Skiing Weekends
The snow fields in Victoria and New South Wales are enjoying a magical season this year. While most of the snow is usually produced by machines, this year there is an abundance of natural snow. So, while you're huddling by a heater in Adelaide, you might as well get out there into the snow.
Here are the resorts that are doable from Adelaide in a weekend:
Thredbo and Perisher (NSW) are just 14 hours by road from Adelaide if you plan the trip right- the shortest route is through Tailem Bend, Pinaroo and Deniliquin the Wodonga. However, if you drive up on a Friday night and back on a Sunday, you are probably not going to enjoy much of your weekend (nor be the sharpest tool at work on Monday). This is great option for a week trip but probably not for a weekend, even a long weekend.
A great option to the NSW Ski slopes is to fly to Canberra and then catch a bus. Packages from Canberra including bus and accommodation can start from $255 (not including the flight to Canberra). For more information go to the
Viator website.
Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller are also just 12 or 13 hours from Adelaide by road if you take the Mallee Highway to Ouyen, connect to the Murray Valley Highway to Swan Hill, the Midland Highway to Shepparton, then take the Hume Highway to Wangaratta, followed by the Great Alpine Road direct to Mount Hotham. However, be aware that the roads are not the best around Ouyen so take care with a night drive.
A flight to Melbourne and then a coach is another possibility. You'll probably get there in 5 hours this way but you won't be travelling at night and so will lose skiing time- you'll need to take Friday off or lose ski time on Saturday.
But by far the best option is to fly to Mount Hotham via Melbourne. For more information click
here. But if your budget doesn't allow 2 flights (virtually all go through Sydney or Melbourne) a viable option to Mount Hotham and the Victorian slopes is the long haul bus. You'll get more sleep than a car with no worries about driving and navigating.
Ski Connection offer overnight buses twice a week from the Adelaide Central Bus Station to Mount Hotham Thursday and Saturday evenings.
