Australian 2015 Season To Start Early With Free Skiing Tomorrow
Australian 2015 Season To Start Early With Free Skiing Tomorrow
Published : 04-Jun-2015 11:26
Several ski areas in Australia have just announced they'll open a day earlier than planned for the ski season – tomorrow Friday, June 5th. One resort has announced it will run its lifts free of charge.
The decision follows a week of cold weather that has been ideal for snow making with temperatures as low as -6C at night time and snow falls of up to 30cm/a foot of fresh snow.
Australian ski areas normally open on the first weekend of June, a holiday weekend in the country to celebrate the Queen's birthday that incorporates a Monday bank holiday – this year on June 8th.
Quite often the areas have to open with little or no snow cover, but this winter has started well at most areas.
As an added bonus, Mt Buller has announced skiing will be free on Friday whilst the country's largest area, Perisher (pictured above), which begins the season under new ownership – the US resort owning giants Vail Resorts, will have 11 lifts and two terrain parks operating, is offering three days skiing for the price of two.
The first official opening of the southern hemisphere's 2015 ski season was actually today, Thursday June 4th, at Afriski, a small ski area in Lesotho, Southern Africa. They have not quite had enough snow to open yet but may do tomorrow too, as temperatures have dropped to allow snowmaking and natural snowfall is expected overnight. Afriski (pictured below this morning) is advising visitors to aim to arrive after noon tomorrow to allow time for the high pass on the way to the slopes to be cleared of the expected snow.
The biggest pre-season southern hemisphere snow falls have in fact been reported in New Zealand with more than a metre of snow at some resorts but so far none are known to have officially opened early, although some people have been hiking up to ski and board down. New Zealand areas begin officially opening at the end of next week.
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