Thredbo in Summertime

If you are looking for somewhere different to spend some time during the summer holidays then why not visit the ski village of Thredbo. Thredbo is a small village about 30 minutes drive south-west of Jindabyne. It is situated within the confines of the Kosciuszko National Park.  Summertime can be the perfect time to visit the Snowy Mountains region of NSW. The temperatures are often cooler in the higher parts and it can be less crowded as well.

PARK ENTRY

You will need to purchase an entry permit if you intend on stopping in the park.  This can be done at the entry gates on the way in or at the Visitor Information Centre in the village itself.  If you are just driving straight through you don’t have to pay. But you still need to display a permit. Thredbo village itself has a permanent population of just over 470 people. Wintertime sees visitors in their thousands as they come to ski some of the longest ski runs in Australia.

THREDBO VILLAGE

Summertime in Thredbo is a whole different story though.  We found the village all but deserted especially in and around the shops. We stopped at a bakery there for breakfast which was lovely. BUT make sure you have plenty of cash if you are planning to eat in Thredbo. We found it extremely expensive.

There is plenty to do in Thredbo during summer. Hiking and mountain biking are the most popular activities.  We caught the chairlift up to the Eagles Nest Mountain Hut. The chairlift is open every day of the year and is 1.8 kilometres long with a vertical rise of 560 metres. It is the best place to take in the magical views of the valley below. Underneath the chairlift are mountain bike tracks. You can bring your own or hire one from the base of the chairlift. If you want a walking adventure several walking tracks lead off from the top of the chairlift with the main one being to Mt Kosciuszko.

CHAIRLIFT RIDE

I loved the chairlift ride and the views from it were spectacular.  It was a lovely clear day and you really could see for miles.  Unfortunately on this trip I didn’t have time to walk all the way to the top of Mt Kosciusko.  I can guarantee you that it is on my ‘bucket list’.  Maddi and Ben both thought it would be pretty neat to try out a couple of the mountain bike trails.  We could easily see some of the riders racing down the hillside.  It did look like lots of fun.

After taking in the scenery at the top and taking lots of photo’s we headed back down to the bottom.  The trip back down allowed us to see the whole of the village spread out below us. Parts of Thredbo are built on the side of a hill. In 1997 a tragic landslide occurred where a ski chalet collapsed into the gully below claiming the lives of 18 people.  The site has never been built on again and is now a memorial to those who lost their lives.

TOBOGGAN RIDE

At the bottom of the chairlift is a toboggan ride which the kids decided to have a couple of goes on.  They thought it was awesome fun and were able to go quite fast.

I would highly recommend spending at least a full day in Thredbo.  It is such a pretty place and well worth having a look around.  If I was looking for somewhere to stay and didn’t have the camper trailer I would love to stay at the Lake Crackenback Resort – we drove in there and the facilities look amazing.  If you’re into fishing there are trout a plenty in the resort lake.