North American skier Hannah Melinchuk documented her first trip to Australian ski resorts last winter, highlighting 15 key differences from skiing in North America. There most obvious difference is that the seasons are completely different, but that’s just one of many.
Because Australia sits in the southern hemisphere, other than changing the seasons, south-facing aspects stay more sheltered from sun exposure. Additionally Melinchuk found the snow to be denser and creamier in consistency than she was used to.
The eucalyptus trees create a completely different mountain aesthetic, and wildlife encounters are unlike anything in North America. Wombats occasionally appear on the slopes, and kangaroos were a common sight on the drive up. Road travel follows left-hand traffic rules, and that same convention carries over to foot traffic on the mountain.
She did praise the on-mountain food and coffee as dramatically superior to North American resorts. Staff in Australia were strict about keeping safety bars down, too. Lift lines fell somewhere between North American and European levels of chaos. She also noted a category of visitors she called “snow players,” city residents who ride the lifts simply to experience snow without skiing.
