a snowball maker!!!! Its cool, but its cheating!! Actually that is the 1st time I have ever seen 1!!!!!

nice pics

Snowball makers are the dogs!
Get the double ones o you can pelt more , faster!

if there's a double one then there must be a quad as well.

Wow some nice pics there!
And that's the 1st time I've seen a snowball maker too.. Cool thingy, but cheating.
Man, that snow looks awesome!

Mama,
Super shots and, as someone else said, good to see the cubs are having a good time. Last time I slid in Oz, we were picking aour way around dark patches in the cover (it was 'officially' 12cm!) and then a trip to Japow in 2005/6 when there was boundless snow! Not really a fair comparison, is it?

Already booked accom for Jan 09, now on the lookout for cheap fares to get there. The web bookings aren't available more than 11 months out. 3 days to go, then they should be OK.

Heading for Nozawa onsen this time after 2 trips to Hirafu and this year to Furano.

Enjoy JA.

I would love to come back for 09 but looks like Papabear wants to try out the rest of the world too! LOL Nozawa Onsen looks great!! Maybe if the eldest cub absolutely rips up his Year 12 Exams, and scores with his Japanese (he NEEDS to use his J score in his TER score) we can persuade Papabear to go wherever he wants to go VIA Japan! Hee hee <SNEAKY>

Ta mama, Sure to! We went with a couple of mates, had an absolute blast. Trying to get a TR together, but the forums and other stuff keep interrupting my plans! You know, stuff like work, sleep, eating, etc... all cunningly designed to take up time so I don't have enough left to fix the pics and do the TR.

Feeble excuses, I know, but the best I can come up with on the spur of the moment. {;^)

Must admit I can't go without at least an annual fix at Niseko. Rather than go anywhere else, I'd go elsewhere in addition to the Niseko trip. Such is life.

That didn't make a whole lot of sense. Maybe it's the few glasses of red I've consumed, or maybe you are just not making sense.

Why go to Niseko as well as somewhere else? With a limit to the budget (unless you've not got one) I go to a destination, ski there and do a couple of side trips as well. (This year, we stayed at Furano, but did a day trip to Kamui and a day excursion to the Asahidake Zoo. Both were very interesting!)

My main reason for avoiding Niseko (after 2 trips there) is to get some authentic local culture and custom. I can get redneck yobs any day of the week, just have to go out into the streets of Tamworth, plenty there! What I want on a trip to Japow is pow and lots of Japanese food/lifestyle/culture.

Well, yes, I(and we) will go to Niseko at least once a year, and go elsewhere in addition. Budget and time not a real problem, 'cept the baby is keeping us (well her) away from the snow for the time being. But wait 'til he hits 3.

I treat Niseko like my local. If you've only got time for the one pub, then that'll be it.

Mama.. Didn't really run into the redneck/yob up there. Everyone was really friendly and well behaved!
If you want the Japanese culture I think you are going to have to do either noz or find some tiny tiny little ski area somewhere but facilities will be limited.
Hakuba I think isn't that much of a Japanese experience (besides more Japanese being on the slopes) If you want your culture, do it before or after your snow time!

Thursday.. 3?? why you wait so long?

3 seems to be the consensus with the instructors here. At 3 they can communicate effectively that they are: cold, hungry, miserable, need the toilet, want to find mum and dad, or let's go higher. That's the theory anyway.