Top places to ski in Australia

With ski fields and ski resorts in Australia reopening for the 2022 ski season, now’s a great time to check out the top skiing destinations right here in our own backyard. Besides, if you’re gonna freeze your assets off this winter, you may as well have fun while you’re at it!

And as with any fun that may involve hurtling down a steep decline covered in snow, please take care out there, for yourself and those around you. And that’s exactly why Medibank Travel Insurance lets you add additional ski and snow cover to your policy!

1. Thredbo, NSW

Located 33 km from Jindabyne, Thredbo Alpine Village is nestled in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains and attracts over 700,000 visitors annually. Winter at Thredbo, weather permitting, starts on the first weekend in June, and the resort offers a wide range of activities both on and off the slopes for people of all ages and experience. The best time to ski in Thredbo is between July and August.

Whether you're into skiing, snowboarding, hiking, sightseeing or just some good time snow play, Thredbo has plenty on offer. When the mountain is fully blanketed in snow, Thredbo has the longest ski runs in Australia and offers skiers and boarders over 50 runs to choose from.

The resort has a wide variety of accommodation options to suit various group sizes and budget and the village has plenty of bars, restaurant and shops to ensure a great holiday destination for all.

2. Mt Hotham, VIC

About 4.5 hours drive from Melbourne. Mt Hotham isn’t as conveniently located as Mt Buller, but it will nevertheless reward seasoned skiers with some of the finest snow in Australia. That said, Hotham does have its own airport, so flying in from Sydney will take around 50 minutes, and just 30 minutes from Albury.

Commonly referred to as the ‘Powder Capital of Australia’, Mt Hotham is rich in aggressive terrain and its bumper snowfall makes it one of the best backcountry skiing and snowboarding destinations down under. It’s no wonder Mt Hotham has the highest proportion of ‘black runs’ in Australia.

Mt Hotham is also unique in that its village is actually perched near the summit, not the bottom, making it easier to catch magnificent panoramas over sunrise or sunset. As with all top ski resorts,

Though the village itself may be sprawling, just a short drive to nearby Dinner Plain will let you live out your alpine village life You may even catch a dog sled race while you’re there!

3. Falls Creek, VIC

Also deep in Victoria’s high country, Falls Creek’s ski season runs from the middle of June through to the beginning of October. During this time, you will find more than 90 ski runs and 15 lifts servicing alpine thrill seekers.

Over half the runs at Falls Creek are designated as intermediate, with the remainder fairly evenly split between beginners and advanced, making it a great destination for families and groups of mixed abilities.

As well as traditional on-mountain activities, the resort offers loads of other ways to enjoy the snow including snow bocce, snow tubing, high country picnics, snow biking and fun snow dragon shows for the kids.

Falls Creek is also internationally renowned for its cross-country skiing routes through the beautiful landscape of Victoria’s high country. Dedicated snowshoe trails are also available.

4. Ben Lomond, TAS

Found in the heart of Tasmania’s Ben Lomond National Park, ski season at Ben Lomond Ski field Area usually starts late, around mid July. This year however, they’ve had bumper snow since early June, so what are you waiting for?!

Only 60 km from Launceston, Ben Lomond is the only vehicle-accessible alpine resort in Tasmania and is an easy day trip destination. A scenic drive from Launceston takes you up through rain forests and onto the mountain plateau where, on a clear day, there are spectacular views as far as Flinders Island.

A small local resort, Ben Lomond runs seven lifts and is a relaxed, family friendly resort with very reasonable prices. The village is located at the foot of the slopes and offers toboggan and snow play areas for the kids, along with convenient equipment hire facilities, a ski school and a cosy café.