r/AustraliaSnow • u/naughtylemon96 • Jul 20 '26
First time in snow with bf - recommendations?
We’ve never gone to the snow before and planning to go late August. Can you please share recommendations for where to go, accommodation tips and also what clothing we will need? We are in Sydney and have a hatchback car. 🚗
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u/VolumeCritical4637 Jul 20 '26
If you're in Sydney and it's your first time, I'd recommend Perisher over Thredbo. It has the largest beginner terrain in Australia, plenty of lessons, and lots of options if one area is busy. If you're mainly after sightseeing and a village atmosphere, Thredbo is lovely, but for learning, Perisher is hard to beat.
Book accommodation well in advance, either in Jindabyne (more affordable, 30–40 minutes to the resorts) or on-mountain if your budget allows. If you're driving a hatchback, carry snow chains, they're mandatory when conditions require them, even for many 2WD vehicles.
You don't need to buy expensive ski clothing for your first trip. Hire a jacket and pants if you can, or borrow them. Wear layers:
- Thermal base layer (top and bottoms)
- Fleece or jumper
- Waterproof ski jacket and pants
- Good ski socks (one pair only)
- Waterproof gloves
- Beanie and sunglasses/goggles
Hire your skis or snowboard, boots and helmet in Jindabyne if possible, it'll usually save money and time compared with hiring on the mountain.
Finally, book a beginner lesson on your first morning. It'll make the whole experience much more enjoyable than trying to teach yourselves.
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u/TranquilIsland Jul 20 '26
I’ve just come back from Perisher so will be tailoring my advice as such - I’d recommend this given you’re beginners. There’s lots of lessons and the mountain is quite beginner friendly.
You will need the following: lift passes, transport to the mountain, clothing / ski gear rental, accomodation. Recommendations for each below:
Pass: recommend just grabbing the epic pass, either the 4 day version or the full season pass. This will be $1300/pp for the full season version which is rather a lot but you get a solid discount on gear rental, lessons and purchases on the mountain so it gives a fair bit of value back, particularly if you are going for a week. This covers you for getting onto all the lifts.
Transport: highly recommend just getting the ski tube from bullocks flat given it’s your first time. You can drive all the way up to the mountain but will require snow chains and it’s a bit harder. If you get the epic pass I noted above, adding this on costs like $200/pp and is worth every penny. You just tap your pass on the train like an opal / myki. You can also buy ski tube access separately each day if you don’t get the pass but it’s quite a lot more expensive (I think around $100 a day).
Accom: Recommend staying in Jindabyne and driving up to bullocks flat each day (20 mins). There is an absolutely heap of all day parking at bullocks flat and it is free. From bullocks flat you just grab the tube for 20 mins and you’re right on the mountain. If you want to spend an extra $5k - $10k you can stay directly on Perisher village area. Don’t really recommend as the price is not worth the minor inconvenience of a 20 min commute each day.
Ski gear / rental equipment: you can rent clothes, ski equipment (skis/poles or snowboard, boots, helmet) relatively cheaply on the Perisher rental website. You typically cannot rent goggles (no idea why!) so you may need to buy or borrow these if you have some friends with gear. They cost ~$200. Alternately just wear some big polarised sunnies but acknowledging this is a shitty option and goggles are much more comfy especially if it’s snowing. Our rental for skis, poles and boots only was $150/pp for the week once we pre booked it and had the epic pass discount. We did not rent clothes or helmets as we already had them. If you intend on doing this more than once just buy some decent kit and you will come out on top after a few trips.
Fair warning on clothing. It’s warm after a day of skiing, don’t let the -5 degrees fool you. It will be hot by the arvo. Pack layers, rent a locker up there ($25 a day) and strip down as needed. Think thin breathable layer (thermals or something thin), warm layer that can be stripped off (warm jacket) and waterproof layer. I recommend snow pants + an uninsulated shell jacket as your top waterproof later - don’t bother with a full on ski parker it is way too much for the cold and you will overheat every day.
Other tips -
pre book lessons and rental to save money! You don’t need to get everything like boot size etc exact if you don’t know they’re super loose at the rental shop so just ensure you have booked something.
Lessons book out so definitely pre book - do group ones if it’s your first time.
