Thredbo
- Not to be confused with Bredbo.
Thredbo is a village and ski resort within Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. It is located on the Alpine Way and is 1380 metres above sea level.
Understand
Thredbo is probably the closest thing Australia has to an alpine village. It lies just on the snowline, and has a variety of accommodation, ski lodges, restaurants, and even a heated swimming pool. Accommodation is just a short walk or shuttle bus ride to the ski lifts in the winter, and the town is still alive during the summer months, with bushwalks, mountain biking, and even some snowplay well into summer. By comparison Perisher Valley is a large ski resort, with more lifts and more skiing area during winter. However it is not a summer destination, and all you will see there is a large carpark. There is some accommodation there also, but little alpine village atmosphere.
Get in
By plane
By car
- Thredbo is about 2.5 hours drive from Canberra, and 1 hour from Cooma, and around 6 hours drive from Sydney. The drive from Melbourne is also around 6 hours via the Alpine Way. A nice drive during summer, but can be subject to snow and ice during winter. Check road conditions.
National park entry fees apply to vehicles and are payable at entrance stations on roads into the park and other locations. There is also a fee for bus passengers. The fee for a car in winter is $27 per 24 hours. In summer it is $16 per vehicle per day. Drive-through (non-stop) passes for the Alpine Way are free.
Chains must be carried during winter, and you must know how to fit them. If chains are required, signs will be placed in the appropriate chain fitting bays, however quite often chains are not required.
By bus
Winter timetabled trips:
- Greyhound daily from Sydney and Sydney Airport, Canberra and Canberra Airport, and Jindabyne.
- Murrays daily from Canberra via Jindabyne, Saturdays from Sydney
- Snow Express Fridays and Sundays from Canberra and Canberra airport
There are several tour companies that offer bus travel as part of a package, including Ski Kaos and Oz Snow Adventures.
Many skiers and boarders stay in Jindabyne and travel to Thredbo as a day trip. Services timed for day trips include:
The NSW Trainlink coach services now service Jindabyne all year round. During summer, the final part of the trip to Thredbo is still problematic by public transport. A taxi is a possible, but expensive, option.
Get around
Thredbo adopts a half-assed "car lite" model that's in many ways the worst of both worlds: cars are allowed, but parking is next to impossible even in the summer and explicitly prohibited overnight (with limited exceptions if your accommodation has its own parking; most don't). The expectation is that you'll leave your car at the free giant parking lots at Friday Flat, and either walk the 15 min on foot or catch a shuttle bus.
The village itself is walkable, but the village is on a steep hill, most streets do not have dedicated footpaths, and roads may be icy. However, traffic moves very slowly and it is quite common for people to walk to and from the village and their accommodation. In summer, mountain bikes are everywhere, so keep an eye out.
Free shuttle buses run around the village on about 15 minute intervals in winter. There are three routes:
- Route 1 (Red): minibuses that run along Crackenback Drive, Diggings Terrace (without stops), and Bobuck Lane, then Friday Drive to and from Valley Terminal and Friday Flat only
- Route 2 (Green): minibuses that run along Diggings Terrace and Banjo Drive, return along the same route, then Friday Drive to and from Valley Terminal and Friday Flat only
- Route 3 (Orange): large buses that run between Valley Terminal and Friday Flat with intermediate stops at accommodation on Friday Drive.
The Green and Red routes are designed for visitors staying in accommodation higher in the village. Maps for all three routes can be found at https://www.thredbo.com.au/the-village/road-transport/
See
- 1 Thredbo Community Bell. The highest bell in Australia at around 2,037 m (6,683 ft) in elevation.
Do
Winter
Resort riding
The entire resort is open to both skiers and snowboarders. In 2021, single day lift passes are priced as follows:
| Age | Price |
|---|---|
| 4 years and under | $10 |
| 5–12 years | $89 |
| 13–17 years | $99 |
| 18–21 years | $159 |
| 22–64 years | $169 |
| 65–69 years | $99 |
| 70+ years | $29 |
Multi-day and early booking discounts are available, particularly in shoulder periods (12–25 Jun, 13 Sep–4 Oct). Full pricing is here. Due to reduced demand for COVID-safety purposes, lift passes should be booked well in advance of travel. Multi-day passes do not include any rest days (ie, there is no "4 days in 6" pass as in years up to 2019).
