There’s an Aussie resort delivering big on global adventures this season, all from the heart of the Snowy Mountains. Think European après, extreme US sports events and the coolest off-the-beaten-track Canadian activities.
That’s right – it’s Thredbo. Voted Australia’s Best Ski Resort for six years’ running, they’re taken worldwide inspiration to deliver the very best ski experiences right here in Australia, so you can have all the fun without the cost and hassle of an overseas trip.
Here’s just a glimpse of some of the global times to be had in Thredbo this season.
The on-snow adventures
Thredbo has taken inspiration from the best overseas resorts with how they run things day to day – they’re home to Australia’s only alpine gondola for slopeside convenience, and limit their lift tickets each day in true Deer Valley style to ensure you’re getting the best quality experience on the slopes.
If you want to amp that experience up another level, the Sunrise Sessions are the way to go. Following the style of the best First Tracks experience you’d find in mega-resorts like Canada’s Revelstoke and France’s Verbier, you can take in the sunrise at Australia’s Highest Lifted Point. From there, you’ll enjoy an on-mountain breakfast accompanied with a G.H. Mumm mimosa before you score first tracks down Supertrail, Australia’s longest ski run.
Not a morning person? You can still get an exclusive tour with the Discovery Tours presented by Defender. A guide will take you through the best-kept secrets of the mountain and teach you about the history of the place, all with the perks of lift queue priority.
Or discover why the best of Australia’s side country can easily compete with what can be found in destinations like Madarao, Japan and beyond, with the Dead Horse Gap Tour. For upper intermediate to advanced skiers only, you’ll be guided through the iconic snowgums of Dead Horse Gap for stunning scenes, quiet nature and great snowfall.
The après
Nobody in the country does après better than Thredbo, and this year’s calendar delivers more than ever. You can slide straight off the slopes and a music festival right in the heart of the village, ready to compete with the likes of France’s La Folie Douce and Jackson Hole’s Rendezvous festival.
Can’t-miss parties include the now-famous First Base series sponsored by Canadian Club, featuring BYO vintage outfits, fire pits and live artists. There are not one but three of these events planned for winter, featuring DJs Mell Hall and Tori Levett alongside Sneaky Sound System.
With Uni Week, White Claw Weekend and Bush Doof also scheduled in for the winter, get your hydralyte and your dancing shoes ready – you’re going to be needing them.
Still not quite enough for you? You can get your Meribel vibe on and dance on a table every weekend with Pirate Life DJ Sessions at Merritts Mountain House Deck. Black Sallees are also featuring live music every Saturday afternoon.
The events
Rainbow Mountain is back in Thredbo for 2023, bigger and queerer than ever. They’ve taken the best of this pride event straight out of Aspen Snowmass and locked in three days of parties, concerts and champagne lunches for LGBTQIA+ guests and allies. You can even win a trip to Aspen – complete with return flights with Delta Airlines – just by buying a ticket to attend.
Speaking of Aspen, Thredbo’s taken another leaf out of their book with their own version of the X Games. It’s the Thredbo Triple Crown, three massive freestyle events across big air, rail and slopestyle to challenge skiers and snowboarders, where competitors will throw down for the panel of judges.
There’s no less than a 60k cash pool plus prizes on offer, along with junior and grommet categories so that everyone is covered with the action. Scattered throughout the season, it’s well worth planning your trip to scope out the excitement of at least one of the three.
The boujee dinners
You don’t have to go all the way to Europe to get a dinner with a difference. At Thredbo, you can ride the gondola to Merritts Mountain House to enjoy a family friendly Bavarian-inspired feast, complete with baked pretzels, crispy pork belly, roast pork knuckle, sauerkraut, the list goes on – all before riding the gondola back down and admiring the lights of Thredbo village.
There are also the Kareela Snowcast Dinners, inspired by Alpino Vino in Telluride and Paradise Camp in Silverstar, Canada. Enjoy a four-course dinner and wine experience at Kareela Hutte, travelling in style via Thredbo’s passenger snowcat. Presented by G.H.Mumm, this is a luxe experience with only the very best delivered.
Also at Kareela this season is the Supper Club. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped foot into a scene akin to the mountaintop après to be found at the best resorts in Colorado – with a difference. Get up the mountain via a combination of gondola and snowcat to watch the iconic Thredbo Flare Run and Fireworks Show from the Kareela deck, all with a glass of G.H. Mumm in hand.
Then enjoy a two hour canape and beverage package and make some new friends before returning back to the village via snowcat.
