Season to be jolly

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This was published 14 years ago

Season to be jolly

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Skiers and relieved resort operators are revelling in good conditions, writes Jim Darby.

When Mount Buller opened, just briefly, for skiing and snowboarding on May 2 the earliest the mountain had ever run a lift a wave of confidence buoyed skiers and boarders keen for a taste of winter and mountain businesses keen for their return.

The mountains and their snow cover have become a canary for climate change. Environmental concerns combined with economic gloom and an exodus of Australians to destinations such as Japan has had resort operators looking over their shoulders.

Cold and clear ... Falls Creek's visitor tally is up by 22.5 per cent.

Cold and clear ... Falls Creek's visitor tally is up by 22.5 per cent.Credit: Matt Hull

The sceptical believed "snow in May doesn't stay" and they were right. Mixed weather rolling in to winter saw some snow fall just after the official opening weekend on June 8 but this was ruined by rain.

But the last days of June saw good snowfalls, kicking the season into gear a week earlier than last year.

Follow-up falls and good snowmaking conditions this month have enabled the resorts to establish good snow bases with fresh snow, sprucing up the surface quality.

Australian resort operators need a good run at the July school holidays to ensure a solid season commercially. August and early September are generally reliable for snow cover and visitor numbers but a good cover in July gives skiers and snowboarders confidence in the season.

This season they got it. By mid-July, Falls Creek visitor numbers were up 22.5 per cent compared with the same time last year, according to the Resort Management Board.

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"Going into the season, we were feeling very cautious," says the marketing manager at Perisher in NSW, Gary Grant. "We'd spoken to our colleagues in the US and Canada and felt we'd get hit [with a downturn in visitors], particularly with the general air of gloom in the media. But the snow in May got the phones ringing and it's been building ever since.

"Opening Mount Perisher on June 11 was a real indicator to people that the [snow] cover was there. It seems budget and intermediate properties are doing well but some of the higher-end ones might still be struggling a bit."

In New Zealand, both the major North Island fields Turoa and Whakapapa on the flanks of the giant Mount Ruapehu opened on schedule. On the last Saturday in June, Turoa had about 4300 skiers on its slopes, putting it close to capacity and 1400 per cent ahead of budget.

Meanwhile on the South Island, snow fell in May and it stayed. Mount Hutt near Methven opened on May 30 with a 100-centimetre snow base and has been going strong since.

"We were nervous about the effects of the recession going into winter but an early indicator our season pass sales were good," Mount Hutt general manager Dave Wilson says. "Good snow is our biggest driver but cheap air fares out of Australia and a good exchange rate are also working our way. This is the best start we've had in years; overall, our numbers are up 50 per cent on this time last year."

Other South Island fields such as Coronet Peak and The Remarkables near Queenstown and Cardrona and Treble Cone near Wanaka are also reporting good cover and all lifts in operation.

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