My first voyage ‘round the world, part 10

We were all heading to teach skiing in Australia without nothing much, if at all, about ski history and ski conditions in that country. 

Australia’s first ski lift started operating in 1937, while at first, on-slope lodging facilities remained rather rudimentary and limited through the 1950s. Then skiing gained in popularity and ski resorts developed, influenced by what happened in Europe and North-America. 

The industry growth lasted through the 1970s and then began to plateau. Skiing in Australia has always been a stretch. From Mt. Buller, in Victoria, to Thredbo, in New South Wales the sport happens under the 36 and 37th parallels at very low altitudes; for instance, Thredbo’s base is at 4,478 while Mt. Buller is at 4,511 ft. 

Compare this to Northern hemisphere resorts at similar latitudes, like Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico at 9321 ft, Sierra Nevada Ski Station in Andalusia at 6890 ft or even Dizin, in Iran at 8694 ft, and you’ll get an idea that snow is never guaranteed in the land of the kangaroos! 

This however says a lot about Australian's optimism and determination to make things happen where they wouldn't otherwise, and is a strong lesson to those us who are wringing our hands in light of climate change and a receding snow line. Way to go Aussies!

As a result, the season exceptionally begins on Queen’s Birthday weekend (mid June), but more likely early July, dates which respectively correspond to mid-December and January. The season ends the last weeks of September (March in the north), snow permitting. 

There was no snow-making when we came in 1971 and it was late in that decade that ski resorts began experimenting with it. 

In addition, the Australian Snowy Mountains, and Mt. Buller are just 135 km (86 miles) from the ocean making the weather exceptionally changing and very humid, which affects snow quality a great deal when it doesn’t fall under the form of rain or frozen mix!