Aug 7-13, '12:Charlotte's Pass/Perisher, Australia

We heard the offer on 97.7 SNOW FM. Two dollar Tuesdays*; we couldn't pass it up.
We scored a last minute booking, hopped in the snowcat, and enjoyed the views of the Koziosko Range, including the peak itself, along the 11km road to Charlotte's Pass. Australia's highest ski resort, with a lodge built in 1938, was under clear blue skies, and the typical gusty winds. A one chair resort, supplemented by two t bars, and a poma, offered fresh cordory, and some decent wind blown off piste in amongst the snow gum trees. A hot lunch included in our "day tripper" ticket. It was one of the best chickpea, beet root, arugula sandwiches I've ever eaten. Dod had the meat pie, with chips in gravy. ahhhh, home.

Snow was fun, company delightful, and the novelty and charm of the place hard to beat.

We were camped in nearby Island Bend for most of the week, where on Wednesday night we got dumped on. Heaps of rain at camp yielded 40 cm at Perisher where it snowed another 10 cm during the day. Grauple up to 7 mm, strong winds, and limited visibility made for an epic day. Seems we've hit the best week to be here in the snowy mountains aka the Australian Alps.

A kangaroo, a wallaby, a possum, and a wombat....
Sounds like the start of a great pub joke; but we've seen them all.

Grauple, sastrugi, corn, and ice...
Seriously some incredibly varied conditions in a few days.

More soon.
Jess and Dod

*one adult, plus the second for two bucks!

Thread modified to include the week at both resorts!

Sounds delightful, Jess.
And, of course, you're taking lots of pictures... right? :

Hi shespiste---didn't we meet you at Chinook in late June? I skied in New Zealand in 2004 after visiting OZ---didn't get to ski there though people said it was the biggest snow year in over 2 decades. The ambience is so different from US and Canada for skiing and climbing.
Here's to more TRs from down under.
And do they have the high-speed, high-angle, crotch-strap-harness t-bars, as at some of the NZ "ski fields"?

Jess and Dod,

Great trip report.  We want the photos ?

Keep the trip reports coming  - before school begins.

Jess Luurved the Auzzie T-bars!!

a few photos from the week at Perisher:





too PHAT for the corduroy

dressed down in corduroy

Jess loving the snow gums

Jess in the Rock Garden