deanrobi 2 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I'm afarid that I have to agree with GN, I have been going the Aust snow fields for over 20 years but this year I just cant bring myself to outlay that amount of money on accommodation ect for what you get. The trips to Japan have lifted my expectations of a snow trip and what I want to get from the experience. This year for something different I'm spending my money on a quick trip to Fiji for a week of kite Boarding and then hopefully a 5 day trip to Mt Hutt NZ. And of course another two weeks back to Niseko where I can be pretty confident that I will get my money's worth and the snow fix that I seek. Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I can see MB's point though - if you are not missing out on anything because of the Aussie ski trip you may as well go. Better than staying at home. Right now, and for the next few months, you have a better chance of a good ski trip in Aus than Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Skiing in Aus is like buying a car worth only $30,000 for $60,000. You've been completely ripped off for the quality of the product. Sure you can still drive it around and have fun with it and if you're rich enough you can even shrug off the lack of value you have received. But at the end of the day you have still forked out a huge amount of money for an inferior product. Simple as that. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 We shall have to agree to disagree on that GN. I think the products are different, and the value is based on your individual perceptions of that value. Link to post Share on other sites
grazza 2 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Couldn't agree more. I'm currently planning my 4th Japan snow trip. Oz is completely off the radar now, especially as a speculative weekend trip to Thredbo last year left wifey with an ACL that didn't join up in the middle. She swears it came as a result of skiing on crap Australian snow, and refuses to contemplate it anymore. My strategy used to be: wait for a weekend that looks like it's going to dump and head down at the last minute to give us a chance of getting halfway decent conditions. It's been replaced with a new strategy: a week in Indo mid Oz winter to get warmed up and shacked off face, followed by as long as I can manage in Japan mid Oz summer for you know what. Works a treat. Oz snow is a complete waste of time and money, IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites
blu 3 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 BIG WEDNESDAY will be here Thursday (20-40cm+). GN - and just how much each season did you pay for your endlines lines of Aussie powder. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Aussie powder? Now there's an oxymoron! Most of my skiing in Aus was backcountry. I think Aus backcountry is awesome, it's only the resorts I think are terrible value for money. Even when I skied at resorts I usually slept in a tent nearby so I've never spent too much on skiing in Aus although I did buy season passes at Hotham a couple of years. Hotham was a good resort to incorporate some resort skiing and backcountry on the same trip. And not too bad value for money when sleeping in a tent. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Sleeping in the van at Jindy, eating at the Mexican place, Sauna and ping-pong. Drive up, put rented chains on, pay National park ... We thought it was yuppies'price then and now it's bloated. Really, Aussie accomodation is a rip-off especially them Motels. Link to post Share on other sites
TJ OZ 0 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Got some great memories of aussie resorts. As MB said, it is what it is. No comparison to Japan. Just good to be out sliding around with my mates. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 TJ, That's fine if you are able to get to the snow in under a half day drive, slide for a bit and then head back to work for Monday. For the rest of us, who HAVE TO plan for a week there (in our annual holidays) we have to drive for a day or more, pay the "yuppie" prices, put up with the crap service by oversnow transport, pay top dollar for food basics, AND put up with the snow conditions as they exist at the time (because we cannot just go back home again and zip out for a weekend later). Like MB, I have been spoiled by a few trips to Japan. But I cannot see the sense in paying as much for an Aus "snow" holiday of 7 days on snow as I would pay for 10 days or so in Japan INCLUDING airfares! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Well...ONE of my two weeks in Japan will be costing me the same as my one week in Thredbo (accommodation wise). Airfares considerably more to Japan than Thredbo. Food for the family marginally cheaper in Japan, but we did dine out in style while in Thredbo. Japan does spoil you, and my heart sinks when Papa want's take us to somewhere else in January ... but in July and August (and sometimes September) my heart belongs to Thredbo. Link to post Share on other sites
