I ski in the land down under
We all know about the arid deserts of Australia and throwing
shrimps on the BBQ. But what you may not know is that Australia has snow covered
mountains too. The Australian
Snowy Mountains or the Snowies, as they are known locally, are part of the
Great Dividing Range. This mountain range stretches over 2,175 miles from the
northeast tip of
Queensland's humid rain forests, down the entire length of the eastern
coastline into cooler climes, finally fading into the dry central plains of
western Victoria. The parts of the range that run through
New South Wales and eastern
Victoria get covered with snow in the Australian winter.
Just like Chile (see my article
Summer time skiing in Chile) Australia experiences winter in our summer time
(June to August) so Australia is a fantastic summer skiing destination too. It
is a bit further away from Oakland than Chile, but it is worth the experience. See my article
Planning your big trip for information on this.
My brother and I enjoying a Star Burger
While driving to
Mount Hotham, one of my favorite ski resorts in the Snowies, my brother and
I like to stop at a little town called
Omeo.
It is located on the
Great Alpine Road which meanders through the Snowy Mountains and high
plains. I am told that Australia is going through an awful period of drought,
but you would never know it from the green fields we drove past on the Great
Alpine Road in 2007. In Omeo, a very cute small country town along the way, at
Twinkles Cafe one can buy the best burger on planet earth; the Star Burger. It
is layered with beetroot, egg, bacon, and is delicious.
After Omeo, you continue along the Great Alpine Road past mobs
of
kangaroos,
emus,
and
wombats until you reach
Dinner Plain. Dinner Plain is a fantastic place to stay as it is only 6
miles from
Mount Hotham Alpine Resort and offers superb cross country skiing as well as
great accommodation.
Dinner Plain
Mt. Hotham is a very demanding ski resort. The runs are not
long in relation to many North American resorts, but are far more difficult to
ski. Many of the runs are very steep and snow conditions can change fast at
Hotham from powder to ice sheets in one day. At Mt. Hotham we like to say: "if
you can ski Mt. Hotham you can ski anywhere". I believe this to be true.
If you are looking for a special summer time ski vacation then
you must consider Australia. Of course Australia has many other attractions as a
vacation destination, but these are the subject of other articles.
Dinner Plain Video
For more info: