34cm of Fresh Snow and it is Still Falling! 
 
  The long awaited snowfalls finally arrived and in a big way! The falls began at 2.30pm, Monday 30 June and have continued throughout the early part of this week. 34cm of natural snowfalls have been added to the slopes in the past 48 hours and it has brought smiles to the faces of snow lovers around the resort. Further snowfalls, down to 1200 metres, are expected over the next couple of days. 

Night Skiing made it’s season debut last night.
 
Snowfalls left the Village looking wintry and white (Front Valley on Tuesday morning). 
 
 
July Entertainment!

Find Out What’s On Over the School Holidays.
 
 
Queensland School holidays are in full swing, with plenty of events and entertainment going on around the resort to suit the whole family!  Perisher Postcards! Holiday pics and how to place an order. 
 
 

Smiling big for Perisher Postcards!

 Forgot to bring your camera? Or maybe you noticed one of Perisher Blue’s friendly staff members taking photos around the resort and were wondering what they were up too! Most likely they were taking a Nikon Coolpix Postcard Pic for the Perisher Blue website.
 
 
July Events! 
 
 The Travelplan Sydney Division Interschools & the Scots College Snowsports Championships.  

Come watch the junior champions go head-to-head during the Travelplan Sydney Division Interschools or join in the fun and take part in the Scots College Snowsports Championships, which is open to any person of any age from any school in the country! Go to the perisher valley web site for more information on the Scots College Snowsports Championships. 
 
The junior championships are a must see event.
 
 
Honeymoon At The Snow! 
 
 Perisher Blue has the ultimate options for honeymooners, providing them with the perfect place to relax and spend time with each other. A honeymoon is a special time, a romantic interlude that links the rush of excitement of the wedding day and the dreams of a future together.
 

Out of the Blue

27 June

A Fresh Dusting and More Snow Coming!
 
Things are starting to look promising at Perisher Blue. A front hit the NSW alpine regions early on Thursday morning, which left the resort looking white and wintry. The light dusting coupled with snowmaking means both Front Valley and areas of Blue Cow are open for snow lovers to enjoy. More snow is expected early next week. Come up and check out the Burton Demo Weekend from 28 to 29 June. This is your chance to demo a range of the latest and greatest Burton products. You may even pick up a Burton demo deal at Addiction Snowboards, Lower Level Perisher Centre.  
  A light dusting transformed the resort into a wintry   paradise, Front Valley Thursday 26 June 2008.
 
Entertainment Calendar
 
The on-line entertainment calendar is now live! Covering Bazil’s, Dini’s, JAX, The Man, Smiggins Hotel, Snow Gums, the Sundeck and on-Mountain in Perisher Valley as well as The Station Resort in Jindabyne, the Entertainment Calendar is a must to keep up with all the fun at Perisher Blue this winter. Don’t miss out on seeing your favourite acts, bands, competitions, meal deals and happenings. go to perisher valley website to check it out.
School Holiday! Things to Try
 

Kids will have a ’snow’ ball this school holidays .
 School Holidays are just around the corner and that long awaited vacation is on the horizon. Hopefully you’re all set for a relaxing time away, spending time in the outdoors and having fun! Click HERE to find out a few things you simply have to try these school holidays at Perisher Blue.
Perisher Packages from $625!
 

An Exclusive Perisher Blue Offer from   American Express.
Imagine escaping to Perisher Blue this September for as little as $625 per person. American Express has secured packages including accommodation, meals and other luxuries, available exclusively to you. Indulge yourself this ski season with this exhilarating offer from American Express Selected.
 
A mammoth snowmaking effort last night had Front Valley looking white and wintry, Friday 27 June 2008.
 

Mid-Year Sale! Jetstar.com

It’s that time of the year to celebrate Jetstar’s Mid-year Sale! With fares from $39 for Newcastle to Brisbane! JetSaver Light^ fare - Carry on baggage only.

Sale ends midnight (23:59 AEST), Monday 30 June 2008, unless sold out prior. Sale may be extended.

