The letter from Australia is a weekly newsletter from our office in Australia. Sign up to receive it by email. This week’s issue is written by Julia Bergin, a reporter based in Melbourne.
A lone ski lift operator stood, hands clasped, looking up the mountain at four children circling a makeshift 50m sled slope.
There was no snow underfoot. To his right were a pair of trash cans and a sign that read “Lift Open 10 am-3 pm” To his left, empty chairlifts whirred up and down the mountain. Behind him, cones, rope and metal barricades mapped the line of the lift, but there was hardly a person in sight.
That was the scene in Victoria at Falls Creek, one of Australia’s biggest ski resorts, last Friday, kicking off the official opening weekend of the national snow season. Similar conditions were reported at ski resorts in Victoria and New South Wales, home to most of the country’s winter sports.
The overall picture—dirt with thin strips of artificial snow—was bleak. But this week, the sun, wind, heavy fog and torrential rain from the long weekend turned to snow as temperatures plunged across the alpine.
Dramatic swings in weather are not unusual for Australian winters, but things have become more volatile with a warming planet.
For Carol Binder, a local business owner who has reported on snow conditions at ski resorts for two decades, this year has been “noticeably dry and warm” — river levels are low, muddy roads are dusty and snow forecasts have been from unpredictable to extremely unpredictable.
“It’s Australia, and that means bad luck — you can expect snow, patchy snow or a dump, you just don’t know,” Ms Binder said as rain fell outside the shelter she runs in Mount Beauty, a small town about 40 minutes northwest of Falls Creek.
Gripped by the ever-present fear that a sudden rise in temperature combined with rain would wash away weeks of snow in a flash, people usually take ski trips to Australia at the last minute and according to the vagaries of the weather.
From a business perspective, Ms Binder said it was difficult to keep up with Australia’s sporadic snow conditions and spontaneous customers. Whether it’s the lodging market, mountain services or hospitality venues, he said it’s a large, casual workforce and a constant battle to ensure workplaces are properly staffed.
For example, Victoria Police last week were prepared for crowds that never came, with breathalyzer testing stations in the middle of the mountain.
Snow or no snow, Australia’s resorts turn on winter mode — meaning staff are on standby and tourist fees kick in — just as the official season begins. Falls Creek charges 64 Australian dollars, about $42, to enter the resort for a day. Drivers must bring snow chains. Lift tickets are extra, as is parking at some resorts.
Australia’s snow season lasts 17 weeks and Ms Binder said she was prepared for whatever fell and whoever came. Whether her customers are snow-hungry opportunists chasing “potential powder,” families, beginners who plan their trips months in advance and work with the snow they have, or bus groups and retirees who come in to appreciate the flowers, she’s optimistic. the 2024 snow season.
The good news came on Tuesday. Up to 30cm, about a foot, of snow fell in the mountains of Victoria and New South Wales. Messages were exchanged in group chats and plans were made for ski trips. And, just like that, the season began.
Here are the stories of the week.
