Winter 2021 Snow Holidays - Advice Sought

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  spackbace on 14/12/2020 - 18:10

  +6

  Just a dad trying to have as much fun with his daughter whilst it's still fun to hang out with dad :)

  Nawwwwww

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  DannyC on 14/12/2020 - 19:56

  I've decided in 2021 I want to take my daughter to see the snow for the first time in her life, she's almost 8. I've only been once myself some 27 years ago so I thought it'd be a great thing for us to do together.

  Seeing the snow for the first time is pretty special. I remember going as a kid, then after a number of years of not goin, had a chance to go back to the snow and getting into Snowboarding. I'm in Victoria so Buller, Falls Creeks and Hotham are the ones i've been to so far.

  Where and when should I be on the look out for some good package deals? I'm after bargains well ahead of time. When I went all those years ago we went to Perisher but stayed in Cabins outside of the park. I'm open to all options and would love to hear your experiences.

  Depends on where you want to go to. Snow trips here in Oz can get very pricey. A trip to NZ can be an excellent alternative for closer to home. Hotham has a lot of ski lodges for members and non-members as well. Pretty cheap, shared kitchens and bathrooms.

  An extension of Q1 really, snow gear, are there any recommended crazy sales around or did those finish after the last snow season? I know Aldi deals come out yearly so I was thinking I'd stock up then but happy to follow any tips and have everything organised well ahead of time.

  Due to COVID you can get pretty decent gear at the moment for older stock.

  Snowboard/skiing. Is it advised to start with skis or is there no set rule on where to begin?

  I snowboard so I might be a bit biased.

  Anything else you might recommend for a father & daughter team who are really new to all of this, tips, tricks, sites to see, activities to do etc. Would really appreciate it! I'll make a checklist so this trip is as good as it can be!

  The best advice I can give you is do a few lessons with an instructor. I've seen so many people and friends thinking they can wing it to save money…. starting off skiing/snowboarding can get frustrating. I was on my A$$ most of the day stacking it. Give it a few tries learning the basics and then improving on it. Don't give up immediately, give it a good crack and hopefully once your daughter has mastered the basics, then each trip aim to improve something new.

  We're from Newcastle NSW so I was thinking Thredbo or Perisher. If this is a success it could become a regular event or maybe even visit the slopes in NZ in the future years but 1 step at a time.

  There are so many options! Italy, France, Argentina, USA, Canada…. I highly recommend going to Japan to ski.

  • 

    Click_It on 15/12/2020 - 12:22

    Thanks for the responses.

    NZ is definitely on the cards as a country I want to see regardless so 2 birds with 1 stone. Japan is the other country in that category. In fact with Japan I'm hoping to expand a business I have into that country which would give me an 'excuse' to visit periodically :)

    Snowboarding is the way I'm learning now. After talking to some friends they all pointing me in that direction too.

    Would it be advised to start my daughter on a snowboard too so we're talking the same language, so to speak?

    Yes I'll take lessons, I have a back injury so if I can learn the techniques from the start that's gotta be the right approach.

    So now I just have to make sure I don't get the snow bug, otherwise lots of travelling in my future :)

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  Quantumcat on 14/12/2020 - 19:59

  +2

  Go snowshoeing. You can start right away after only a few minutes instruction so you get the most enjoyment per minute, instead of wasting most of the day on lessons and only a little bit free rein. You get to visit pretty trails around the perimeter of the park instead of being in the crowds. You can do snowshoe tours where the kit is included, you just need waterproof clothes and waterproof hiking boots (and dress in layers as you get hot as it is a bit of a workout).

  • 

    Hardlyworkin on 14/12/2020 - 22:47

    Ummm, I think Op is looking to be cool dad!

    • 

      Click_It on 15/12/2020 - 12:17

      +1

      Haha, doing my best, though only my daughter could say if my efforts are succeeding or not :)
      I had never even heard of snow shoeing before this comment.

