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Posted on Wednesday May 25th at 4:06 p.m.
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While the Australian ski industry pulls in around $1bn each year, you don't have to spend big on a trip to the snow, research by Your Money Magazine has found.
Comparing packages and prices at 11 major resorts in Australia and New Zealand for peak-season dates in July and August, each resort was given a score based on key attributes including cost of travel and accommodation, equipment hire, lift passes and the all-important quality of skiing. Some of the results were surprising.
A skier calving it up at Falls Creek.
Managing editor of Your Money Magazine Jackie Pearson said there are some incredible value picks for those willing to look for them.
"The strong Aussie dollar means New Zealand is more affordable than in previous seasons, but some Australian resorts also rated really well," Pearson said.
"As well as the costs involved, you should also match the resort to your level of skiing experience. The ratings table in Your Money Magazine has all the details to help you choose the best snow holiday for you."
Find out which ski resorts were the top performers and other helpful travel tips in the current issue of Your Money Magazine on sale now at your local newsagent.
Excerpt from the Recent Your Money Magazine
The Aussie ski industry enjoys a tidy trade - around $1bn each year in fact - but that doesn't have to mean spending big dollars just to enjoy a vacation on the slopes. YMM has looked at packages and prices for peak-season dates in July and August, and even for this optimum period there's some incredible value to be found if you're willing to look for it.
- Hotham: full-time students get 50% off the price of adult lift passes every Friday
- Thredbo: you can hit the slopes for free every Thursday and Saturday evening for Twilight riding on Friday Flat
- Falls Creek: children aged five and under ski gratis when accompanied by an adult
The big surprise in this comparison is that New Zealand offers the best value available overall this winter. New Zealand offers up some pretty amazing savings, largely thanks to the fabulous foreign exchange rate. The Aussie is currently at or close to record highs against the Kiwi, so visions of a ski adventure in the land of the long white cloud have become even more attainable.
Value-for-money pick: New Zealand Best for: Everyone
New Zealand offers several good value skiing options to suit your tastes, and as an added bonus multiple ski areas are grouped near to each other in the Queenstown/Wanaka area of the South Island.
A seven-day adult ski pass for The Remarkables and Coronet Peak retails for NZ$635, which at the current favourable exchange is around A$500 and looking cheap against well over A$600 for Perisher or Thredbo. The exchange rate has the same positive
effect on the real cost to Australian skiers of accommodation, car rental, food, equipment hire and everything else in New Zealand.
New Zealand-bound skiers will benefit from an airline "price war" that is heating up between Jetstar, Pacific Blue (the Virgin affiliate) and Air New Zealand.
"New Zealand is going to see a large increase in Australian ski visitors, with Jetstar starting direct routes from Melbourne, Cairns and the Gold Coast to Queenstown," says Jordy Heis from Liquid Adventures.
"It's great news for the budget traveller, as a price war has already started. Air New Zealand recently released $180 one-way fares from Melbourne and Sydney, and return flights between June and September can be picked up for between $350 and $500."
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Your Money Magazine is for all Australians looking to increase their personal wealth and achieve the lifestyle they desire. Your Money Magazine's key focus is to educate the Australian public about money management by providing down-to-earth, easy to comprehend content, detailed product comparisons across a range of categories, and recommendations from some of the country's leading industry experts.
Combining in-depth research and product comparison tools with shrewd financial education materials, Your Money Magazine takes a unique place in the Australian market allowing readers to not only compare existing products but to educate themselves and take decisive action all in one place.