We are incredibly lucky to have Thredbo, winter wonderland, in NSW and only five hours away from Sydney. As you enter Kosciusko National Park the snow fairy tale begins – you’ll feel the excitement building up as you approach this cute village covered in snow.

Village

Thredbo, unlike other ski resorts in NSW, has a gorgeous alpine village with more than 35 restaurants, bars and shops.

Many of the restaurants made a name for themselves as their food is spectacular. Some of our favourites are Candlelight Lodge, Black Bear and Cascades. During my two-week stay this winter we went to Cascades four or five times, as every single main on the menu is superb and we wanted to try them all. Couldn’t choose between twice cooked duck, eye fillet or whole trout from a nearby lake.

Ski Experience

We happened to be in Thredbo on a perfect week – the snow was powdery and the sun was out, so we enjoyed the best week of the year. If the weather isn’t kind your experience won’t be as thrilling, but luckily Thredbo publishes weather forecast on their website and the team here will happily update you on the conditions before your visit.

Thredbo advertises itself as Australia’s premier ski resort and I couldn’t agree more. Our experience of getting equipped for the slopes, organizing lessons, getting help around the mountain and dining around was excellent.

Ski Hire

Ski Hire can be booked online and collected from either the Village or Friday Flats (two main stations at the bottom of the mountain). My boots’ fitting worked well, after the second try we found the boots that worked really well. Skis are from a high performance range, so you won’t feel and look like a beginner on a mountain. Helmets can also be hired, even though I wouldn’t recommend it (they are not expensive and definitely worth the investment). Other items like clothes are not available for hire this year due to COVID restrictions.

I would highly recommend hiring your boots from Thredbo rather than Jindabyne or any other location, as boots often don’t fit well and you only find that out after half a day of skiing. Thredbo team will happily re-fit you at no extra cost, while going off the mountain would be much more complicated.

Lessons

Thredbo offers two alternatives this year – Max 5 lessons for kids and adults (maximum 5 people per group) or private lessons. I think that Max 5 are good for kids (good value plus it allows the kids to make friends on the mountain) while for adults I would recommend private lessons. You’ll see much more of the mountain that way, will go only on the runs that are safe for you and have good skiing conditions and improve your technique. You might also venture out to more advanced runs that you normally wouldn’t do alone.

If you like young and fun instructors we were recommended Seb, Nick and Ryan this season, but don’t take my word for it, I am sure all instructors are knowledgeable.

The Mountain

I am an intermediate skier and love nice long blue runs. Thredbo being the highest resort in Australia offers just that . We loved coming up to the Bell, the highest ski run point in Thredbo, and skiing all the way down. It takes about 30 minutes if you go slowly, but it’s easy to get distracted half way and hop on a Tbar on the way to extend the journey.

This year Thredbo has launched Australia’s first gondola – it sits six and takes you from the Village to Merritts, fantastic beginner area with yummy café on the snow.

Another favourite run is taking Kosciuszko chair from the Village to Eagles Nest and skiing down to a fancy on-the-snow restaurant Kareela Hutte. It is known for apres ski where at about 3pm the music gets turned up and everyone starts to dance on the dining tables. This year things are a little different and I am looking forward to see apres in action in 2021. But even without the apres scene this restaurant gets booked out weeks in advance, so make a reservation well ahead of your visit.

If it is your first time to the snow, Friday Flats is an excellent learning area for kids and adults while advanced skiers will find some steep and rocky runs that guarantee to pump some adrenalin in your blood flow. The resort is friendly to both skiers and snowboarders.

Accommodation – Thredbo Alpine Hotel

Thredbo offers a few choices of accommodation, on the snow and off the snow. Thredbo Alpine Hotel, is in an excellent location right in the Village and across the road from the Gondola and Kosciuszko chair.

The hotel recently had a face lift with all soft furnishings updated. The rooms are small, but very cosy, done in the alpine style with wood lined walls, comfy beds, mini bar fridge for your supplies and bathrooms with baths (even though, truth be told, bathrooms could benefit from a facelift too).

Hotel has a secure drying room for skis and boots, valet parking, three restaurants, lounge room with a grand piano and fireplace that becomes a meeting place of ‘who is who’ in Thredbo after a day of skiing. In better times, there is also a sauna and a massage room. I really recommend this hotel for a couple or a small family.

Ski In Ski Out

For more spacious accommodation look up Ski In Ski Out chalets – some are on the snow and some a few minutes away from slopes via a complimentary shuttle bus.

It is a much more expensive option, but the chalets can fit a large family or a group of friends as they range from one to six bedrooms.

For more information go to www.skiinskiout.com.au

Pure Hotel

If you prefer a quiet and private lodge look up Pure hotel. With only four rooms this privately owned hotel is very sweet; it feels like your home away from home – apart from your bedroom all guests have access to the spacious lounge room with a fireplace, board games, tea and coffee facilities and complimentary mini bar with soft drinks. It’s a great option for a couple seeking privacy.

Pure serves a home made breakfast in the lounge room at the communal table so if you’d like to socialize a little you could. The owner Andrew is very accommodating and will help you with the luggage, dining recommendations and anything else you might have questions about during your stay.

For more information go to www.purethredbo.com.au

The Lux Traveller Loves

Staying right on the snow at Thredbo Alpine Hotel.

Very friendly service on and off the mountain.

Total ease with ski hire and ski storage. Maximum we ever had to walk in our ski boots was five minutes.

Great choice of restaurants in the village.

New gondola on the mountain makes access to Merritts pure ease, not to mention keeps you warm. Excellent addition for green / blue trail skiers.

Splitting Hairs

Check the weather in advance. On a really windy day Thredbo closes all ski lifts and even though you would receive a credit for the ski pass, it is an expensive day without skiing.

All In All

Thredbo is a superb resort and we are very lucky to have it so close to Sydney. It is just as good for groups of friends as it is for families. I would recommend staying a little longer, at least a week, to give you time to enjoy the atmosphere, not worry about a bad weather day, improve your skiing and try out all the local restaurants.

For more information go to www.thredbo.com.au