Ski and stay on a budget at Jindabyne
Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains
The town of Jindabyne is a great place to kick start your ski or snowboarding holiday this winter. Only 30 minutes drive from Thredbo and Perisher Blue ski resorts, it’s not difficult to be on the first lift for the day at either resort.
For those on a budget, Jindabyne is a great alternative to staying on snow
Staying at Jindabyne
There’s plenty of accommodation options in Jindabyne and it’s generally much easier on the pocket than staying on snow. You still get the winter buzz with more facilities and cheaper prices. Apartment style accommodation is very affordable for two or more people. The larger the group, generally the less it costs per person. Here’s just a couple of accommodation options in Jindabyne.
The Station
The Station Hotel in Jindabyne offers budget accommodation from $82.00 per night. Ski and snowboard hire is available. See The Station website.
Discovery Holiday Park
This resort makes an ideal base for your winter holiday. Situated on the shores of Lake Jindabyne, the resort has spacious heated accommodtion and log fires to warm you after a day on the slopes. 2010 prices start at $217 per night. Read more about Discovery Holiday Park resort.
Snowy Wilderness resort
For something a little different, try the Snowy Wilderness resort which offers plenty of winter activities beyond the ski fields. There are four accommodation options from the adventurous camping out under the stars to a luxurious homestead. If you want a day off from skiing, try horse riding, 4WDriving, bike riding or brumby watching on this 7200 hectare property. Visit the Snowy Wilderness website.
Lake Crackenback Resort
Fifteen minutes out of Jindabyne on the road to the snow, Lake Crackenback Resort gets you that much closer to the mountains of fun at Thredbo and Perisher Blue.
The rising mist over the lake in the morning is something to see. With fine dining, (often included in ski packages), this resort is a great option when staying off-snow. Visit the Lake Crackenback website.
Eating out at Jindabyne
Choice is the name of the game. From pub food at the Station Hotel to cafes for a quick pie and coffee, Jindabyne has it all.
The Sundance Bakehouse & Tea Rooms Shop at 13 Nugget’s Crossing is a must stop shop for a pastry on your way to the snow. There are plenty of restaurants that serve up dishes from around the world: Indian, Italian, Thai, Latin American and much more.
Read more about restaurants and cafes in Jindabyne.
Getting to Jindabyne
Jindabyne is about a five and a half hour drive from Sydney, a bit over six hours from Melbourne. Canberra is about two hours from Jindabyne so driving is an option.
The big news this year is that Aeropelican have daily flights direct from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains (Cooma) from $129 each way with shuttle buses taking passengers the rest of the way to Jindabyne and the snow fields.
Getting to the snow from Jindabyne
You can drive and park in the day parking areas. At Perisher Blue, if you get there early, it’s a short walk to the main ski terminal. Parking is free but access to the National Park is $27 per car per day. Annual passes are $190.
You can drive to the ski tube. Coming back at the end of the day you’ll be hard pressed to get a seat but doing the sky train is quite an experience despite this downside.
Bus services run between Jindabyne and Thredbo and Perisher Blue daily. Snowlink provides a snow shuttle/charter service to and from the snowfields. For bookings call 1800 45 15 75 or visit the snowlink website
Snow Alliance also has a daily sheduled bus service between Jindabyne and Perisher. Freecall: 1800 280 121 or visit the snow alliance website.
This is a good website for more information about Jindabyne.
