101 replies to this topic

[Mamabear]

Mitch - comparing the most expensive single day pass as per their own website (as per the original article). For reference, the Niseko price is the All Mountain Pass - there is a cheaper option.

Mantas ... that is 2008! And it is Spring.
But having said that Papa and I are off to Hakuba end of March so here's hoping we get a nice discounted spring ticket this year

Last year I bought a season pass at Thredbo and worked out I was in front of the next cheapest option after 11 days ... (and that cheaper option works out to about $88 a day). I think I actually skied for about $70 a day last year.... still rather on the high side when you compare it to Mantas family trip to Hakuba

[TubbyBeaverinho]

Lift Prices really haven't went up much, they hovver around the 5k mark. I was surprised to see the cost of the season ticket at Niseko.... over 100k

[Go Native]

Yeah it's crazy but that's Tokyu for you. Complete and utter idiots every last old, put out to pasture, prick who works there! If I was religious at all I'd pray daily for them to please, please sell to a company that has even some good business sense.

[Mamabear]

How many days do you need to ride to make it worth buying a season pass?

I think I worked it out to be thereabout of 4 weeks when we were there in January - and it was not worth it for us. However it WAS worth it for our older boys because they fell into the 'Senior High Schooler' category. And that was WAY cheaper.

Good discount for kids and kids are kids much longer in Japan.

[roscoe]

It makes me wonder when the Australian resorts will wake up.If I could only ski once ayear I would not go in Aus its over priced for familys and under snowed.Going back to NZ this year.to keep us happy untill Japan time comes around.

[Mamabear]

Why would they want to wake up roscoe?
They are PACKED.

I love my Aussie snow experience, and I love my Japan snow experience. Both very different. But you are right - the prices are high. However during school holidays - good luck trying to get accommodation if you haven't booked ahead of time - and enjoy the queue's.

I was in Thredbo in July, August and September 2009, some of those times in peak times and some in off peak ... and while September saw a lot less people in the village and on the slopes - there were still queue's the majority of the time...

It is supply and demand at work really isn't it... there aint much supply and a rather large demand. Shame we can't just sprout another snowfield or two.

[thursday]

It's a great way to go. If it's packed all the time, then charge even more. Just makes sense. If you're desperate enough, just pay it and STFU. If you're fooling enough, just pay it and enjoy. And STFU.

Supply and demand. I hope you get what you paid for.

[Mamabear]

People don't have to go if they don't think they are getting what they paid for Thursday.

Obviously Roscoe doesn't - that is why he has moved on to the NZ locations.

But it just wouldn't make any sense whatsoever to drop the prices when the visitor numbers are really high already. They have lower lift tix prices in the shoulder seasons, where they do have the capacity to increase patronage. From what I see the resorts are already wide awake, and making the best of what they have. And there is a lot of reinvestment back into the resorts - more snow guns at Thredders this year - giving even more of the resort the extra boost to extend the season. In understand that it is going to cost more to provide a good ski resort experience in Australia, due to the weather conditions we have here, and while I would love cheaper lift tickets, I am happy to pay for that service.

[BagOfCrisps]

I am quite surprised to see some of those prices.
Very interesting.

[Jynxx]

yeah, isn't it. It makes you wonder what's behind them.
What has changed in the last 20 years in Aus to justify the price hike in lift prices? Property price went up so they want a bigger return in relation to that? Australia is no lucky country when you look at what you get for your bucks. That's what goes around...
Anyways, do 3 weeks in Aus and the extra you pay will cover the plane ticket, so I reckon people just go to Thredbo for a few days in that season.
NZ commercial runs has gone up, too. The club scene interests me though.
Prices in Germany and Austria has gone up about 5 Euros this year. Still, we haven't paid more than 35 Euros per day this year.

[Mamabear]

I don't think it has much to do with property prices Jynxx, the prices for ski properties are not exactly booming, and haven't been as long as I have been looking.

The last few years lift tickets have increased by a few dollars a year - heck our school fee's have jumped by 6% each and every year for the last 8 years! But for the high prices I have seen benefit in our local resort - this year alone there has been the purchase of more new snow guns and a whole raft of new rental gear.