There are two points at the bottom of the mountain where chairlifts depart. Valley Terminal is the departure point for lifts to most of the intermediate and advanced terrain. Friday Flat is the beginner area but is also a departure point for intermediate and advanced runs in the north east of the resort. Rental gear and lift passes are available at both Valley Terminal and Friday Flat.
Major skiing and snowboarding areas of the resort are:
- Friday Flat: the introductory area. Friday Flat includes a magic carpet area (Syd's Snowrunner) for first day learners, and a 4-person chairlift to a larger beginners area as beginners progress. It is also the meeting point for all group lessons at any level, and the departure point of the Gunbarrel chairlift.
- Merritts Mountain / Cruiser: a top of the resort area above Friday Flat. It features shorter (1–2km) harder beginner and easier intermediate runs together with a few advanced runs. It is accessed from Friday Flat on the 4-person detachable Gunbarrel chairlift or Valley Terminal on the slow 2-person Merritts chairlift. Merritts is where beginners progress in lessons following Friday Flat. Since descending from Merritts back to Friday Flat is only possible on more difficult intermediate and advanced runs such as High Noon, Dream Run and The Schuss. Thus, downloading (riding down) both the Gunbarrel and Merritts chairlifts is allowed.
- Central Spur: intermediate and advanced runs on the top half of the resort in between the Cruiser area and Crackenback, served by two T-bars: Antons and Sponars. This area can be accessed by reaching either the Cruiser or Crackenback areas from the bottom and then traversing.
- Crackenback: the longest resort runs, accessed by the 4-person detachable Kosciuszko chairlift and 2 person Snowgums chairlift from Valley Terminal, including the longest runs Super Trail (3.7km, rated intermediate) and Village Trail (5km, rated beginner).
- The Basin: a wide area above Crackenback and above the treeline. While rated for beginners and easier than the Crusier area beginners runs, it is only accessible by the Kosciuszko chairlift which does not allow downloading, and thus only used by advanced beginners and up, able to descend Crackenback via the Village Trail or other more difficult runs. It is served by a T-bar.
- Karels: an area accessed by another T-bar above The Basin. The top of Karels is the highest altitude lifted point in Australia. There are several short intermediate runs back to The Basin, and Karels and The Basin together are also the starting point for Thredbo's most advanced runs including Funnel Web and Cannonball, which descend to the side of the Crackenback runs.
Learning
Group lessons and children's lessons are available as an add-on to lift ticket purchases, private lessons must be booked separately through the ski school office. For complete beginners, a slightly cheaper "First Timer" lift and lesson ticket is available that restricts your first day to the Friday Flat area.
2-hour group lessons for all abilities meet at Friday Flat at 9:30AM, 11:30AM, and 2PM. Private lessons meet at either Friday Flat or Valley Terminal. Skiing lessons for children aged 3–6 are available at Thredboland at Friday Flat, either a full day including lunch or afternoon program. Skiing and snowboarding lessons are available on the same schedule for older children aged 7–14 in the Freeriders program, meeting at Friday Flat. A fee of $85 applies to everyone, regardless of age.
Tobogganing
Until 2018, tobogganing was allowed in a dedicated area near the Snowgums chairlift boarding area, but in 2018 resort management banned tobogganing and other snow play anywhere in the resort.
Backcountry
Backcounty ski and snow-shoeing tours are offered by:
- Thredbo Backcountry Tours.
- K7 Adventures, ☏ +61 421 862 354, jeff@k7adventures.com.
- Wilderness Sports, 1 Snowy River Ave, Jindabyne, ☏ +61 2 6456 2966.
Year-round
- 1 Thredbo Leisure Centre, ☏ +61 2 6459 4138, tlc@thredbo.com.au. Varying hours, open every day year-round.. Sports and leisure centre including a 50m lap pool, a waterslide, a gymnasium, a squash court and a sports hall.
Summer
- Climb Mount Kosciuszko Australia's highest mountain. Take the year-round chairlift (adult $25 return, $19.50 one way; child $12.50 return, $11 one way) up to Crackenback. From there it is a gradual 6.5 km walk (13km return) with a gradual incline, mostly on metal walkways, to the 2,228m summit of Mt Kosciuszko. There is only one continent where the highest peak is so accessible, and a person of moderate fitness can do the return walk easily in a day. Keen hikers can continue to Mt Townsend, the second highest peak, but there is no formed track and it is not such an easy climb so you need to be confident of your hiking and navigation skills. Mt Kosciuszko can also be climbed from Charlotte Pass, where you can park your car, and avoid the lift fees.
