Where are the Best Place to Ski in Australia?   by George Pettit

When most people hear the word Australia they will often think of the Outback or the large cities such as Melbourne. However, Australia is known for something so much more that makes it truly unique, great skiing. As there are numerous resorts and runs that the beginner to the most advanced skier will find challenging. As a result, there are numerous places to ski that can provide you with that sense of rigid beauty that Australia is known for with the traditional winter feel.

Charlotte Pass

Located in the Snowy Mountains this ski area the resort is in the town of Charlotte Pass Village. The area is completely snowed in during the winter which means that over snow transport is necessary to go in and out of Charlotte's Pass. However, once at the resort it is clear that the entire town has become virtual ski area as you can literally ski from your front door to the lifts. This provides visitors from all walks of life that winter experience which is difficult to find in many areas of the world as large interests have commercialized the sport. At Charlotte Pass, you can see what it felt like to skiing 50 years ago when many areas were known to be inaccessible during the winter.

Dinner Plain

This ski area is located a little over 5.5 hours from Melbourne. However, the skiing is well worth the trip with the resort catering to mainly beginners as evidence by all of the runs at such skill levels. The resort is nestled in the high Victorian Alps and can provide everyone with that overall unique feel of classic Australian architecture with the wondrous beauty of Victoria.

Clearly, Australia has outstanding skiing for skiers of all skill levels. During the winter the various snow reports indicate snow fall amounts similar to what is experienced at the popular areas in the Northern hemisphere. This along with the one of a kind feel is what makes Australian skiing the well kept secret that only continues to build a vast grass roots following.

Gold was discovered near Ballarat in 1851, and the influx of over 10,000 miners in less than a year transformed it from a pastoral town into Victoria's largest settlement. The Victorian gold rush occurred throughout the 1850s and 1860s whilst gold could be readily extracted from the surface. The city's growth slowed after the 1880s and Melbourne quickly overshadowed it in importance. However, Ballarat has endured as a major inland regional centre and tourist destination, having retained much of its Victorian era heritage, a unique culture, and is highly regarded for its grand heritage listed public and private buildings, monuments, statues and expansive gardens.

Originally known as Bendigo's Valley (Sandhurst was the official designation before a plebiscite in favour of Bendigo settled the matter), the city grew quickly out of the Victorian gold rush and became established as a major provincial hub and minor financial centre, being home to Australia's only provincially headquartered retail bank, the Bendigo Bank, and the Bendigo Stock Exchange (BSX).  Bendigo is notable for its Victorian architectural heritage and gold mining history.  Residents of Bendigo are called Bendigonians.

The urban area runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with the bay to the east and hills to the west. The climate is temperate, with four distinct seasons. The city is the home to car manufacturer Ford Australia and the Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats.

Much of the peninsula has been cleared for agriculture and settlements, however small areas of the native ecology remain in the peninsula's south and west, some of which is protected by the Mornington Peninsula National Park. The peninsula is primarily a local tourist region, with popular natural attractions such as the variety of beaches both sheltered and open-sea and many scenic sights and views. Other popular attractions include the various wineries, mazes and the diverse array of water sports made available by the diversity of beaches and calm waters of Port Phillip and Western Port. Most visitors to the peninsula are residents of Melbourne who camp, rent villas and share houses or stay in private beach houses. It is known simply as "The Peninsula" to locals and Melburnians alike, giving rise to the expression "going down the peninsula".