... Dave Barry once described skiing as a sport that “combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face.”

Thredbo - Outdoor fun in the white stuff

by Mandy Scotney

The humour columnist Dave Barry once described skiing as a sport that “combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face.” Having never had the opportunity to ski in my younger years I had always taken a fairly similar opinion and had never embraced the idea of holidays in the snow. Holidays for me involved temperatures well above 30 degrees, pools, beaches and palm trees.

This all changed for me a few years ago when a girlfriend of mine invited me on a ski trip to Thredbo. Since then we have made the trip to Thredbo an annual event and this year’s ski holiday has firmly cemented my love of the white stuff!.

Where the bush meets the mountains

Thredbo is one of Australia’s premier ski resorts and has a variety of terrain to encompass all levels of skiing and snow- boarding ability. Being a comfortable driving distance from Sydney or from the airport in Cooma, Thredbo and the Snowy Mountains are easily accessible from across Australia and, with the added advantage of being able to stay on the resort, it is a great place to visit for the first time skier or the elite skier alike.

This year we arrived on Thredbo late on a Sunday afternoon in July for a seven night stay. Our accommodation was a comfortable ski-lodge right about 200 metres away from “Friday Flat” the learner-skiers area and the Gun Barrel chair lift, taking the more adventurous further up the mountain.

Early Monday morning we were greeted with the most beautiful day possible. The week prior had seen significant snow falls so the cover was good and this combined with crystal clear blue skies, created near prefect skiing conditions. Being still very much a beginner skier I took the opportunity of booking a 2 hour private lesson to further hone my skills and set my week off to a good start.

Family Friendly

Thredbo is a fabulous place for families. I was travelling with my teenage snow-boarding daughter, and my girlfriend was travelling with her 10 year old sister. Thredbo accommodated both of them extremely well offering a variety of group lessons and activities for the different age groups.

After a few runs down Friday Flat to reacquaint myself with the idea of having skis firmly attached to my feet, we met Julie our French Ski instructor. Julie had been skiing since before she could walk and quickly assessed our abilities (or lack thereof!). After convincing us that “accepting the down-hill direction” was critical to “making skiing” we then headed further up the mountain to the Cruiser area at Merrets. Over the next hour or so Julie had us skiing down ‘Walkabout’ doing a variety of odd things with our poles. After a few falls, lots of laughs, and more slightly strange looking drills, my friend and I left the lesson feeling a whole lot more confident with our abilities than we had earlier that day.

Spectacular atmosphere

One of the joys I have discovered with a ski holiday is not just what happens on the slopes but also the fabulous atmosphere in the evenings. Relaxing by a warm fire with a gorgeous red wine or a glass of schnapps, and feeling the heaviness of a body that has worked hard playing on the ski fields during the day is a tremendous way to release the stresses of city life.

Throughout the week the glorious weather continued. Some days got so warm that you were almost skiing in a T-shirt but the benefits of Thredbo’s snow making activities meant that when the temperatures dropped over night the snow-guns created lots of fabulous fresh cover for the next day. Being school holidays the resort was busy but I quickly discovered the pleasure of getting up for the first lifts and enjoying a couple of hours of almost solitary skiing without having to queue at all for chair lifts. But even when it got busy the staff kept things moving well. The resort is incredibly well catered and Merrets Mountain House quickly become a favourite spot to recuperate from a few hours on the snow. With delicious (and reasonably priced) food and the best Lindt hot chocolates available anywhere (my pick is the one laced with peppermint schnapps!) you really are skiing in comfort.

After this year’s trip I am truly a convert to the wonders of the ski holiday. Thredbo’s terrain includes Mount Kosciusko and the highest lift points in Australia and the views are spectacular. The scenery is truly breathtaking, the air fresh, and the atmosphere wonderful. Combine this with the fun of skiing and the relaxed evenings by the fire and you have all the elements of a fabulous family holiday. I’ll definitely be heading back to Thredbo as soon as I possibly can!

 

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