As regular visitors to the NSW snowfields we are very familiar with skiing at Perisher and have occasionally ventured up to Thredbo when we felt like a change. But we had always thought it too difficult to manage a trip to
Charlotte Pass, as it is completely snowbound during the winter months. That is until we heard about The Day Tripper Ticket.
Charlotte Pass is the highest ski resort in Australia and the website boasts of having some of the most consistent snowfalls delivering best quality natural snow.
For the past two years we have taken advantage of the Charlotte Pass Day tripper ticket. For just $99 per adult and $62 per child you get a full days lift ticket and oversnow transport from Perisher Skitube terminal as well as a hot lunch. You won't get a better deal on the snow than that.
We opted for an early departure time as you then have the advantage of being able to park as close as possible to the skitube terminal at Perisher. Trust me, you don't want to walk any further than you have to in ski boots and carrying skis, poles, goggles and helmets, especially when you have the kids with you. They request that you arrive 15 minutes prior to your departure time and our oversnow left right on the dot of 8.30am. On this particular sunny morning it only took about 25 minutes across the snow before we arrived at Charlotte Pass.
We arrived at the Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel, where we received a warm welcome by the hotel manager who gave us information about the resort, such as the location of toilets and lockers, chairlift and t-bars and where we are to have lunch. We were particularly pleased to find out the week we came they were offering a BBQ lunch outside the hotel.
We had perfect skiing conditions - great snow cover, clear skies and the best part - no lift lines at all.
Our checklist included:
Lookout at the top of the chairlift showing you all of the mountains in the vicinity including the famous Mt Kosciusko.
A mid- morning snack at the mid-station on snow cafe where you can enjoy a hot chocolate or a coffee.
BBQ lunch outside in the sunshine. Lunch included a bread roll, salads and choice of steak, sausage or chicken. There was also an Ice Bar so we didn't need to go inside to get drinks. The other lunch option for daytrippers is the Kosi Bar and Bistro which serves burgers, chips, pies etc.
Everything was well organised and uncrowded, so different to the other resorts.
Our return oversnow transport in the afternoon was running about half an hour late but we arrived back at Perisher around 4.30pm. It's a big day but definitely worthwhile for a great experience at Charlotte Pass.
