Priced out of snow skiing

[Uncle Festivus]

Just been looking at the ski cams at

http://ski.com.au/snowcams/australia/nsw/index.html

starting to get some snow finally . But, at $98 a day Perisher Blue ticket this season and petrol prices at $1.65/l I'll be giving it a miss this year . And, National Parks has announced a winter surcharge taking car entry to $27. And then add in accommodation! Anyone else not doing it this season for the same reasons?

 

[wayneL]

Just been looking at the ski cams at

http://ski.com.au/snowcams/australia/nsw/index.html

starting to get some snow finally . But, at $98 a day Perisher Blue ticket this season and petrol prices at $1.65/l I'll be giving it a miss this year . And, National Parks has announced a winter surcharge taking car entry to $27. And then add in accommodation! Anyone else not doing it this season for the same reasons?

Try this, which is just up the road from me http://www.cheese-rolling.co.uk/the_event.htm :

Much cheaper and much more dangerous. All you need is a ludicrously steep hill, a Double-Gloucester with electrician's tape around it...



...and heaps of ambulances on standby.

 

[MRC & Co]

Ba ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!

Stop it Wayne!

On a serious note, I know what you mean Uncle, prices are just rediculous!!!! Costs an arm and a leg these days to go skiing! I will only get to go this season thanks to a friends parents, who just bought a lodge up there.

Not sure if you know anybody who works for the Defence force, but if you do, get them to sign up to the Defence lodge (might cost a bit for the membership), but it is cheap as biscuits to stay there if they have a membership and you spend a bit of time skiing, not to mention, you can take all your friends and family!!!!

 

[kenny]

Are you serious about it being nearly $100 a Day Lift ticket now??

I'm sure Europe wasn't that much.

I feel sorry for the operators if they have to charge that. Business is either so good they can turn middle class people away or their costs are so high the have to charge this.

No skiing for us this year.

Regards,

Kenny

 

[Trembling Hand]

Are you serious about it being nearly $100 a Day Lift ticket now??

I'm sure Europe wasn't that much.

I feel sorry for the operators if they have to charge that. Business is either so good they can turn middle class people away or their costs are so high the have to charge this.

Yep, Aussie skiing is the most expensive in the world. But really its a cost thing. Still annoying though, especially when you compare it to what you actually get skiing on a dessert Island, less area, less vertical drop, less snow, less powder, less & slower lifts.

Cheaper to take the STRONG Aussie off shore for your skiing pleasure. Which I will be doing in a month to the banana republic of NZ.

 

[kenny]

Have you ever considered Japan, TH?

Snow is better, food is better. OK, airfare is a jump from NZ.

Kenny

 

[>Apocalypto<]

Just been looking at the ski cams at

http://ski.com.au/snowcams/australia/nsw/index.html

starting to get some snow finally . But, at $98 a day Perisher Blue ticket this season and petrol prices at $1.65/l I'll be giving it a miss this year . And, National Parks has announced a winter surcharge taking car entry to $27. And then add in accommodation! Anyone else not doing it this season for the same reasons?

With all the money you made off the Gold rally, I would have thought u could of bought the the ski resorts!

 

[Trembling Hand]

Have you ever considered Japan, TH?

Snow is better, food is better. OK, airfare is a jump from NZ.

Kenny

Yep have been planing to go there for 3 years in Jan with some friends but haven't made it yet. Next Jan got the mother of all snowboarding trips planed Japas included. :alcohol:

 

[MRC & Co]

Yeh, we were looking at doing that a couple years back.

A trip to NZ for 2 weeks then, including all expenses, was FAR cheaper than 2 weeks at Perisher! Imagine now, with the strong dollar as you say TH!

Have fun mate!

 

[Julia]

Which I will be doing in a month to the banana republic of NZ.

TH, just go and wash your mouth out! Thou shalt not take the name of my home country in vain.
That said, it sounds as though it may well be on the way to becoming a banana republic soon.
Hope you have a great time. What part are you going to?

 

[YChromozome]

This was in the AFR two weeks ago :

 

[Trembling Hand]

Anyone ventured up to the mighty Aussie Alps yet this season. Spent a day in Mt Buller on Wednesday which was pretty good as a first day warm-up.
And have a weekender planned for next Fri, Sat, Sun. Hoping the Snow keeps falling.

