Perisher Ski Resort is Australia's largest with heaps of terrain

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There is no question that Perisher is big. Very big in fact it is the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere with some 1200 hectares (3000 acres) of skiable terrain that is more than four times the size of Mt Buller and more than double the size of Falls Creek or Thredbo. The reason that Perisher is so big is that is more than one mountain it is actually four interconnected resorts on a single ticket.

Perisher Valley, Blue Cow, Smiggin Holes and Guthega, together they have 47 lifts, 7 terrain parks and there are over 100 kilometres of trails. A big drawcard for Perisher is that it is on the Epic Australia Pass (along with Hotham and Falls Creek) so you can ski three resorts in Australia and get access to some incredible resorts in the US, Europe and Japan all on the same season ticket.

Getting There

Perisher is about 30 minutes from Jindabyne and 492 km (about a six hour drive) from Sydney. You can drive from Sydney via Canberra, Cooma and Jindabyne or from Melbourne via Albury.

There are buses that run from Sydney, Canberra and of course Jindabyne. You can fly to Canberra and drive (211km / 2.5hrs) or get a regional flight on Rex Airlines to Cooma (then drive 78km / 1 hour).

What is it like to ski?

Did I say Perisher is BIG well yes, but lets say it again, Perisher is massive (compared to Australian Resorts) and that means there is always somewhere new to ski and explore, it is that connection between the four different resorts that make up Perisher that make is special.

You can stay on the mountain or zip up from Jindabyne in the car or on a bus, or even get the Skitube up from Crackenback, there are lots of options and all of them are good ones.

With so much to ski, Perisher has lots of beginner and lots and lots of intermediate terrain. As a result, there is some great skiing to be done in each of the four, with each still retaining a little of its own character.

Perisher Valley – Perhaps the best place to learn to ski in Australia (I certainly did learn here), Perisher has some cruisy gentle pistes and great trails to learn to ski. There are few blue runs on Mt Perisher for faster carving intermediates but this is not the most challenging.
Blue Cow – has a range of green and blue runs that will get you racing around the mountain. For those looking for more challenge the Devils Playground is the pick for advanced skiers
Smiggins Holes – is a bowl with the lifts all facing back to the resort centre and most of the runs area green and blue runs, cruisy and approachable.
Guthega – Guthega Peak is at 1924m and you get there on the Freedom Quad Chair, from there you have options for all levels of skiing. For those chasing the steep and challenging then the ‘Parachute’ will take you down the ridge line all the way back to the Guthega Centre and the from there you can grab the Car Park double chair to get you onto the Blue Cow T-Bar. Back at the top ‘The Screw’, ‘Hank-Panky’ and ‘Mother-In-Law’ will all give your legs something to challenge them with some fast pistes and options to find powder stash near the trees, each of these drop back on to ‘Guthega Way’ the trail through the valley back to the Freedom Quad. And if you want to explore somewhere else, there is also a nice green trail back to Blue Cow.

Village Facilities

Perisher Centre has all the essentials you might need on the mountain, there is a supermarket, pharmacy, medical centre, post office, ski hire and of course some retail shops. When it comes to the Apres scene Perisher is more of a family resort and if you are looking to party you might prefer to be based in Jindabyne, but there are plenty of choices to eat and drink.

Perisher Valley has a range of great choice to eat from Japanese Noodles to Pizza, Mexican, Chinese, Burgers and a whole lot more there are 24 different places to eat and drink! If you are look for some thing a little fancier check out the White Spider Restaurant and Bar in the Eiger Chalet.

Blue Cow has 7 options from Stamping Ground to Cowpuccino there are plenty of places to grab something on the mountain.

Smiggins – has the Smiggins Hotel a great place to stay and or have something to eat and drink there is also Pipers Cafe if you need your coffee fix.

Guthega – has The Burning Log (a bistro style restaurant) and the Base Camp Cafe.

Of course many people stay in Jindabyne which is a busy town and has big range of facilities, shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Where to Stay

There are lots of lodges, ski clubs and chalets at Perisher many of these offer accomodation for non members. A great choice for staying on mountain is The Man From Snowy River Hotel, which is Perishers largest hotel and located directly across from the Village 8 Chairlift. You can even park undercover! Smiggins Hotel (& Apartments) is another great choice with lifts at your door, offering comfortable rooms and a great bar and fireplace for relaxing in the evenings. Another choice is the Guthega Inn which is wonderfully remote and secluded from the rest of the resort and yet still fully accessible. The hotel has amazing views of the mountains, there is a licensed restaurant and bar which importantly also has a fireplace!