SO will be heading to Mount Hotham early this season and last time we went their we flew to Melbourne then directly to the mountain.

Now it seems you can't fly their on points (Qantas or virgin) and i have two options. Their are smaller private planes, but can't imagine that would be price effective..

From Perth i can fly to Sydney then Albury and hire a car apparently around 2.5 hours drive.

Or i can fly to Melbourne, hire a car and drive 4.5 hours.

Is there any disadvantage to either? We will have three people so the bus option from Albury, it's still cheaper to hire car. Never driven in the snow and obviously will need chains and parking, but i just thought id ask the regulars in the East..

Oh and before anyone asks yes it has to be Hotham, as my daughter will be working the season and we want to go over to celebrate her birthday..

Any other options i've not thought off?

Thanks in advance..

Queens town will be cheaper and most likely better snow, also save $$$$ on your daughters bday present,

I worked in Hotham for four years, great fun.
Depending on the price of flights, I would go to Melbourne and drive up.
It will take longer than 4.5 hours.
Ask hire company if you are allowed to fit chains to your hire car.
that could change things.

Unless you are "very lucky" the chance of you driving in snow is remote......if you are concerned just hire a low level 4WD it will get you to the carpark.

do you know if she wants you there to help celebrate her birthday

Check out "Hoy's". They are a bus company based in Harrietville (last town in the Ovens valley before the mountain). They do shuttles up with parking available in Harrietville.

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S018 said..
I worked in Hotham for four years, great fun.
Depending on the price of flights, I would go to Melbourne and drive up.
It will take longer than 4.5 hours.
Ask hire company if you are allowed to fit chains to your hire car.
that could change things.

I looked at getting there from Sydney and it seems that its pretty easy to hire cars in Albury after flying in, and I think they get a lot of people for the ski season. The flights aren't too expensive. There is the bus option from Albury as well, but as JBShack said, with enough people, the hire car is cheaper.

I never ended up going there, but I thought there was something strange about parking. I think maybe it was expensive or you had to leave your car somewhere and then catch a shuttle?

This year I might make the effort as Falls Creek and Hotham now appear to be covered under the Epic Australia season pass!

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S018 said..
I worked in Hotham for four years, great fun.
Depending on the price of flights, I would go to Melbourne and drive up.
It will take longer than 4.5 hours.
Ask hire company if you are allowed to fit chains to your hire car.
that could change things.

Thanks for the responses so far., please keep them coming.

SO18 is their a particular reason you would go the Melbourne route over the Sydney/Albury one?

Point from WA the two are virtually the same. I just thought driving less would be better. The bus from Albury is $190 each. A hire car is around $500 for the week so with a few extras then figured it better. I will look into parking at Harrietville option. I have had a mate drive us to Mount Buller before and yes you park down the mountain a bit and bus up. That's fine for us..

Oh yes she wants us their, she will be turning 18 so its imperative IMHO..

And yes Queenstown maybe good, won't be as good as we had in Hakuba though

Its a 6 hour drive from melbs if your not familiar ! 50 + per nite to park 4wd is best get your chains from hoys at bottom of mountain they have fitters on way up if your lucky enough to b in a blizzard sometimes it can feel like a different country than oz ! Good luck and may khione bless you

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LastSupper said..
Its a 6 hour drive from melbs if your not familiar ! 50 + per nite to park 4wd is best get your chains from hoys at bottom of mountain they have fitters on way up if your lucky enough to b in a blizzard sometimes it can feel like a different country than oz ! Good luck and may khione bless you

The bus from Melbourne airport is 6.5 hours. I'm not sure i could do that. Bus From Albury it seems like 2.5 hours. Or drive to Harrietville and park then bus last bit, Seems like the best option.

Im happy not to drive in the snow, so park and ride last bit i like..

Why not just take that helicopter you parent with...?

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theDoctor said..

Why not just take that helicopter you parent with...?

Thats funny..Maybe just for you to feel better, i should explain the three tickets don't include hers. She sorted herself out and will already be their. But i don't see how you'd consider it hovering to fly over to visit and spend her 18th birthday with her, after all she will be away for over 4 months, then she is heading straight to Europe after that for 3 more months..

