Charlotte Pass

The highest snow resort in Australia is Charlotte Pass. You’ll find a wonderful range of skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing adventures, from downhill runs to terrain parks, including a children’s play park with mini jumps. Snowshoed adventurers can ascend Australia’s highest peak.

In the magnificent Kosciuszko National Park, Charlotte Pass is home to the 1930-built Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel, a ski-in ski-out hotel. You can admire Mount Kosciuszko from the historic hotel and other ski-in ski-out accommodation options at the snow resort, which is also the nation’s oldest.

Charlotte Pass is named after Charlotte Adams, the first European woman to reach the top of Mount Kosciuszko in February 1881. A snowbound wonderland from early June to early October, the ski resort is only accessible by over-snow transport from the Skitube railway terminal in Perisher Valley.

Skiers and snowboarders will be thrilled with the wide range of downhill runs, from the gentle Easy Starter for beginners to the adrenaline-pumping Guthries Chutes for the experienced. There are lessons available from professional instructors and an all-day kids program for three to 12-year-olds.

For a starry experience, enjoy night skiing and boarding Wednesdays and Saturdays. The sunrises are glorious, too. On the Mount Stilwell experience, the over-snow Pisten Bully vehicle takes you up the mountain to watch a sunrise and then you ski or board on the pristine first run before the lifts open.

There are cross-country trails, and experienced alpine adventurers can trek on snowshoes or cross-country skis to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s rooftop where the views of the NSW Snowy Mountains are stunning. There are no snow poles marking the snow-covered summit track.

Before a mountaintop trek or other backcountry and off-piste adventures, please read these alpine safety tips carefully. There are guided tours in the national park, such as K7 Adventures, to Mount Kosciuszko’s peak, which stands at 2,228 metres. Charlotte Pass is at 1,765 metres above sea level.