God bless the Scandinavians. It was somewhere in their snow-covered lands that strange contraptions known as skis were first invented thousands of years ago.

They were originally used to go ‘cross country’ for work, hunting and transportation. In Norse mythology, there were even two celestial deities that got about on skis.

Today, skiing has become a popular recreation and Australia, a sports-mad nation, has its fair share of amazing ski resorts. By day, get your adrenalin hit bombing down the slopes. By night, kick your heels up for a well-deserved night out on the town.

Some of the crowd favourites:

Perisher Blue

Nestled in the stunning Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Perisher Blue is one of the southern hemisphere’s largest alpine resorts. There are seven mountain peaks to attempt, (with the highest reaching 2,054 metres), and a range of 47 chairlifts. Although the resort promotes itself as suiting all levels, it’s sometimes adventurous terrain may make it more suitable to intermediate and advanced skiers. You can also try your luck at more leisurely paced snow activities by exploring the many cross-country trails, snow-shoeing and ‘freeheel’ skiing.

Falls Creek

It might not have the altitude or the kamikaze slopes of the other resorts, but Falls Creek is popular precisely because it caters largely for beginners and intermediate skiers. This ski-in, ski-out resort in Victoria is about 350 kilometres from Melbourne. It has also created a particularly energetic night scene with fine dining options, pubs, bars, nightclubs, live music and a raft of special events. There’s plenty to entertain the kids with snowdragon shows, snowman building and bungy trampolining activities. For ski lessons, book yourself into the award-winning snow sports centre.

Thredbo

The Thredbo village and ski resort, also within Kosciuszko National Park, is halfway between Melbourne and Sydney. Open all year round, this alpine playground has the longest ski runs in Australia, the steepest terrain of any resort in mainland Australia and a robust après ski social, retail and night scene at The Village Square. While we’re on statistics, Thredbo apparently also has the largest snow making system in the southern hemisphere. As legend has it, the vision for the ski resort came from a European man and former ski instructor in Austria, no less. When working on the mountain, he observed that Thredbo had ‘good vertical terrain and an electric atmosphere to match’. The vibe continues today, particularly every August when the resort hosts an annual fundraising weekend event where people ski naked to raise money.

Mount Hotham

Part of the Victorian Alps range, Mount Hotham is a spectacular snow holiday destination offering visitors extensive ski terrain and breathtaking panoramic views from the town (the village’s height is 1750 metres). To give you an idea of the size of this resort, consider this. It has more than 500 staff members through the winter to make sure your experience at this wintry wonderland is top class. Mount Hotham’s resort also has the capacity for 7,000 beds and more than 20 dining places.

Ben Lomond

If you’re brave enough to venture off mainland Australia to experience the Tasmanian winter, a visit to the Ben Lomond ski resort is absolutely worth a trip. This medium-sized alpine resort is part of a national park and is a relaxed 70-minute drive from Launceston (it’s actually the state’s only ski resort which can be reached by car). Ben Lomond is an experience for the whole family to enjoy. The main village at the foot of the slopes offers toboggan and snow play areas for the tiny tots to enjoy.

Author: This post is by Jessica Spencer, she is a niche blogger and working for Car Rental Sydney.