I also can't think of a worse excuse to go skiing again can you Its just from WA it's not just a quick easy trip..

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jbshack said..

theDoctor said..

Why not just take that helicopter you parent with...?

Thats funny..Maybe just for you to feel better, i should explain the three tickets don't include hers. She sorted herself out and will already be their. But i don't see how you'd consider it hovering to fly over to visit and spend her 18th birthday with her, after all she will be away for over 4 months, then she is heading straight to Europe after that for 3 more months..

I also can't think of a worse excuse to go skiing again can you Its just from WA it's not just a quick easy trip..

I think you need to make sure she is okay at the beginning of the season, if the snow is good, but you don't want to crowd her, but be nearby just in case. So I recommend 2 weeks at Thredbo or Perisher. Later in the season you should go to Buller to check that out, and then maybe Falls Creek. Just to be around incase, nothing else.

Last season was so fun. I could only go down for 2 weeks but they were 2 fantastic weeks.

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FormulaNova said..

jbshack said..

theDoctor said..

Why not just take that helicopter you parent with...?

Thats funny..Maybe just for you to feel better, i should explain the three tickets don't include hers. She sorted herself out and will already be their. But i don't see how you'd consider it hovering to fly over to visit and spend her 18th birthday with her, after all she will be away for over 4 months, then she is heading straight to Europe after that for 3 more months..

I also can't think of a worse excuse to go skiing again can you Its just from WA it's not just a quick easy trip..

I think you need to make sure she is okay at the beginning of the season, if the snow is good, but you don't want to crowd her, but be nearby just in case. So I recommend 2 weeks at Thredbo or Perisher. Later in the season you should go to Buller to check that out, and then maybe Falls Creek. Just to be around incase, nothing else.

Last season was so fun. I could only go down for 2 weeks but they were 2 fantastic weeks.

To be honest, im not worried about her. She is a smart very independent kid, but she doesn't drink has always wanted to wait untill she was 18 and so we had a reasonably large 18th organized that now she won't be here. Actually she turns 18 on the 30th of June and i would prefer to wait a bit latter until she is settled before we rock up. BUT what are you to do..

I will admit im jealous as hell, working a season in the snow and her deal is sweet..Lets hope it snows early..

And Hotham is a bugger to get to from Perth..

Its the best mountain in australia.

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jbshack said..

S018 said..
I worked in Hotham for four years, great fun.
Depending on the price of flights, I would go to Melbourne and drive up.
It will take longer than 4.5 hours.
Ask hire company if you are allowed to fit chains to your hire car.
that could change things.

Thanks for the responses so far., please keep them coming.

SO18 is their a particular reason you would go the Melbourne route over the Sydney/Albury one?

Point from WA the two are virtually the same. I just thought driving less would be better. The bus from Albury is $190 each. A hire car is around $500 for the week so with a few extras then figured it better. I will look into parking at Harrietville option. I have had a mate drive us to Mount Buller before and yes you park down the mountain a bit and bus up. That's fine for us..

Oh yes she wants us their, she will be turning 18 so its imperative IMHO..

And yes Queenstown maybe good, won't be as good as we had in Hakuba though

Yes, it will take a lot longer to drive than the stated 2.5 hours. As it will from Melbourne.
It's been a few years since I've been but hire chains from Hoys.
Plan to be on top by three no later, allow 1.5 hours for the Last bit from Harrietville, you may not need it but if you do.........

Great experience..

U can go to brown bros cellar door on the way. Also cheeses etc. Good to stock up.
I was on mountain in a 4wd hilux after a blizzard one year. The car (all cars) were completely covered. Snow all the way to the bottom. Might have been 98?. Locked it up and slid slow mo over ice at about 5kph for maybe 3 or four bus lengths into the back of a bus. Just kissed it. Cars were just slight bumps in carpark. Canadian career instructor i was free boarding with said it was one of his best days on snow anywhere ever. (To be fair i think the shrubby terrain etc helped)

