‘Yes, there is snow!’ Aussie ski season officially in full swing

“Snow!” came the shout from the passenger seat of the car when our little one first spotted the white-capped peak in the distance.

We were still more than 30 minutes away from our final destination at Perisher Valley in the NSW Snowy Mountains, but already the excitement was building.

However, when we told family and friends that we were off on a snow holiday the general response from everyone was the same: “Is there even any snow?”

Australia’s major snow fields in NSW and Victoria struggled with delayed season openings and higher than average temperatures. You can thank El Nino and climate change for that.

The resulting lower-than-average snowfall across the resorts in June led to a barrage of negative coverage across social media. Lengthy lift lines and muddy patches became the headline of Australia’s 2026 snow season.

And yet, none of this mattered by the time we arrived at the mountain in late July.

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Just minutes after stepping off the Skitube it was clear we were in for a treat. Because there was white as far as the eye could see.

As the Bureau of Meteorology has said, unreliable June snowfall is not uncommon and isn’t an indicator of a poor ski season.

Jennie Mooney is the general manager of The Man from Snowy River Hotel – a local landmark for over 60 years – and is confident this year’s season is yet to reach its peak.

“Everything this year has shifted by a month,” she said. “So I think the peak season is still coming. I think August is going to be like July normally is.”

Indeed, the weather forecast is looking promising with more snowfall arriving over the past week. It’s set to culminate in a potential dumping of 15 to 30 centimetres on Sunday.

Having not skied in Australia for over a decade I was none the wiser about what exactly to expect once we got there. And truthfully, the highlights kept coming.

Visiting as a family, I got to watch my two and a half year old’s eyes light up from the moment we arrived. She had no idea there was less snow than there was “supposed” to be.

She had so much fun tobogganing all around the resort. There was a small hill just next to our accommodation that was the easiest to use. But we also tried to toboggan track near the Mount Piper Fun Park (possibly I’d recommend leaving this for older kids and adults though).

To top it all off, she also took part in her first-ever proper ski lesson. Officially, this was her second time on skis.

Instructor Daren was amazing taking her through the basics. She listened intently for over an hour and even got her pizza down pat by the end of the lesson (for the uninitiated, that’s how you first learn to break). Proud parent moment.

Of course, mum also got her time on the slopes getting a bit of a lesson/tour combo with instructor Pete.

Pete said despite the slow start to the season the community had really come together to get the show on the road.

“It is a resilient skiing community here where people just get out in anything,” he said. “In really heavy fog, they get out in windy conditions. It’s [about] understanding that the resorts are doing as much as they can. And are just choked by the weather sometimes.”

“But generally people have had a really patient and great attitude.”

The main thing, as he put it, was that people are just out here and enjoying it now.

We covered plenty of ground (to my ability) with all bar eight of the over 40 lifts operational.

Front and Centre Valley were busy every day. I also enjoyed using the Happy Valley trail to get across to Mount Perisher and catch the Mt Perisher 6 lift (which opened in 2025) to the highest lifted point in Australia (2,042m). The blue runs here are for more experienced riders.

I also experienced ‘first tracks’, where they open Front Valley one hour earlier between 7.30am and 8.30am exclusively for Epic Pass holders.

Crossing some of the terrain as the first person to do so that day, and with the snow guns still firing, was truly spectacular.

Is Perisher snow real or fake?

Speaking of the snow guns, you might find yourself asking how much of the snow is man-made.

Perisher officially opened ski season on 6 June – but it didn’t really get a good dumping of snow until later in June, towards the tail end of the NSW school holidays.

At Perisher Ski Resort, the average snow depth in July typically ranges from 70 to 120 centimetres. Currently, it’s sitting at 78 centimetres.

There are 178 snow guns that have been doing plenty of work since the temperatures finally cooled down enough for them to kick in.

But I was also able to ski beyond the snow-making guns off, specifically at the top of Mount Perisher where all the snow was 100 per cent from the sky.

Aside from the morning rush, lift queues were never unbearable and moved swiftly.

There are plenty of spots to stop on the mountain for a break to grab a drink and a bite to eat (though some of it is pricey.)

Mid-station at the top of the Perisher Quad Express lift is now home to a new lolly shop called Sugar and Snow. This provided a nice treat to bring back to my non-skiing husband.

On Saturday nights there is also night skiing for the brave. Or you can sit back and watch the fireworks.

The perfect way to end a day on the mountain.

Can you stay on the snow at Perisher?

The short answer is yes. Perisher has a host of accommodation options just steps from Front Valley. At the base of the main run is the Perisher Valley Hotel which is about as close as you can get to the action.

We stayed in the family-run Corroboree Lodge, which is actually the number one rated accommodation option in Perisher Valley on Tripadvisor (and has been since 2014).

They offer complimentary oversnow transfers from the Perisher Skitube building right to the front door. Perfect when arriving with luggage and a toddler.

This place is not a standard hotel. It felt more like a cosy share-house. Our room had a king-sized bed, small bathroom with toilet and shower.

There were bunk beds for older kids, but we were given a baby cot to use.

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There are three communal lounge areas, fridge and coffee-making facilities. Downstairs the dining room and the lodge bar are the main hive of activity, with fireplaces, footy on the TV, and good music. We spent some time here while our little one slept, and it was perfect for watching the slopes.

Breakfast is served buffet style between 7-8.30am before the lifts open. Dinner is a three-course meal (or two-courses for kids). There are two sittings offered. One at 6pm for the little ones, and one at 7pm for adults.

Our hosts, Bob and Anna, their daughter Dominique and the whole team couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful, especially when we shuffled some things around to accommodate our toddler.

Dinners each night included things like soup, beetroot cured salmon, beef fillet steak, garlic prawn risoni, and for me always the highlight, delicious desserts including a yummy chocolate mousse.

Getting there

We tried something else for this road trip as well and did the whole drive from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains in an EV.

Apparently, the traditional snow road trip is indeed changing as more and more Aussies choose electric vehicles for the drive. And to be honest, we saw way more than I thought we would.

We were loaned a Zeekr 7X for the journey, which according to the company is a “new generation of premium electric SUV designed for long-distance travel”.

The car itself was great for this kind of trip with cushy heated (and massage seats), a panoramic sunroof to take in the views, and plenty of space for our luggage.

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An app you can download is Chargefox, which allows you to filter charging stations by speed so you can easily find a fast charger and keep charging stops to around 20 minutes (subject to charger availability).

All up we stopped three times to charge, costing $150. On the way down we stopped at Sutton Forest for a fast-charge while we had breakfast.

Then we stopped in Canberra to visit the Australian War Memorial. There were chargers in the car park to top up while we were there.

This got us all the way to Bullocks Flat, and then on the return to the outskirts of Canberra in Calwell where we made one more stop to charge from 10 per cent up to 90 per cent before making it the rest of the way home.

Between travelling with a two-year-old and having to work out where to charge the trip felt a little more stressful than it maybe had to be.

But I think once you’re used to the charging functionality and get a better feel for the true range of a car it’s a great option to consider.

The writer was a guest of Vail Resorts.