Things to do Snowy Mountains

The Snowy Mountains, or ‘Snowies’ if you are in a hurry, are not what most would expect from Australia, but they are becoming one of the hottest (you know what I mean) attractions for holiday-makers.

If I said I was getting my Ski gear ready for a trip to Australia you would be forgiven for assuming I was suffering from heat stroke, but just six hours drive from is the perfect place for some snow based shenanigans.

The Snowy Mountains are located in New South Wales and encompasses, among others, Mount Perisher and Mount Kosciuszko (which if you can get your tongue around is pronounced ‘kozzee-osko’) the highest mountain in mainland Australia, standing at a whopping 2228 metres high.

So it begins to make sense, tall equals cold, but why go there over chasing the sun north to Queensland?

The thing that sways it is all the extra entertainment and sights that you would not get within hundreds of miles of ski resorts in other countries. Sure the Snowy Mountains still has the snow topped chalets and lodges complete with roaring fires, but they also have so much more.

Where else can you ski for a day and then head down the road to go on a weeklong horse ride, complete with cowboy-esque sleeping under the stars and cooking over an open fire?

How many ski ramps are just short drives from groups of beautiful sandstone caverns that you can have a tour around before retiring with some schnapps made locally from a selection of home-grown fruits?

These are some of the benefits of going to a winter wonderland that is situated near enough to some normal weather, so when you get sick of all the red noses, big coats and cold arses (from the inevitable 20 times a day falling over) you can hop in the car and be ready for a roadside BBQ by lunchtime.

Whether it is a weekend escape to forget the slog of work or you are a backpacker looking for a short excursion off your travel route, take my advice. Don’t say no to a cheeky bit of skiing. With companies such as Oz Snow Adventures and Australian Alpine Resorts offering coach pickups from Sydney and Canberra to take you to a cabin for two nights stay (including food) for under $250 the only answer is yes.