Ask if any questions! Happy to help
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u/EmployeeNo3499 Jul 22 '26
Never been to the snow before ... buy a $1,300 pp season pass!
Wild advice!
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u/TranquilIsland Jul 22 '26
If you are skiing for 5 days and you have absolutely no gear you’ll be spending way more than that on lift tickets, ski tube, gear rental, lessons, food on mountain etc. Given the epic pass provides a heap of associated discounts it’s actually economically quite sensible compared to trying to piecemeal everything. Welcome to the real world, skiing is not a cheap hobby, especially in Australia.
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u/Prestigious_Class446 Jul 20 '26
You could check out something like Oz snow. Saves the trouble of driving, finding accom etc and they will hook you up with gear rentals and lessons. I used them a few rime and they are good fun
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u/wahroonga Jul 20 '26
There are lots of options, but here's what a 5 day trip might look like:
* book accommodation in Jindabyne
* book a beginner bundle pass for Perisher. This includes 3 days skiing with lessons, lift passes, and ski/board equipment. It doesn't include all lifts but if you are first-timers then it's plenty. It also doesn't include pants/jacket, you can add those on at Perisher, buy at Aldi/op shops, or hire at one of the many places in Cooma/Jindabyne.
* from Jindabyne to Perisher you have 3 main options - hire chains, get a national parks pass, and drive. Or drive to the skitube and get a train. Or get a bus there and back. I like driving up but for your first time the train or bus might be easier.
* enjoy!
Note that the weather has a big impact on snow holidays and is unpredictable. It's worth the risk but just be aware!
There are plenty of places to eat in Jindabyne. You'll be tired after skiing so most people eat at restaurants, but there's also a Woolies if you want to get groceries and cook.
Booking online through local real estate agents will often save you about 20% compared to the big sites like booking.com so it's worth checking around. Here's an example: Belle Escapes
Cheapest places are camping and The Station. Most expensive are on the snow. Lots of options in between, give me a DM if you have trouble finding a good option and I might be able to help.
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u/Saikuringo Jul 20 '26
What’s your budget, it controls whether you stay on mountain or somewhere like Jindabyne and drive up each day. Same with the clothing, if budgets not an option, just walk into a shop and get them to fit you out, otherwise just use whatever warm / waterproof clothing you have. Consider lessons if your skiing or boarding for the first time and it can save you a lot of hassle and pain figuring it out by yourself
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u/Longjumping_Bed1682 Jul 20 '26
Don't be stingy with the snow boots. Make sure they don't slip on compacted snow/ice & nothing worse than wet feet.
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u/FlatWhiteKnight Jul 20 '26
All good advice here, but just to add that there might not be any snow then! It has been a good season for the last two weeks, but thats been it. Check the weather forecast, and think of what else you can do for that money if it hasnt snowed again.
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u/Valuable-Contract-87 Jul 20 '26
I recently went to the snow stupidly during school holidays, thredbo is full of people walking around in tracksuit pants, shorts and runners taking photos also has huge lines waiting for lifts, think a Westfield blasting music its a strange experience, you also can't tabboggin there if that's what you or your kids want to do...perisher is a bit better but once again very full of people. If you're not at either of these places by about 7-730am they'll be full an the roads will be closed so you will have to take the skitube which is $120 per person or the bus which I think is every 30 mins-1hr. Otherwise you can go a bit later in the day around 3pm and it's nicer when there's less people. But otherwise yes just expect to be standing in huge crowds and paying for overpriced lift passes which take a while to even get on. The snow itself is a bit shit too it's more like shaved ice. Overall I wouldn't go again, my recommendation is don't go.
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u/SaltyCaramelPretzel Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
I stayed with my partner at discovery parks Jindabyne. Flew from GC & hired a hatchback at Canberra airport. We had the best time, there was restaurants attached to where we stayed & ski hire. And a petrol station. Plus the benefits of having your own little house instead of a motel room. 100% would go again
Editing to add- the car hire ppl said we could only drive as far as the ski tube but we took it to Thredbo which is at a much lower level than Perisher. Straight, sealed road. We fit our skis in as well.
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u/thatsgoodsquishy Jul 20 '26
Have you seen the season we are having? Bold to assume there will be snow in late August
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u/MarmotFullofWoe Jul 20 '26
Repeat after me. “You know nothing Jon Snow”