thursday nights (watch from the fun new Japanese restaurant KasaBar). Alpine Helicopters offers scenic flights over the Snowy Mountains, while Mt Buller has movie nights, yoga classes, serene soaking at the Breathtaker spa, and sunset snowshoe hikes with Alpine Leisure Tours to watch the moon rise over the summit.
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THE FAMILY THAT SKIS TOGETHER
There was a time when every family who went to the snow stayed in communal ski club lodges, lugging in a week’s worth of provisions from the carpark on toboggans. Parents and grandparents chat by the fire over wine and cheese, a simmering stew steams up windows in the kitchen, and the kids run amok in the games room or disappear with new-found friends outside to build snowmen. Welcome to timeless Mt Baw Baw.
Ski-in/ski-out lodges and a small, car-free village mean kids can roam safely, the magic carpet-serviced Frosti Frog Toboggan Park is terrific when it’s open (it’s a lottery as to which lifts will be turning on any given day), and the whole family will get a buzz out of taking the resident alpine dingos walkies. Mt Baw Baw is less than three hours from Melbourne and lift tickets are cheap as chips, due to the modest skiable terrain (the vertical drop is only about 110m). But it’s all about creating memories.
Mt Hotham’s Davenport village is another great enclave of ski club lodges. The smell of home cooking has earned it the nickname Casserole Country, although some lodges such as the Sk Club of East Gippsland employ a resident chef who cooks breakfasts and dinners for all guests.
Meanwhile, NSW’s favourite family ski resort, Selwyn, which was destroyed in the Black Summer bushfires, finally looks set to open this season with a range of spanking new facilities.
Mt Baw Baw lift tickets $55-$85
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