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Feb 20, 2024

Inside Australia’s under

Chasing the snow to the Southern Hemisphere is a pilgrimage for only the most dedicated Holidays to Australia are synonymous with flawless beaches, world-class surfing and crystal-clear waters teeming

Chasing the snow to the Southern Hemisphere is a pilgrimage for only the most dedicated

Holidays to Australia are synonymous with flawless beaches, world-class surfing and crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life. From the Great Barrier Reef to the Great Ocean Road, the nation is bursting with once-in-a-lifetime experiences for those committed to making the journey across the globe.

Yet, while its bucket-list names are world famous, what few travellers realise is that the Land Down Under is also blessed with its own collective of ski resorts which, while Europe basks in summer heatwaves, presents a unique opportunity to experience a different side to The Lucky Country.

Australians are keen skiers too: almost one million skied domestically in 2022, notching up 2.6 million skier days – a record year for visitation. Having spent my life and career skiing over 120 resorts in Europe and North America, when planning a visit to Sydney to see my mother, I couldn’t resist the temptation to visit the Australian snow.

My first port of call was the resort of Perisher in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. The village itself is home to just a handful of hotels, restaurants and bars, leading most visitors to stay in the valley at the town of Jindabyne, a five-hour drive from Sydney (two and a half from Canberra). With plans to stay for three nights in the resort, it was an achievable add-on to my three-week trip to see my mother.

I arrived on a Sunday afternoon, having driven in my ski gear to maximise the time I could then spend on the slopes. Renting equipment at the resort followed an American-style system – a super-sized, super-efficient warehouse at the base of the slopes, staffed by preternaturally friendly staff – and within 20 minutes of arriving, I was skiing.

Any newcomer to Australian resorts will be immediately captivated by the experience of descending through the enchanting snow gums. These evergreen eucalypti create a unique setting for fresh tracks, ranging from the ethereal starkness of bleached and fossilised trees to twisted trunks with vibrant shades of orange and brown.

But I couldn’t help but question whether this extraordinary encounter is enough to justify the journey across the globe.

Anyone used to European skiing is unlikely to get excited about the extent of skiing on offer Down Under. Perisher may be Australia’s largest ski resort, but 65km of slopes is incomparable to the behemoths of the Portes du Soleil or Les 3 Vallées in the Alps, home to ski areas in excess of 600km. However, for a couple of days skiing, the four connected areas of Perisher Valley, Blue Cow, Guthega and Smiggin Holes have plenty to keep piste cruisers interested.

Despite visiting during the local school holidays, once I got away from the resort’s Front Valley – the largest piste closest to the base – the slopes and lifts were blissfully quiet. My main frustration was the length of the runs. Perisher’s highest point is 2,034m, but with the village at 1,720m the maximum vertical drop of a single run is just over 300m – less than a quarter of some of the bigger descents in Europe. My rhythm was cut short on each descent.

After a day and a half of skiing in Perisher, I drove an hour to Thredbo – renowned as Australia’s best ski resort, an accolade it has won at the World Snow Awards for the last five years in a row.

There’s slightly less skiing overall at Thredbo (52km), but with the base station at 1,365m and similar-sized peaks, there’s more than twice the vertical that Perisher has to offer. On quiet pistes, I was finally able to experience the sensation of speed for long enough to enjoy it. The snow wasn’t exceptional for my trip, but snow cannon cover is excellent and overall conditions were good for the early season.

The lack of a language barrier and the easy-going, friendly Aussie attitude meant that I fell into conversation with someone on almost every lift – a rarity in European resorts, but a welcome addition to the skiing experience.

It was interesting to learn that most of the local skiers I spoke to saw days on the Australian slopes as a bonus – their main ski holiday of the year will entail a trip to Japan or Canada during the upcoming northern hemisphere winter.

Those will be expensive trips, but so is skiing in their own country. Day passes in Perisher and Thredbo cost AUD200, around £105. That compares to around €61 (£52) for a Méribel Valley pass in France, which offers more than twice as much skiing.

It’s perhaps no surprise then that the international market for Australian ski resorts is small. Chinese visitors have become increasingly more common in recent years as the interest in the sport in Asia skyrockets, but Perisher’s inclusion on the Epic Pass – the resort has been owned by ski resort giant Vail Resorts and part of its multi-destination lift pass since 1995 – has not yet tempted many international pass holders – the majority of whom are American – to the Australian snow.

An exception to the lack of overseas visitors on the slopes is found in the resorts’ terrain parks – built with ramps, jumps and rails for freestyle skiing and snowboarding and world-renowned for their excellency. Both resorts have several parks, with features suitable for all, from beginners to world-class athletes. GB Snowsports freestyle ski and snowboard team and Winter Olympic hopefuls, including Kirsty Muir and Mia Brookes, will experience it for themselves when they arrive in Perisher for training camps later this month.

Typically though, most Aussies ski reactively: if there’s snow, they go. If I lived that close to the slopes, I’d do the same. There are not many countries where you can be on a beach in comfortable 24ºC heat, then skiing in sub-zero temperatures the following day.

Would I go to Australia solely to go on a ski holiday? No. But if I travel Down Under again during the southern winter, I’ll definitely be packing my ski jacket.

Iain was a guest of The Man from Snowy River Hotel in Perisher. Book lift passes online and find out about more accommodation options at perisher.com.au and thredbo.com.au. The nearest airports are Sydney (five hours) and Canberra (two and a half hours).