JB comments (which should still be current not been for a few years) re.. your choice either drive up or park and ride last section.
There is a cost either way - essentially you are parking your car and not using it for bulk of the stay..
Drive Up..
The resorts in ski season are all in a designated "Park area" which has a toll and this covers your parking up the mountain too (it pays for road maintenance). Unless your accomodation comes with a park you are unlikely to be close to the accomodation where you end up parking - so unload then go park.
Do you need a car up there? Unless you plan to go to past airport out to the Dinner plains a couple of times for food etc nah(ours stayed put most every time - a pickup from Hotham airport and a poor snow escape day). And there are regular bus shuttles..which you can use when moving around all day,& pre/apres skiing..
The drive you must have chains and show them when asked even if you don't need to put on.. Big 4WD get some leeway ...It is a tarmac well driven and snow ploughed/sanded road (JIC it is snowing).. It is not usually a problem barely different from driving other roads...and it is not a race track when snow covered. If required there are designated stop and put chains on zones.. If you are not kitted out for it on way up (invariably just on or below snow line = dirty slushy cold windy can throw sleet into the mix) you can pay people there to do it for you as long as it is at a reasonable hour!!
Park and ride..
No chains required. At Harrietville (when I last used it)..Park in their place.. load up and relax..
Need to check their schedule. If they are not going up then no-one is the road will be closed (not usual and not for long IMExperience).. The bus is accommodating so stops pretty close to where you are staying. Then you need to lug your stuff. (A lot of more distant but still close places have sleds to use if it is snow bound)..(Can be same with Car).

We mostly had a full wagon with kids and food and snow toys and kit so it was convenient to only unload the once. But once you get used to traveling O/S to ski.. you do not have the volume of _hit so that would favour the park and ride.

Either way if you want cheaper stuff (Champagne canapes, caviar and party poppers) do a shop at Bright (get it boxed).. there are at least a couple of semi-supermarkets on top but there is a premium...

Which place to start from... Well with a car it is six of one and half a dozen.. The ride from Melbourne is essentially up the Hume Highway which would take 2-3 hours then once you leave this near Glenrowan (Tin Can shooter fame - give a miss IMHO) to go up to Bright the remaining drive time will be close to the drive from Albury to Bright.. Now that reference to Brown Brothers is just off the Hwy at Milawa (great Muscat for ice cream topping - + local mustards rate) --- Bright is still 15+ minutes to Harrietville..
Good effort going over.. Would do same.
May the snow gods Bless your adventure...

Cheers
AP

Are you sure she wants you there or that you want to see what your young daughter gets up to there? If she doesn't drink now, she will soon. I had a grand total of zero sober nights my first season. When i was doing seasons at falls my parents didn't visit. They did go to hotham though, must've forgotten which mountain i worked at.

Expect her to come out of her shell a bit, reinvent herself. She may find that difficult if you're there early in the season. Wait a bit until the snow is better and she has a bit more confidence. That way she won't be embarrassed to be the only staff member with family hanging around.

What a condescending twat. He asks for logistical tips and you try and talk him out of trip and give fathering advice.

^^^ I thought the same thing
What a knob

Thanks guys, it takes all types sadly

I really appreciate the technical responses. It's been very helpful thanks again.

I think i've found the best solution, for me anyway.

Theirs a private transfer service from either Melbourne or Albury. From Albury it means i'll be picked up by a driver, that will take us directly to the hotel on the mountain. STop and do some shopping for food on our way up and for three of us (my wife, son and me) for only $1070 return. That's only a $200 more than hire car, park and bus and $530 more than bussing all the way from melbourne..

Thanks for all the help, now lets pray for early snow

Not trying to be condescending or a twat. Just from experience lots of staff would shudder at the thought of their parents crashing their working holiday. Plenty that happily have their family there too. Glad your daughter wants you to visit.

But whatever, sorry for speaking.

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mclovin said..
Not trying to be condescending or a twat. Just from experience lots of staff would shudder at the thought of their parents crashing their working holiday. Plenty that happily have their family there too. Glad your daughter wants you to visit.

But whatever, sorry for speaking.

No issue, everyone has their say and to be fair most people don't understand everyone's circumstances and i don't take it too heart..

Me i'd prefer to go later in the year, better snow, but i guess if she decides she wants us there to celebrate her 18th then we will go early.

I was really just looking at what the options are to get their..