Snow in the Brindabella Ranges. Photo: James Coleman.
With the temperature dropping below zero in the Riverina for the first time in 2025, winter has officially kicked off, and locals are expected to flood the snowfields.
For eight weeks of the year the snow provides a perfect place to make the most of the sub-zero conditions and Riverina Ski Sports manager Mick Wainwright wants to enjoy it.
“In the initial stages of winter, the ground is still quite warm, so any snow that falls will usually melt,” Mr Wainwright said.
“Once we get some snow in there for a couple of days, it actually cools the ground right down, and therefore any snow that we happen to have afterwards, then we’ll stay there.
“Once it gets below that zero temperature consistently for a week or two, it really hardens snow up basically into ice, and builds a really good base for skiing and boarding as well.”
Riverina residents make up a large contingent of visitors at the snowfields each year.
“We’re only, you know, two and a half hours from Falls Creek and also from Mount Selwyn,” Mr Wainwright said.
“At Mount Selwyn, we have very family-oriented terrains, not quite as steep as Falls Creek. There are some beginner runs, and it is basically a family playground.
“Meanwhile, two and a half hours in the other direction, we have Falls Creek, and that’s more of an intermediate to advanced playground.
“A lot of serious skiers and snowboarding families visit Falls Creek. It’s a lot steeper, with a lot of variety in different runs, compared to Mount Selwyn.
“Falls Creek also has accommodation, whereas Mount Selwyn doesn’t. So, Mount Selwyn is basically just for day trips, where Falls Creek is more of a weekend thing, but they’re both equal distances away.”
With the temperature dropping below zero for the first time this year, many families in the Riverina are preparing for a trip to the snowfields. Photo: Josef Winkler.
Regular snow visitor Josef Winkler believes the reason snow is so special is due to its scarcity in Australia.
“The snow is a great getaway for the family; being so close to town makes it an easy weekend adventure for all,” he said.
“It’s an experience that is unforgettable for most, and with snow season bustling, now would be the time to get out and explore. We don’t get it for long and we’re one of the only places in the country that has it so why not visit?”
Mr Wainwright and the team at Riverina Ski Sports are advising anyone who is planning a trip to either Mount Selwyn or Falls Creek to stop by the shop to have all their equipment fitted.
“You can obviously hire all this stuff on the mountain, but you’re paying twice the price because you can’t get equipment anywhere else,” he said.
“If you’re going for a day and you get to Mount Selwyn at 9 am in the morning, you can wait an hour and a half to two hours to get fitted out with your gear.
“Now it’s all of a sudden, you know, 11:30 and the day’s three-quarters over. By then, you know you’re spending hundreds of dollars on your lift pass, and you’re able to use it for two hours, whereas you can pre-organise it in our store and take it with you.
“With us, when you get there at nine o’clock in the morning, you can quickly grab your lift pass. It’s all done by a machine these days, and you’re hitting the snow within five minutes.
“I personally do prefer boarding. If we have a lot of powder there on that day, then, yeah, I will probably throw some skis on and go. But if it’s a little bit harsher conditions, and which we do have here in Australia, I’ll probably chuck a board on and take a board down. We do have something for everyone.”