- Bushwalking
- Mountain bike riding
- Bobsled. There is a metal half tube.
- Climbing and abseiling
- Fishing
- Golf
- Horse riding
- Tennis
- Whitewater rafting
Buy
- Thredbo FoodWorks, Thredbo Village Square, ☏ +61 2 6457 6888. M-Sa 8AM-5:30PM, Su 8AM- 3:30PM. Small supermarket with basic supplies, including meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Eat
- Candlelight Lodge (32 Diggings Terrace), ☏ +61 2 6457 6318.
- 1 Cascades Restaurant, Friday Dr, ☏ +61 2 6459 4200. Fine dining with your choice of two/three courses for $69/79.
- Central Road 2625, 4/17 Friday Dr, ☏ +61 2 6457 7271.
- 2 Eagles Nest, ☏ +61 2 6459 4200, tahreception@evt.com. 9:30AM-3PM Daily. Located at the top station of the Kosziusko Chairlift, this is the highest restaurant in Australia at 1937m in altitude. Alas, it's an unattractive gray corrugated steel shed (although the panoramic windows help a bit) and most of the food comes from a microwave.
Drink
- Bullwheel Bar & Bistro (inside Eagles Nest), ☏ +61 2 6459 4200, tahreception@evt.com. At the top of the Kosciusko Chairlift, this is Australia's highest bar and bistro. Open in winter only.
- 1 The Local Pub, tahreception@evt.com. As the name suggests, this is a standard-issue Aussie pub. The food is generic pub grub with elevated Thredbo prices, but there's Kosziusko Pale Ale on tap, a pleasant outdoor terrace in summer and a fireplace for winter.
Sleep
Thredbo accommodation is a mix of hotel rooms, self-catered apartments, and privately and cooperatively owned lodges. Lodges are typically somewhat communal, with shared lounges, and may be a good place to meet fellow travellers. The village is small; most accommodation is within a 1km walk of the chairlifts.
In winter, many accommodation providers only accept bookings from Friday to Sunday (2 nights), Sunday to Friday (5 nights) or Sunday to Sunday (7 nights).
Particularly in ski season, it's cheaper to stay in Jindabyne, but this adds a "snow commute" of 30 to 60 min each way.
- River Inn, 4 Friday Drive, ☏ +61 2 9369 3010. River Inn is the only "ski in, ski out" accommodation in Thredbo, located at the Gunbarrel chair lift. It is very convenient but can be crowded and noisy in peak season. Peak season from $193 per night in a shared room or $275 per night in a twin room.
- Thredbo YHA, 2 Buckwong Place, ☏ +61 2 6457 6376, thredbo@yha.com.au. This is a highly rated hostel. Peak season beds in shared room from $82.
- Thredbo Alpine Hotel, Friday Drive, ☏ +61 2 6459 4200, reservations@thredbo.com.au. Offers ski and snowboard equipment lockers as well, and a dryer room for all the clothes drenched by the snow. Peak season twin rooms from $460 mid-week and $600 weekends.
- Karas Apartments, Bobuck Lane, ☏ +61 2 64576385. Self-catering apartments, all with balconies with a view of the ski slopes. There are studio apartments and 2 and 4 bedroom apartments. Studio apartment from $345 per night and two bedroom apartment from $695 in peak season.
- Boali Lodge, Mowamba Place, ☏ +61 2 6457 6064, management@boali.com.au. Shared rooms from $225 per night for adults and $130 for children in peak season.
Stay safe
Thredbo skiiers and snowboarders should adhere to the Alpine Responsibility Code.
Assistance in the event of an accident is provided by Thredbo Ski Patrol, ☏ +61 2 6459 4147.
Medical assistance is available at Thredbo Medical Centre, Valley Terminal, ☏ +61 2 6457 6254. Open winter and school holidays only At other times of the year, the nearest doctors are in Jindabyne. The nearest small hospital with emergency facilities is in Cooma and the nearest major hospitals with specialist care are in Canberra.