A Snowy Surprise
Australia is a land of mystery, enchantment, intrigue, and surprise. Many people have in their minds a specific idea of this vast and diverse land, but what they don’t realize is that no mental picture can come close to properly describing the reality. Especially if that picture is informed by stereotypical media. For example: did you know that Australia has ski resorts?
It’s a true story, but not one you’ve probably seen on any news outlet if you hail from the USA. In southeast Australia there are mountains, and among them a place called Thredbo. This little town is located in the district of New South Wales. It turns out some 700,000 people make a journey to this town annually, though less than 500 residents keep the place up permanently.
This region also represents a temperate ski resort. The coldest it’s ever gotten, on record, is nine degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest? 92. Generally you can expect an average temperature range between the thirties and the seventies, depending on the season. That’s pretty comfortable.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Who knew that Australia had slopes similar to those in a place like Colorado? Most just picture vast wilderness dotted with kangaroos, evil snakes, spiders the size of your head, wild-eyed aborigines and strange jungle noises. They imagine a bunch of guys named Bruce with crocodile teeth in their cowboy hats yelling, laughing, and carrying on.
But they don’t expect ten ozzies to switch their surfboards for snowboards, cruise the 500 kilometer drive south of Sydney required to reach Thredbo, then hit the snowy slopes. That’s one of the interesting things about Australia, though: it has many things people don’t realize in terms of variety. Australia is nearly the size of the USA; it’s got some exceptional diversity.
Escape The Heat
That said, it is known for its heat. There are some rather arid regions in the land of Oz, and navigating them can get tiring. So even if you had an outing in mind which curtailed any trip to any ski slope, it still might be worth your while to take a jaunt up the mountain to an idyllic town built around winter-sports.
If you find you like it, you may want to join the seasonal community. Thredbo has accommodations for ten times the permanent residency of the region, but even so, packages actually tend to get competitive. You may find some exceptional deals. Still, some aren’t as available to those traveling from out of the country; but then again, you may find something you that will work as an international getaway spot.
LanternApartments.com.au offers Apartments in Thredbo which come with a long list of accommodations, according to the site: “For those looking for a place to crash after a day of skiing or snowboarding, we also have several winter season packages…[which] include lift passes, lessons, and even equipment hire rentals. Our accommodation deals frequently rotate…”
Summer And Winter Together
For those who prefer Summer sports, Thredbo additionally features some substantial mountain biking courses, and an indoor recreation center with pools that are 50 and 25 meters. For the adroit traveler looking to fill out his or her repertoire, its integral to go skiing in Australia. For locals who haven’t been, what are you waiting for?
Half a day’s journey south of Sydney lies a complete surprise for those both native and foreign to the land of Oz: the snow-swept waves of the sky. With the right mix of community, solitude, and annual excitement, this is a perfect place to visit as it suits you, or even put down some permanent roots. The mountain air is healthy, after all…
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