I think I prefer that to the resort verging on bankruptcy with 15yr old rental stock.

Not to be misunderstood, I love a bargain, and would love to be able to ski a well maintained resort mountain for free or cheaply ... but that is not our reality. It does help to take the sting out of the lift pass to buy it as a Season Pass though - works out cheaper (if you ride for 2 weeks or more in the season), and once it is paid you quickly forget about the cost.

I am aware that the costs involved does make it prohibitively difficult for struggling families to access. This has always been the case. I heard Snowboard Half Pipe Gold Medalist and Cooma local Torah Bright talking about how she started telemark skiing as the family could not afford lift tickets. And this is one of the reasons why we have purchased a ski apartment in Aus first - to make it available at no cost to our siblings families, thereby making a ski holiday a financial possibility.

And there are still some budget or value options available to families..

A peak season day ticket for an adult at Selwyn Snowfields will set you back $72, but you can buy a Season Pass for just $430 if you do it before the 31st of May.

Mt Baw Baw's prices for 2010 are not out yet, but they were 59/49 (weekend/midweek) for an adult last year.

And Charlotte Pass will charge you $89 for the day in the 2010 peak season, but that will include your oversnow transport and a hot lunch.

[Jynxx]

I suppose all comes down to lifestyle. How you manage your work and free time.
I heard about your new pad. Congrats! When you like the place, all is well.
I wonder, though. If you were living on the East coast, would you have considered NZ? Example, Queenstown ? Since air travel is involved and a bit of a drive, I am impressed about the effort you take to get to Thredbo.
Most Japanese living in Japan and Oz have this impression that if you were to go snow, you are better off at NZ. Certainly a packaged fly and drive for a week or so looks very attractive and since accomodation is not cheap in OZ either. Frankly, I was impressed with Thredbo and Perisher when I first went there. Not bad. But I can't see myself doing a season there unless I work there. I still will hold a grudge for the high lift price though. Even if it is $20 more expensive than other places. It adds up. Like to be in a situation I don't have to think that way.
I really don't think there is such a thing as a bargain, and sometimes it's hard to work out what's cheaper or better. Again. Lifestyle issue.
Had a mate who had bought a pad with his brother and sister at Naeba. I was lucky to have had been able to stay with him for a month each season. We also went there in summer and played tennis at the Prince hotel. As long as they were happy with maintaining the place and felt they were getting something out of it, all was fine.
Well, when the novelty runs out, you just move on...

[Mamabear]

NZ is an interesting question for us.

Our two older boys have both been to Queenstown/Cardrona - twice each. One in 09, both in 08 and one in 07. They went on school trips in July.

We often talk about going to NZ, but always end up in Aus over those school holiday weeks. The drawback for us is driving up to the snow each day - we really like our walking distance accommodations - especially with teenagers who wont hurry up and get ready for first lifts.

When we ask the boys who have been to both whether they would rather go to Cardrona or Thredbo with the family they choose Thredbo, but I suspect that has a lot to do with the drive up each day. Number 2 son is talking about doing the Snow Trainers course in NZ rather than Niseko now (as it will give him an extra 6 months to save for it)....so he is certainly not against NZ.

Would it make a difference if we were on the East Coast? ... maybe ... but if the Aussie snow was easily accessed by just a drive I think the difference would be that we would consider NZ less.

I don't know Jynxx.
It is easy to head off for some Northern Hemi snow as we don't have any on our own soil at that time of year - the battle I have is that I always want to go back to Hokkaido and Papa wants to see the world. But when it is the Southern Hemisphere and I have had some awesome days in 'my back yard' I don't really see the attraction of playing in my neighbors yard - except for the novelty factor.

But ask me again after I have been, and you might get a different answer. I am learning and changing my opinion all the time.

[gareth_oau]

I agree MB. As far as I know, the only NZ place with on-snow accommodation is Cardrona and i believe its not luxurious and doesnt have the village lifestyle.

