Snow is always an iffy proposition in Australia, but 80 inches a year is nothing to sneeze at. On a typical day at Thredbo, in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales in southeastern Australia, rain at the bottom of the mountain is not uncommon (which can mean snow up high), and by early September (the austral equivalent of March) the snow depth is still near its peak. Thredbo is a well-rounded mix of intermediate cruising and bump runs, plus decent steeps and some adventurous off-piste skiing in the above-treeline seams that feed into Golf Course Bowl. Plus, where else can you ski past parrot-inhabited gum trees?

Thredbo is located in Konsciuszko National Park, a self-contained resort at the base of the country’s highest mountain with the largest snow-making facilities in the southern hemisphere, a recently expanded terrain park, and some of the country’s longest, highest, and most challenging terrain.