Good snow skiing destination

[Ennoh]

I am thinking about taking teh family for a skiing holiday later in the year. We live in Perth and have 5 teenagers who have never been skiing but are really keen to give it a go. Where is the most economical place to go to? Is there any place that isnt too packed and which is reasonably priced or are they all jam packed? Is NZ worth a look at?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Is NZ worth a look at?

Yes, definitely. As mentioned in another thread, Queenstown offers a good mix of apres life and ski slopes for all levels. Japan is also offering some pretty good deals and reasonably empty slopes from what I hear.

 

[Ennoh]

Japan sounds good but there are 7 of us including 5 students so we want an economical holiday. Ive heard about NZ and that the ski fields are great - but is it that much better than anywhere in Australia? If its much the same but way less crowds and not as expensive to stay there for a week, it might be worth the extra expense in getting there.

 

[gogo419]

Japan sounds good but there are 7 of us including 5 students so we want an economical holiday. Ive heard about NZ and that the ski fields are great - but is it that much better than anywhere in Australia? If its much the same but way less crowds and not as expensive to stay there for a week, it might be worth the extra expense in getting there.

I would highly reccommend Japan!! (Been to Niseko 5 times now, resort is in Hokkaido. So need a connecting flight from NRT if you fly QF. Niseko is basically part of Australia... Probably 90% of business's owned by Aussies in the village. You will no doubt see other friends whilst you are there.. I'm 20 now and first time was when I was 15.. Absolute awesome place facilities are awesome and mountain is quite big for Japan standards. (4 separate resorts on the mountain can be accessed from one ticket..

Around June/July you will see all the cheap fares come up. I paid $1,225 on QF via SYD to NRT return. Once Singapore air drops their price QF seems to follow not long after.. I suggest leaving towards end of first week of Jan.

i think Air Asia flys to Osaka as well.. If you want dirt cheap airfares.. And Fly scoot I think was looking to fly to Japan as well? (Not sure if they have started yet?)

 

[Sprucegoose]

I am thinking about taking teh family for a skiing holiday later in the year. We live in Perth and have 5 teenagers who have never been skiing but are really keen to give it a go. Where is the most economical place to go to? Is there any place that isnt too packed and which is reasonably priced or are they all jam packed? Is NZ worth a look at?

use a dedicated agent, call Bruce at Moguls in Melbourne and tell him what you want. There are a lot more resource types hitting the slopes these days and taking over parts of Japan!

Ski Holidays | Cheap Ski Holiday Packages and Deals | Snow Holidays

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Japan sounds good but there are 7 of us including 5 students so we want an economical holiday.

If the economics are paramount, you could look at Perisher/Smiggins/Thredbo. We've skied there plenty of times and it can be great and affordable. To be honest, I do actually prefer the AU terrain to NZ but I am one of the few. I enjoy treed slopes whereas NZ are typically bare. The trees and woodlands makes for some fun mini-adventures on skis.

For good value accomodation, have a look at staying in Jindabyne or our little secret is the Kosciusko Mountain Retreat which is a camp ground with cabins, drying room, big camp kitchen area and huge round fireplace which is great for after ski recovery drinks. It is also just a 15 min drive to Perisher/Smiggins and at the fringe of the "real" chalets. A spa chalet for all of you for 7 nights would be under $3k or less than $450 each for a week in the snow! You can fly into CBR and hire a car for the week or catch a bus but I'd recommend the car hire to give you more freedom. There is a national parks pass required as well.

 

[munitalP]

Skiing in Australia is far from good. It's expensive, over crowded and poor value for money.

New Zealand pretty much rules the Southern Hemisphere for skiing and I have skied all bar a couple of private fields in the past.

My take...

South Island.

This is the Mecca of alpine skiing - you have the resort type fields - Mt Hutt close to Christchurch, Mt Dobson about half way between Christchurch and Wanaka, Cardrona and Treble Cone near Wanaka and Coronet Peak near Queenstown.

Wanaka is about a 1 hour transfer from Queenstown and is beautiful, but is not the tourist area such as Queenstown. There is a resort we used to swap timeshare weeks for (it is also a hotel) - Edgewater which is brilliant. You can get chalets with 2 rooms - this would sort out the kids and a 1 room for mum & dad?

My opinions on the ski fields:

Starting south heading north:

Coronet Peak - usually quite crowded (not by Australian standards though) and is alround pretty awesome. There is also night skiing [as if your leg muscles will take it after a hard day!]
The Remarkables - again, crowded due to proximity to Queenstown, - pretty good beginners field IMHO

Cardrona - closer to Wanaka. This is IMHO the best ski field I have skied on in NZ. It has some pretty hairy black runs - the captains basin is brilliant blue area - no as suited for beginners as the previous 2 but still a pretty awesome place. Some amazing off piste available if you don't mind a pretty decent climb

Treble Cone - close to Wanaka. A great laid out field - we used to call one run the High Way - a wide "road" from the top of the high speed chair to the bottom zig zag down - great for beginners to get the fear of speed out of themselves - a close second for the title of best in the South Island. There are also some amazing Black runs with some pretty breathtaking narrow chutes to drop in on one of the T Bars

Ohau - when I last skied there, it was one chair and a rope tow (or T Bar) and a pretty awesome field. It is steep and scary - brilliant! No good for beginners. The Camp and Hotel at the base of the field is good accommodation - put your nerves in a jar before driving the road up - We chose the transfer bus so we could keep out eyes closed the whole way! :redface:

Potts - access to the runs by snowcat! Beginner free zone

Mt Lyford - the only time there it was closed, so maybe someone else can update this

Mt Hutt - Proximity to Christchurch, crowded (by NZ standards), an excellent cross section of terrain - well worth skiing there

Rainbow - this is a Nelson area field - the drive to the field through the Forrest with Fords and a raging river next to the road, through farm land dodging cattle then finally to the ski field can be more exciting than the skiing - the views however on a clear day will have you believing that this is truly the most beautiful place on earth - honestly. (note: Toyota corolla, river ford, don't stop for photo opportunity!)

there is also a myriad of club and small private fields in the south island - many are uni clubs, some have public admission - google club skiing NZ and you should find a few interesting bits and pieces.