TJ OZ 0 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Originally Posted By: JA TJ, That's fine if you are able to get to the snow in under a half day drive, slide for a bit and then head back to work for Monday. Yeah I here ya. I was from Melbourne so a 3 hour drive to Buller with a car load of mates was a great weekend trip. Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I struggle to see value in it also. Maybe if I was closer... even when we had friends living in Jindi we rarely could motivate ourselves to spend the money. I was just offered a 'discount' on 4 star accom for 6 days at Persisher $870 (incl breakfast), had to buy lift tickets, airfares and transfers etc (or drive). I worked it out at about $1800 total at least = 300 per day. Japan in 2011 is 3550 for 10 days but no breakfast hmmm. For an extra 55 per day on similar accom etc, why bother with Aus. Can do Canada for the same or cheaper. Just need a little extra time to travel... I think it is cheaper for a Brisbanite do UNZUD as well. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 So the question I beg to ask is : Is NZ stil good value? You get a better exchange rate for sure, the club fields are something to explore, The commercial ones day pass are way expensive like the Aussie ones, and there's helicopter. Is the southern-hemi just a place for northern-hemi instructors to get work? If airfare and accomodation are taken into account then saving up for Japan is the go? I suppose if working holiday is involved you get a different answer to someone who is going for 2~3 weeks ? Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Yeh maybe it has to do with skiing mid year, I can find plenty of other winter activites in Aus and save for a real snow holiday. Certified Snow Snob is I... Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Understood. It gets to a point you really are addicted and any snow will do, or you just wait for the great days. For me, Snowing and up to my knees in it, weekday, nobody around. And it's near where I am. Get's a bit like surfing for that matter, when it's happening it's on. Freezing, windy, i don't care. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Tex, are you flying? Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Like I said before. Snow skiing in Australia is NOT a community service. It's an industry, a business and all businesses are there for one thing. To make money. They will charge the maximum price for their services that they can and if people still pay it (it gets booked out every year no matter how shite the snow is), then there's nothing you can do about it. I'm over winging about it. Pay or don't pay. Go or don't go. Choices and options. Yes it's a rip off, but so are a lot of other things in life. Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Originally Posted By: Jynxx Tex, are you flying? Flying? You mean for perisher? Nope not going - not worth it... Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I find the "Certified Snow Snob" thing funny... really I do [having a little chuckle right now]. I have friends who refuse to ride anything but fresh untouched knee deep in Niseko. Happy to fly over and sit in the room for 3 days waiting for snow. Me...I am happy with less. I APPRECIATE the champagne, but I am happy to drink the sparkling wine (or sparkling water) when that is all that is available. Having said that I did notice that this trip, while I went up each day I did not necessarily stay out. If the snow conditions were not all that pleasurable, and the queue's that bit too long, then a couple of runs had me done and in the bar. Previous trips this would not have stopped me. Am I slowing down due to the injury and lack of fitness? Or am I becoming (drum roll...dum da dum...) a snow snob. OH! And I think I may get the chance to visit NZ next year late season - IF Papa can line up World Cup tickets. I don't know why (maybe it is the drive each day - I get really car sick) but I have been rather skittish of traveling to NZ. Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 You, MB, are a SNOW SNOB! Link to post Share on other sites
Tex 3 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Don't get me wrong I like riding a groomer, ride them all day if conditions are good; that is as long as it is SNOW and not some slush or ice or some other form of frozen semi-frozen/unfrozen water. As well as being a snow snob I am also a ski in/ski out snob. While I haven't always had true ski in/ski out if I can walk to the lifts/home again in under 15 minutes, that will do. The whole drive to the slopes deal WTF is up with that... CRAZY TALK Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Papa is getting all excited about France. I blame Le Tour Apparently that is our Jan '12 destination. All I keep seeing is those LONG winding Hairpin bended roads on the telly. Feeling seedy already! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 For many of us MB what may be perceived as snow snobbery is much more about simple economics and getting the most bang for our buck. I'm tipping you take home more cash from your family business in a few days than my wife and I take home in a month or more. In fact I'd reckon you spend more on family holidays each year than my gross income annually! Value definitely has a different meaning for those of us of more limited means. For the cost Aus resorts are just too hit and miss for my liking. In fact you are very lucky if you get any decent quality snow at all. And I know that even on the very best days in Aus, that may occur only a few times each season, the snow will still barely be as good as an average day in Niseko. If I ever move back to Aus, I know where my limited funds for ski holidays each year will go to. Definitely not Aus resorts! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I do understand what you are saying GN. But I did mean 'snow snob' in the sense of already at the resort with the lift pass and deciding the snow is not worth the effort, not referring to making a rational decision to spend your money on champagne snow instead of sparkling water snow. If I was limited to one trip per year it would be in January. Two reasons: more reliable, and we have bigger holidays available. I would be jumping up and down in the corner cheering for Japan, and Papa would be flicking through brochures for Chamonix, Kitsbuhel, and the like. Link to post Share on other sites
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