      BTW your name triggered a memory, many years ago in a construction job we used to have this saying "workin' hard or hardly workin'?". It brought me back :)

      • 

        Quantumcat on 15/12/2020 - 20:27

        +1

        It is really fun - it's like hiking in the snow. You can go to so many places that are unreachable with skis and see so much beauty.

        There's also cross country skiing where you can also visit beautiful parts of the park and get away from the crowds, but needs some instruction (probably less than downhill skiing though), and you have to stay on trails where the snow is groomed (unless you are very skilled - putting a cross country ski down a tree well or bush well is not fun at all).

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  Hardlyworkin on 14/12/2020 - 22:43

  Before either of you go up there are plenty of videos on YouTube to get you started. Even basics like getting on and off the lifts. I feel that learners can head a head start by watching some tutorials as then they will know what to expect.

  Snow gear doesn't change that much year to year, just new colours and maybe change in style. With a growing kid second hand might be your best bet. Again lots of online tutorials for gear buying.

  Snowboarding is harder to start though easier to master in my opinion. With skis you can get going the first day though can take a while to get really good. Do what appeals to you both more.

  If you do get into it then do yourself a favour and head to northern Japan in the offseason. Closest place to get amazing snow.

  • 

    Click_It on 14/12/2020 - 22:46

    Thanks for all the tips, I'm on late so I will reply to the other posts tomorrow but I noticed 2 comments on Japan - funny you should say that because a good friend of mine swears by the Japan snow slopes and goes every year now. Also is a country I've been interested in visiting for some time.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 15/12/2020 - 07:38

    Snowboarding is harder to start though easier to master in my opinion. With skis you can get going the first day though can take a while to get really good.

    Agree with this. Skiing is a lot easier to go really slowly and carefully as a beginner. Snowboard you pretty much need to be going from the start and the fear of falling makes that a lot more difficult.

    If you’ve had a crack at other board sports like skateboarding, surfing etc it can help, but there is enough difference that snowboarding can be like starting over.

    Definitely get some lessons for whichever one you choose.

    • 

      Click_It on 15/12/2020 - 12:25

      Cheers!

      I'm going to try the snowboard! I just hope my daughter takes to it - she's going through this phase of if she fails once, she gives up. I bought her rollerblades and skates over summer and she only used them a few times. I took her iceskating and she gave up after the first fall. I'm trying to build resilience in her without coming on too hard. Resilience is a life skill one needs to succeed at anything.

      • 

        Euphemistic on 15/12/2020 - 12:57

        +1

        She’s probably better off on skis to start then.

        • 

          Click_It on 15/12/2020 - 13:04

          @Euphemistic: Got it, thanks :)

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  ShoeyAU on 16/12/2020 - 18:16

  I've been a long time skier and just recently moved back to Aust from the UK (3yrs ago). Last year we did NZ, and this year Japan in Jan, then Perisher. Let's focus on mid 2021 for now assuming that is your main aim.

  I think NZ is better value than Aust as Danny C said above. Cheaper skipass, cheaper accommodation and if stretched out for the longer period (i.e 1wk+) your per day cost can be lower than Perisher/Thredbo. As an example, we got Mt Hutt full season pass for $399, used 2wks of it and that worked out cheaper than daily passes. Downside of NZ is that the fields are smaller, and require hf hr drive up unsealed mountain roads each day. NZ also has 'club fields' which are private skifields so it has virtually no crowds & pristine snow - they are not expensive either, but the experience is more raw and you can't expect to be served like a customer and the lift system is a lot more primitive.

  For Perisher I didn't really get any specific package deals - just drove to Jindabyne, stayed in a holiday park cabin there & got the daily pass. For Perisher, just be aware you either need to drive up with chains, or take the skitube which is an additional $90 or so, I think. Thredbo you can drive to the base.

  For clothing/helmet/goggles/gloves, Aldi & Decathlon are both good, and I assume you would be renting skis/snowboard. OTOH, if you go long enough then buying a 2nd hand pair of skis (or board) will be cheaper than renting. You will likely need an edge & wax but that's around $60 or so.

  ski.com.au forums are a good resource for a lot of info.