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Our Snow and Ski Adventure

Let me introduce myself - Lori is my name and I work for Discovery Campervans. I was given the opportunity to experience a week�s holiday in a Kea 6 Berth Campervan. The family debated about doing our normal holiday � beach holiday with lots and lots of fishing, sand and sea, however this time we decided to be adventurous and try something different � cold weather, snow and skiing.

The choice was mine as to what size of campervan to take. As there are four of us in my family (myself, husband and two teenagers aged 14 & 16 years) I thought it would be best to hire the Kea Camper 6 Berth rather than a 4 berth to save everyone's sanity with the two teens not having to fight about bed space.

We flew out of Brisbane on a 6:30am flight to Sydney arriving at 8:00am. Then catching a maxi taxi to the depot due to the amount of luggage we had - 4 suitcases. The taxi ride took nearly an hour as we hit peak hour traffic in Sydney and the cost was $68.

Picking Up the Campervan

On arrival at the depot the staff welcomed us with tea & coffee then sat down to process the paperwork. After this we had a visual inspection of the vehicle. A toll pass was set up for us so we didn�t have to worry about going through any tolls and having to sort this out later with the toll company. All aspects of the paperwork were explained in detail and the vehicle inspection included pointing out any existing scratches and marks and noted down. If we were concerned with anything that was missed, this was the time to tell the Kea Representative!

The inspection was in great detail down to the speedometer & odometer meters, indicators and light switches. Every single client is given the same talk-through and inspection be they from Australia, Germany or China. You are given the opportunity to ask any questions about the vehicle if you are not sure. All vehicles are equipped with a very detailed map book, GPS and a vehicle manual if you forget how to operate anything in the vehicle. Another important step was to learn about the snow chains. We were shown how to put them on and were given the run-down on what it would be like to drive in them. The check out process took approxiately one hour.

Confident that we knew how everything in the vehicle worked we were on our way and headed straight for the grocery store. Conveniently, just around the corner from the depot there is an Aldi store with a Hungry Jacks and KFC outlet so we stocked up and packed our fridge and cupboards with food, drinks & snacks before our 5 hour drive to Jindabyne.

On The Road

The trip to Jindabyne was a lovely & relaxed due to the fantastic road conditions compared to the major highways in Brisbane. A couple of road works on the way but this did not hinder the trip at all. There are plenty of dedicated rest areas that provide a safe place to take a toilet break, have a cuppa or make lunch, stretch the legs and enjoy the scenery. Remember to stop and rest or change drivers every 2 hours to avoid driver fatigue.

We arrived safe and sound at Jindabyne Holiday Park - a very good choice I must say as the facilities at the park were fantastic. The heated & always clean bathrooms were the best we have seen (and we do a lot of camping in our caravan!). A facility that impressed me the most was the drying room for your ski clothes, boots and equipment. There are also laundry facilities to wash and dry your clothes and a well equipped indoor camp kitchen. Positioned in the the centre of town, opposite a shopping centre with a spectacular lake on your doorstep I could not fault any part of the park!

The park offers you a 20% discount card at certain eating & ski hire establishments. The Base provides hire for all snow equipment and we thought it was an excellent idea to get ourselves sorted out straight away with snow clothing, equipment & lift passes rather than waste the next morning getting sorted out.

The staff at The Base were very patient with all of our questions and were happy to provide advice along the way. Some very valuable advice we received (as we were first time skiiers) was to try tobogganing first and visit both ski slopes and then decide which you prefer. So that is exactly what we decided to do. We left the shop with our toboggans, ski pants, shoes and very big smiles on our faces. Best of all, if we forgotten to ask anything the store was open until midnight.

Fun In The Snow

It was early to rise the next morning as we have a full day ahead of us. Brekkie was enjoyed, all loose items packed away (remember to do this or you have a huge mess on your hands or a couple of serious head injuries) and headed out to the snow slopes. Jindabyne is 32km from Perisher and Thredbo, respectively but in opposite directions. Perisher was going to be our first stop as this is where the tobogganing was happening.

We couldn�t contain ourselves with excitement when we started to see the snow. At first the snow was just in patches, but as we climbed higher the snow got thicker and more beautiful. We pulled over in a rest area and leapt out of the campervan and straight into the snow. Snow fight � beware!! Next to build a snow man. What a way to start a holiday. Cold hands � runny noses, red checks and a snowman built.

We then headed for the �real snow� at Perisher - WHAT A BLAST � WHAT FUN. I haven�t laughed so much in a long time. Tobogganing was a fantastic way to introduce ourselves to the snow and get acquainted so to speak. We had an exhausting fun filled day on the slopes.

Next stop Thredbo but on the way stopped at Smiggens Hole which is located next to Perisher. What a delightful little place. Very quaint and less busy than Perisher or Thredbo. Ski passes for Perisher automatically cover � Smiggin Hole and Blue Cow. We bought 3 day ski passes for the kids which included a lesson each day.

After one ski lesson and all the practising � the result, Wendell and I did not have a very good night sleep as we were sore in places that we didn�t know we had muscles. What a workout the day before was. But a fantastic day. Wendell, Nat and I decided to give skiing a miss for today. We headed off to Perisher to explore. After making enquiries we were advised to take the �quad lift as walk-on � you don�t need to be a skier. This is the best vantage point to get the best views from 2014m over the ski fields and Perisher. On the way you can get off at �halfway station� where you can grab something to eat or a hot drink. Laze around and admire the view from halfway. We hopped back on and went to the top. WOW - can only describe the view. WOW � We were amazed and awed at the breathtaking views. We were so glad that we did this � fantastic day.

On our last day we made an early start back to Sydney as the depot closes at 1pm on a Saturday and we didn�t want to be late. We were all heavy hearted having to leave but the beauty of the trip back, left us with a smile on our face. We hit mist whilst travelling until we arrived in Canberra. Who would have thought mist could be pretty? The beauty that the mist created was amazing with the frost on the ground and in the trees. Breathtaking!

Returning the Campervan

The check out process at the depot was comprehensive in going over the vehicle and noting if there was any additional damage to the vehicle. The Representative checked to make sure we had emptied the toilet canister, filled up with fuel (fuel station right next door to the depot) and emptied the cupboards etc. The Kea Representative called a taxi for us which arrived within 10 minutes and we sadly waved goodbye to our campervan and headed back to Sydney airport. The check-out took about 30 minutes. The taxi trip back took about 35 minutes and cost $62.

We all agreed that our choice to try something different was a good one and were amazed how much we all enjoyed our experience in our campervan on a snow holiday. We had so much fun that we extended for another 3 days (keep in mind this is always subject to the availability of the campervan and prior arrangements needs to be made with the depot). I am happy to report that we have set a goal to do this again in two years time but head over to New Zealand. Sooo keep watch out for my next holiday adventure.

Lori Raasch


Want to know more?

Kea 6 Berth Review
Snow Holiday Tips
Campervan Beginner's Guide
101 Campervan Tips

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