Where to Go Snowboarding in Australia

[/html]While Australia doesn't offer as many opportunities to snowboard as Europe, Canada or the US, dedicated snowboarders can experience a numb

[/html]While Australia doesn't offer as many opportunities to snowboard as Europe, Canada or the US, dedicated snowboarders can experience a number of excellent Australian resorts that cater to their needs. Nine resorts can be found in the mountains of Victoria and New South Wales. Except for Charlotte Pass, they are all fairly easy to get to via air, bus, train, car or car hire. If driving yourself, remember to bring snow chains; there is a steep fine for entering ski areas without them. Following are some of Australia's finest snowboarding resorts:Snowboarding in VictoriaMt. BullerWith Melbourne just three hours away, Mt. Buller is one of Australia's most popular and busy snowboarding destinations, especially for day-trippers. Buller can boast of more than 80km of runs over 300 hectares of mixed terrain, which will please riders of all skill levels. Wombat and Little Buller Spur are two favorite runs. With 22 lifts and 260 snow guns, there is always somewhere to ride. On weekends, however, lift queues grow long, particularly on days when there's fresh powder. The lodges and hotels are plentiful and generally excellent.Mt. HothamMany snowboarders claim Hotham is the best snowboarding in Australia. It is also one of the highest alpine resorts in the country, topping 1860 meters at the summit, and boasts gorgeous views of the Victorian Alps. Hotham offers some excellent long runs and backcountry access. About 20% of the terrain is appropriate for beginners, and the rest is evenly divided between intermediate and advanced slopes. If you book ahead online you can avoid most of the queues.Falls CreekWith more than 90 runs and 5000 beds of accommodation, Falls Creek is the largest of the Victorian snow resorts. It is also home to the Kangaroo Hoppet, Australia's biggest winter sports event. Falls Creek is divided into five main areas for snowboarding, and most are at the intermediate level. Because of its size, however, the terrain for beginners and advanced riders is plentiful and the snow has a reputation for reliability. [html][/html]Snowboarding in New South WalesThredboThredbo is a favorite among free riders and offers some very steep, very fast runs. Its terrain is the steepest of all Australian resorts. “Thredy” puts a lot into their terrain parks, which include a variety of rails, jumps and tubes, as well as the latest training tools. The longest run in Australia, the Crackenback Supertrail, is here. Thredbo Alpine Village, which was designed to resemble a European ski town, has some of the best apres-ski and nightlife.Perisher Perisher is considered to be Australia's most family-friendly resort. Made up of four sub-resorts and seven mountain peaks, it is also huge. A visitor would need several days to experience all that Perisher has to offer. Its size guarantees that all skill levels and styles are provided for. With five terrain parks, a superpipe, and a tubing park, there is something for every rider. Access to the resort is by road or by parking at Bullocks Flat and catching the Skitube Alpine railway, a six-kilometer tunnel that goes beneath the mountains.Charlotte PassCharlotte Pass is an uncrowded and isolated resort that can only be reached during snow season from Perisher, via over-snow vehicles. Because of this, Charlotte Pass can boast of being the only car-free resort in Australia, and all accommodations are ski-in, ski-out. There are two terrain parks at Charlotte Pass, one for children and one with jumps and rails.Selwyn SnowfieldsSelwyn Snowfields is a tiny little resort located in the Snowy Mountains of NSW. The biggest run it can boast comes out at 800m. Visitors can take advantage of their 11 lifts in various forms, including chair lifts and t-bars. With the small runs, Selwyn is a good place for beginners to cut their teeth. The closest major city is Canberra, so it's probably worthwhile flying into Canberra Airport is coming from overseas or outside of ACT/NSW.This has been a guest post from Skedaddle Car Hire, your Aussie travel experts. Check out their site for more info on these exciting skiing destinations.