North Island.

Taranaki - club field - huge trek from carpark to pomel

Mt. Ruapehu

This used to be my local field. National Park is a small town close to the northern field Whakapapa and I recommend the National Park Hotel for cheap accommodation.

Turoa - an awesome ski field - some brilliant powder can be had after a cold southerly, great terrain, and a full suite of beginner through to advance intermediate runs. Huge field, great facilities

Whakapapa - "the magic mountain" - and it is! If I was in the OPs position, this is where I would look to Ski. The runs are awesome from green to 2xBlack - the national downhill (put me in hospital!) is so much fun, and I believe the largest ski area in the Southern Hemisphere. Happy Valley dedicated beginners area (meaning no coughs come screaming through) with I believe a brilliant ski school available. Accommodation available to clubs on the mountain. The carpark is around the same height as the highest run in AU, so there is always lots of snow!

I would suggest looking for accommodation in National Park (15 mins) or Turangi (50 mins) or if the AMEX is good for it, Skotel is pretty good as well (maybe not family friendly). There's also a caravan park with cabins at the foot of Whakapapa.

I hope this helps

 

[Cynicor]

I'm Perth based too and I won't book a trip to the east for sking again. The snow is too iffy and if you are learning to ski/ride then you want decent powder to fall onto, not manufactured ice.

I am another who would vote Niseko. It will have similar economics to NZ but offers amazing snow, practically guaranteed. Flights PER-CTS were pricing at $1100 return for Jan (and this is peak season) when I booked last year. There is an amazing amount of accomodation options and they are closer to the slopes, no need to train or bus it to the runs. The deals on offer for early bird can also help with the cost. The green leaf would be one to look out for. Right on the slope and on a quieter side of the mountain with a shuttle into the main area for dining etc. easy to learn there and cheaper than the Hilton, which has been my haunt for 1 week each Jan 08-13 (except 09 ).

If you would like some idea of costs etc, I have the last 3 years costs and breakdowns and catalogs stored on my computer. Please post or PM for mor info, especially if you want to do a DIY trip and not a package.

 

[Hvr]

Interesting to see that the Pakistani ski industry isn't having the best of times.

[h=1]Pakistan ski industry still reeling after Taliban's reign[/h]

BOYS in tattered coats schuss down Malam Jabba's powdery slope on home-made pine skis. Galoshes nailed to the planks suffice as ski boots. Bamboo sticks serve as poles.


A few hundred metres away, jobless men trudge to the top of a snowy ridge to scavenge scrap metal from the mounds of rubble at what was long Pakistan's only ski resort, a winter getaway that drew businessmen and European diplomats to this rugged north-western region known as ''the Switzerland of Pakistan''.

Read more: Pakistan ski industry still reeling after Taliban's reign
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[Daver6]

Was in Hakuba a few weeks ago. Place is full of Australians. There are 9 different mountains all near each other with free buses between them (although some a little sporadic).

I'm in Perth too and find skiing in Australia is just a disappointing rip-off. Unless you go in absolute peak season (first 3 weeks of August) it is pot luck with the snow conditions.

I believe J* flies from Cairns to Osaka which isn't too far from Hakuba.

 

[steph_vz]

If its not too late to add my 2 cents:

Depending when you want to go will determine where you will go:

July/August - I'd pick Australia over NZ. NZ is just as sporadic as Australia, but at least in Australia the resorts are larger and its an easier hike to the mountain each day vs NZ. NZ have goat tracks to the resorts and its pretty freaky the first time you do it. If you don't mind spending the extra Argentina is a good option. Cheap food, accommodation and lift tickets, however be prepared for locals to do things when they're ready. Aerolineas Argentinas has cheap airfares to BA - worth checking out.

If you're looking at December - February - can't go past Japan. Guaranteed snow (and Aussies), but everything runs to clock work. However, don't expect to see the sun - you don't get 20+ meters of snow in a season with sunshine! I'm from the East Coast and met some people on my last trip from Perth - they had flights to HK and then a direct flight to Hokkaido. It was highly recommended.

Enjoy whatever you choose - if you get a powder morning I can guarantee you will be addicted!

 

[steph_vz]

Forgot to mention - NZ has no trees ie its above the tree line. When its miserable you basically can't ski. At least in Australia the trees provide some shelter and guidance for you to ski!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

the trees provide some shelter and guidance for you to ski!

Ha, you reminded me of a time long, long ago when I was skiing in a mild blizzard on treeless slopes. I was hurtling downhill at a mind-boggling pace and decided to err on the side of caution and slow down by turning up hill a tad. I fell flat in the snow..........I was standing dead still but didn't realise it! The worst part is, all my mates were behind wondering why I had stopped (they had me as a point of reference) and saw me take the fall. They didn't stop laughing about it for years later.