So winter has just arrived in Australia and we are going to have a break soon. If you are an international student living in Australia right now, why don’t you consider booking a trip to the snow? If you’re in Victoria, there are plenty of options such as Mt Baw Baw, Lake Mountain and Mt Buller. You can do a day trip, an overnight trip or if you’re up for a real adventure, maybe even a week!
This year the snow seems to come earlier and thicker than previous years, hence it is a good winter to start enjoying the snow. I love traveling and exploring the country that I live in, so last year I went on a snow trip to the Snowy Mountains in the south east of New South Wales with some friends. Today, I would like to share with you my trip and some advice for those who want to travel like myself.
Image source: Australian Geographic
- How to plan your trip:
First of all, I would recommend you search and book as early as you can. Try to plan your trip at least a month prior to the actual travel date. Reason? Because otherwise there won’t be many accommodation and ski equipment hire options available. We had a group of 10 people so we booked 2 apartments. From the apartments we had to drive another 10km to reach Thredbo Alpine Village, where you can do skiing, snowboarding and other activities. After we booked the accommodation, we also searched and pre-booked our ski and snowboard equipment. For more information you can visit the Snowy Mountains website.
This is the view from where we stayed. Our apartment was next to a small river with fresh air and beautiful view.
- What to prepare prior to the trip:
So what should we prepare for the trip? If you want to do some skiing or snowboarding activities, you can consider buying the Day Pass ticket at Thredbo. If you already know how to ski and snowboard, GREAT!!! Just book the ticket, bring all your snow gear and get ready for the day. However, if this is the first time ever you try skiing or snowboarding, I would recommend you book a half-day training session at Thredbo to learn the basics and get familiar with the equipment. Then you can enjoy the rest of your trip by practising your new skill! You should also look at some Youtube tutorial videos to learn before you go.
Here’s a list of the basic things you should bring for your trip:
- Enough warm clothes (bring extras as you can get wet there)
- Wool hats or beanies
- Warm and water resistant gloves (if you don’t have any, no worries, you can hire or buy them near the mountains)
- Bottled water (the small size as you will need to bring with you while you ski or snowboard. If you don’t want to bring the water, that is fine, you can buy it everywhere in the Thredbo Alpine Village)
- Some snacks to share with friends on the road (it is a long drive if you live in Sydney or Melbourne)
- Enjoy every moment of the trip:
Now, when you arrive at the snow, try to enjoy every moment of your trip. Make the most of it as you don’t know whether you can come back or not. But always remember safety first whenever you want to do anything. Skiing and snowboarding can be very dangerous for newbies, so take your time to learn and practise, and always go together with your friends. Hope you will enjoy my post and photos!
