sunburn

We have cashed in a years worth of babysitting and are lucky enough to be writing this from Tignes up in the French Alps...so got me thinking has anyone skiied/boarded downunder and any recommendations etc.

We are looking at Melbourne to emigrate so any Mt Hotham advice is appreciated or is it best avoiding Oz and hopping over to NZ ?!?!?
Also is equipment much dearer to buy there than UK ?

Cheers folks
SB

Coppock

I hear the Perisher is good,

http://www.perisherblue.com.au/winter/index.php

Don't know about the prices of equipment. I probably will ship my board over, but then again I'm probably going to SA, so unless they have any snow domes . . . or maybe go on a ski holiday in NZ?

thebears

Funnily enough it works out cheaper to fly from Melbourne to Ski in Queenstown. You can also access the North Island slopes via Auckland/Rotorua/Hamilton.

Not sure on the equipment - we missed a chance this season just gone but will be checking out the sales (the have preseason sales here not post).

hubbard

Compared to European ski resorts the skiing in NZ and in Australia is pretty average. Oz is the worst. Both places tend to have short runs and not many of them (in NZ we skied Queenstown, The Remarkables (distinctly unremarkable), Treble Cone, and another one I can't remember, in Oz we went to Threadbo and it was interesting enough for 1 day's worth of skiing). If you are a good skier you're better off saving and going once every 2 years to the US or Canada.

sunburn

Cheers fo replies folks.... this is a return for us after 6 years, two little reasons why are back with the grandparents

Sounds like NZ is the best choice, we remembe how much we enjoy it now, too adictive by far !

Thebears....somehow I knew u were a skiier/boarder ! have to meet up for a vin chaud after a good black run eh ?

Cheers all
SB

thedons

NZ is so much better and cheaper, this winter was the worst/best for 60 years i live in christchurch and it's an hour a half drive to mt hutt it went off,
For five hundred nz dollars(very cheap)you can get a season pass

thebears

I'll be up for that

MartinLuther

I haven't been to NZ so I can't compare.

I liked Hotham and will go there again. Because I've got a large family, it works out cheaper to drive to Hotham than fly to NZ.

Here's the info on Hotham
http://www.ski.com.au/resorts/hotham/

Here's the info on skiing in Aus
http://www.ski.com.au/resorts/

Hotham was bought a few years ago by a new company and this website shows how they intend to take it up market.
http://www.newhotham.com.au/

I don't know how true this is as I've been given the info 2nd hand but I've been told that you don't get many places to stay on the mountain in NZ. Anyone want to confirm or refute this?

As for going overseas, Japan seems to be very popular now. That's something I'd like to do.

youngy73

i can only say that skiing in oz is like skiing in scotland. its better than nothing but it aint nothing flash. nz is the better option but for an extra $1000 you can go to japan. steep, deep powder guaranteed. did a season in courchevel 5 years ago and had a few trips to tignes.the snow that year was the worst in 20 years but still enjoyed it.