We tried Jindabyne a few times, based on cost, but the daily return drive and all the logistics that go with it, adds another 2-3 hours to your day, for no extra benefit.

the idea of a luxury apartment, 2 minutes or less from the lifts AND shops makes for one very relaxing, yet invigorating holiday

[Mamabear]

I don't really even need the luxury Gareth, although it helps!

As a large family (and I am sure you have similar issues with yours) we don't all want to go out at the same time... the boys like to sleep late and hit the lifts around lunchtime, whereas Papa and I like to be in the queue waiting for them to open, steaming coffee in hand.

Having on snow/near snow accommodation allows for that - leave the older teenagers tucked up in bed with a post it note on their foreheads telling them what you are up to. Leave the younger teens finishing up their breakfast with instructions to meet you at the lift after you've done your first run ... and just go.

It also means Mum can drop out at 3.30 to go back and get dinner started while the rest ride till stumps and slide in to the smell of a nice warm dinner.

I enjoyed our day trips to Perisher, and to Rusutsu (from Niseko) but I wouldn't want to HAVE to do that every day.

[gareth_oau]

when youre daytripping, you also have to find on-mountain lunch, which can be quite expensive for 6 people over 7 - 9 days, so 'popping back' to the apartment for lunch helped (a little bit) to offset the cost of the apartment

[Mantas]

The big fields in NZ around QT offer a free shuttle up the mountain each day. Not a bad option, the roads are diabolical when snowy. Most of the smaller club fields offer on snow accommodation though it's a one star experience.

NZ for me

[Go Native]

I must admit that if I was to ever leave the wonderful Hokkaido summer and venture down to an Aus winter (very unlikely) I'd really struggle with value for money skiing at an Aus resort. I've skied at just about all of them and certainly had some fun but since skiing overseas it's opened up my eyes what real snow is and what good value for your buck is. For me Australian resorts offer neither.
I would definitely still head backcountry though. Some of the backcountry peaks like Bogong and Feathertop in Vic and the almost endless terrain off the Main Range in NSW offer a fantastic backcountry experience that is uniquely Australian and comparable to many great ski areas of the world.

[Mamabear]

Mantas - the roads being diabolical and having to go up every day would do my head in. And being a motion sickness sufferer I hate buses. It is a shame there are not more on snow accommodation options.

GN - you certainly are living in a very special area of the world. It would be very hard to not feel that way.

[Tex]

Originally Posted By: Go Native

I must admit that if I was to ever leave the wonderful Hokkaido summer and venture down to an Aus winter (very unlikely) I'd really struggle with value for money skiing at an Aus resort. I've skied at just about all of them and certainly had some fun but since skiing overseas it's opened up my eyes what real snow is and what good value for your buck is. For me Australian resorts offer neither.
I would definitely still head backcountry though. Some of the backcountry peaks like Bogong and Feathertop in Vic and the almost endless terrain off the Main Range in NSW offer a fantastic backcountry experience that is uniquely Australian and comparable to many great ski areas of the world.

I am with you GN, certifiable snow snob. First snow experience was in NZ (Mt Hutt) snow was good if you didn't get blown off the road getting up there or it wasn't Mt Shutt. Then did Falls Creek, hmmm, great party, short runs snow average. Back to Persisher for some snot/cement. Then NZ QT for the same. Never been lucky in Aus or NZ since.

Whistler was my first real good snow experience, Sunpeaks, Jasper etc not bad. Aspen was fun but groomers only. Big White was good snow too but Big White out as they say (awesome family experience though). Now Niseko powder has completely corrupted me and it was just average while we were there. Like I say certifiable snow snob and powder hound.

Ticket prices - depends what you want but for the last couple of years every time I get to planning a local trip I can not justify the pacific pesos to do it compared to a an extra g to see the good stuff elsewhere.

Maybe this year I will do a package with work but that will be more apres then on piste... lower ticket prices and they might fidn the slopes even busier, as I tell everyone I meet to have the same outlook - save a little more and go else where. If you are rich like MB it obviously doesn't matter