Need To Goto The Snow

[agentx]

ok, never been to the snow ... EVER! I've got annual leave next weekend so want to go down on saturday and come back sunday night. I've called around 25 hotels since last week ... no rooms tried mt buller and hotham.

Just thought i'd ask here for any advice / tips / tricks ... don't want to miss another season. There's 4 of us ... and we're willing to spend upto 500 a night all up

thanks in advance!

[Jezza-gtR]

ok, never been to the snow ... EVER! I've got annual leave next weekend so want to go down on saturday and come back sunday night. I've called around 25 hotels since last week ... no rooms tried mt buller and hotham.

Just thought i'd ask here for any advice / tips / tricks ... don't want to miss another season. There's 4 of us ... and we're willing to spend upto 500 a night all up

thanks in advance!

Trying to get into a place a week before hand is very hard, as most places are well booked in advanced but keep trying! Try falls creek mate, thats my no.1

Everything is expensive lol, food, tickets, gear if u don't have it already, but if your just going to kick back for a few days shouldn't be a hassle.

And drive carefully

[stolen_s15]

I would try Buller mate, Falls/Hotham are a pain to drive to for a weekend trip IMO. And if you're just a beginner there will be more than enough terrain for you.

Try staying off the mountain (Mansfield or Sawmill Settlement) if the whole mountain is booked. www.wotif.com has some good last minute specials which might help you out.

Have fun mate, its the best (well maybe except for 2004) season this decade!!!

[agentx]

well we're not really the skiing/snowboarding type ... maybe just get a plastic plate and slide down a little hill but thats about it going more for the experience / scenery / snow man creation / snow fights kinda thing

checked wotif, didnt find anything there really. if i stay in mansfield, is there snow there or will i have to drive further up towards buller? how far is buller from mansfield?

thx

[willL]

willing to spend 500 a night..f**k i dont understand how you are finding it hard when you willing to pay that much for a single night. I was paying 100 per night at USL at Bulla all food included. We booked a 1 week prior as well. Its not school holidays or anything either.

[agentx]

what can I say ... try looking

[willL]

btw

mansfield to buller your looking at a 45 minute drive.

so I say keep lookin at Mountain Units.

[stolen_s15]

If you're just going to have play in the snow got to Mt Baw Baw. They have more than enough snow up there to muck around with, and its the cheapest mounatin in VIC. And from memory its an easy drive from melbourne (I haven't been there for almost 6 years). It has NO night life however.

Forget Buller/Falls/Hotham if you dont want to actually ski/board.

[agentx]

nah well there should be a bit of night life I've decided to rent a 4wd and get aLOT of blankets and sleep in the car ... just worried about a place I can have a shower and get ready in the morning? ideas?

[SS8_Gohan]

imo, there is no point going to the trouble you're going to if you're not going to ski or board. Sleeping in the car is what my hardcore mates do for a cheap ski trip, but they are serious riders as well. I don't think it's going to be much of an enjoyable weekend away without any amenities and having to sleep in a car with 4 other people. 4wd or not, that's not going to be comfortable.

Lift/lesson/rental packages are not that expensive. Call Mt Buller accomodation hotline (all major mountains will have a booking service) and i'm sure they'll hook you up. And if you're all beginners, don't feel there is a need to rush up to the snow, there will be enough to stick around in the areas you'll be skiing.

Showers? i know hotham has public shower access, don't know about other mountains.

call Buller direct, you'll find accom. Have a ski, you'd be silly not to after going all that way, there is only so much "snow play" you can do. If you want, just do half day lift tickets if you really want to muck around in the snow.

[Bond]

Unless you like camping i wouldnt bother sleeping in the back (Done it b4 and very cold). You also have to check if the back folds out flat as my patrol is impossible to sleep in the back!

I would suggest going to a nice B&B in Mansfield and then go to mount stirling (Or Buller if u really want to) for a day trip. It will cost you bugger all, has all the snow you need to play in and is a great drive from mansfield.

Or stay in melbourne and go to Mt Donna Buang or Lake mountain for the day. Great day trips

[WYTSKY]

hehehe... if you want showers and all the rest at your convenience, have a look at some camping stores or even kmart if your on the cheaper side.. . they have these units that you attach to the side of your car door, poor water into and stand under and let the valve go and comes down like a shower... you can get a unheated or heated version... im just thinking if you get unheated how much of a snow man you would look like after a shower!

Adam

[stolen_s15]

nah well there should be a bit of night life I've decided to rent a 4wd and get aLOT of blankets and sleep in the car ... just worried about a place I can have a shower and get ready in the morning? ideas?

I would strongly advise against that. I would consider myself a dedicated rider (I'm selling my car to do Whistler this NH season FFS!), but that is somthing I will only do once.

Another option for a decent day trip is to just drive to Buller early, much around and come back. Its not too far for a day trip.

[agentx]

I would strongly advise against that. I would consider myself a dedicated rider (I'm selling my car to do Whistler this NH season FFS!), but that is somthing I will only do once.

Another option for a decent day trip is to just drive to Buller early, much around and come back. Its not too far for a day trip.

well if it gets TOO cold we'll start driving back i guess haha! but 4 people in one 4wd shouldn't be THAT unbearable imo. We'll start the car for a 20 mins or so with the heater on if its gets too bad

[SS8_Gohan]

Nick, didn't know you were a hardcore rider (it's r34skyline from ns.com, one of m's victims )

been to whistler/blackcomb a couple times, my god is there a lot of terrain!! Never had a full on pow session though, disappointed. But for the fresh snow that we did have, Big White blew it away in terms of powder quality. Whistler really does suffer being right on the Pacific. If you're serious about your pow, head in-land. But if you're doing a full season at whistler, i'm sure you'll get some corker days though. Will you be instructing/liftie/ski shop/bar job?