TH, just go and wash your mouth out! Thou shalt not take the name of my home country in vain.
That said, it sounds as though it may well be on the way to becoming a banana republic soon.
Hope you have a great time. What part are you going to?

Queenstown Julia. But have 3 days to get there from Christchurch without actually knowing what to do. Any suggestions?

 

[Struzball]

Japan is the place to be for snow. Though I have never been anywhere else to compare, however I will be in NZ at the end of the month.

I went to Hakuba in February, it's about an hour on the bus from Nagano.

Arrived there during a blizzard and wandered around in a metre of snow and somehow found the ski lodge, pitch black in the middle of the day.

Slopes were amazing - and on apparently the best powder day of the season, surprisingly empty.

Also so so so cheap! I think I paid about $80 for all day lift pass/snowboard hire/free shuttle bus from the ski lodge.

 

[cuttlefish]

I spent a couple of days up at Perisher the other week. Had been snowing a bit - visibility wasn't great but the snow cover wasn't too bad and they had the ridge chair open at blue cow which gave a few more options. Second day snowed heavily but not enough cover yet to head off trail plus visibility was poor. Would have been very nice a few days after we left. I'm sure I'll get up there again one or two more times this year.

 

[Julia]

Queenstown Julia. But have 3 days to get there from Christchurch without actually knowing what to do. Any suggestions?

Hello TH:

Presuming that you will have a car (you will need chains if going the inland route), I'd suggest driving from Christchurch to Mt Cook the first day, about six hours through magnificent lake and mountain country. Stay overnight at The Hermitage (a bit expensive but worth it) and hope to see Mt Cook as the sun sets over its peak. Then return to the main inland route through Central Otago, more lakes mountains and just wide open spaces. Try to avoid hitting sheep which wander across the road. Possibly stay at Lake Ohau or Tekapo, but personally I'd just go straight through to Queenstown which is a fabulous town. So much to do. Apart from the skiing there's all sorts of other adventure stuff - white water rafting, bungee jumping. Of if you feel more sedate, just gorgeous walks around the lake with the Remarkables mountain range in the distance. If you're into night clubs etc, there's a huge selection.

For a quiet afternoon drive, if you're coming to terms with the night before, and the skiing isn't great, drive through to Arrowtown, a beautifully preserved gold mining town of the last century with many of the original buildings. Picturesque and charming.
About 30 mins drive from Queenstown.

Warning: it can be breathtakingly cold for someone coming from Oz. Take lots of layers. Accommodation will all be centrally heated and most with hot tubs etc.

If you are driving back to Christchurch, then I'd suggest returning via the coast road, through Central Otago to Dunedin, then north following the coast through Oamaru, Timaru, to Christchurch. Again about six or seven hours from Queenstown.



Hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[nizar]

With all the money you made off the Gold rally, I would have thought u could of bought the the ski resorts!

Hhahahaha I kid you not I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw this thread!

 

[Doris]

TH, just go and wash your mouth out! Thou shalt not take the name of my home country in vain.
That said, it sounds as though it may well be on the way to becoming a banana republic soon.
Hope you have a great time. What part are you going to?

My daughter is in NZ at Uni this year. She fronted up a few weeks ago to find out about doing her tax and was delighted to find that as she has not been a resident in NZ for 15 years she does not have to pay tax!

I can see an exodus of people crossing the Tasman!!

 

[Uncle Festivus]

Hhahahaha I kid you not I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw this thread!

Yeh, I'm negotiating to buy the Perisher lifts off packer, but it might be cheaper just to buy New Zealand - what's the going price for a banana republic .

I was just saying the value (and snow consistantcy) in Aus is harder to find these days - better value going to NZ or Japan for a change?

 

[Trembling Hand]

Julia I had a truly magnificent time in the banana republic of NZ. Hired a car from Christchurch and drove over Arthur's pass to the west coast. Beautiful! Had a 6 hr walk up the side of the Fox glacier. Absolutely crappy weather but was a real adventure. No helicopter rescue required! Didn't stop raining for the first 5 days!

From there down the west coast drive to Queenstown. What a place! Stacks of Snow. Stacks of fun at night :alcohol:. Lots (too much) good food & wine. Really enjoyed it. Some really nasty days as far as weather goes but I didn't mind as I knew that was just dumping more snow.

Will be back next year for sure. Oh and did I mention the exchange rate? WOW, it was like paying for things with monopoly money

 

[Julia]

Glad to hear it, TH. And thanks for the photos - they make me a bit homesick!