Here’s a sample of what’s on sale. Visit Jetstar.com for the full list of sale fares.

Brisbane to Newcastle  $39
Hamilton Island  $79
Cairns  $89

    
Sydney to:
Fraser Coast  $59
Launceston  $69
Melbourne (Avalon)  $75
Book button
Melbourne to
Hobart (departs Tullamarine)  $49
Gold Coast (departs Tullamarine)~  $79
Perth (departs Avalon)  $159

These sale fares are JetSaver Light^ fares for when you travel with carry on baggage only. If you choose a JetSaver fare for just $10 more, you’ll get 20kg checked baggage allowance.

For travel 23 July to 17 September 2008. All routes have limited availability over public holiday weekends.

~ Limited availability on Fridays and Sundays.

Important Information on Flights

^ JetSaver Light fares have no checked baggage allowance. Carry on baggage limits, including size restrictions, will be strictly applied. Passengers with more than the applicable carry on baggage allowance will need to check in baggage, and charges will apply. JetSaver fares, which include 20kg checked baggage allowance, can be booked for $10 more. More details on cabin baggage.

For all payments by credit or charge card an additional $3 per passenger per domestic flight sector booked will apply.

Telephone bookings (13 15 38) attract an additional $15 per passenger, per domestic flight.

Fares are non-refundable and name changes are not permitted. Fares are one way, and are subject to availability (not available all flights or days).

To book, search in the relevant travel period and note that non-sale fares will also appear. Lower fares may be available.

All travel is subject to the Jetstar Conditions of Carriage. See Jetstar.com for more details.

Blue Cow is open! 
 
 Hoorahh! Blue Cow opened today for the first time this season. Revellers of all levels of ability have enjoyed schussing around the slopes. At Blue Cow two lifts are in operation including the Early Starter Double Chair and the Pony Ride Rope Tow. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecast for the Snowy Mountains is looking good. A cold front is expected to hit tomorrow with snow falling to 1500 metres. Hopefully this front will be the start of many more! There were snowboard and ski  Riders enjoying Blue Cow Mountain in June 2008 
 
 
Additional Activities!
  
Many snow lovers have  enjoyed building  snowmen on Front Valley. 
 Although we have not had the most ideal start to the season this year, there are a host of additional activities and special offers for guests to take advantage of in the resort including Guided Walks; Discounted Food and Drinks and Extra Lifts and extended opening hours.
 
Grooming Map! Check out our new feature
  
Check out the new feature on our website. The Grooming Map not only shows all the runs, but also which ones have been groomed each morning. It’s easy to find out if your favourite runs have been prepared to corduroy perfection. Click HERE to find out more. A new snowcam is soon to be installed in Tube Town to catch all the fun and excitement.  check out all the latest snowcam shots!
 
 
How convenient is it to travel via Skitube?
  

Skitube on route from Blue Cow Terminal to Perisher Valley, June 2008 
 Worried about finding parking? Try Skitube it is the safest and easiest travel option between Bullocks Flat, Perisher Valley and Blue Cow Terminal.

It’s easy to board and disembark and quick! It takes just 15 mins to travel up the mountain and trains depart every 20 mins during peak season. You can’t beat the convenience of travelling via Skitube! Click HERE for travel times and ticket prices.

Get all the stats and facts about Perisher Blue’s unique Skitube Alpine Railway.
 
What level are you? Take our quick Quiz 
 
  Curious to know what level skiers or boarder you are? It’s easy, to find out which lesson group to join take our simple quiz, there are only 6 questions. All you have to do is answer YES or NO. go to perisher blue web site to take the quiz.

Perisher Blue’s team of experienced instructors are waiting to introduce you to the wide range of products and services on offer. They are dedicated to providing you with professional instruction to take your skiing or boarding to the next level. To find out about lesson times and prices ring perisher blue. 
 

Merewether June 25th 2008

The swell was still hanging around today with the sets peaking up to about six foot. The wind was offshore from the north west at around twelve knots and it was a perfect winter’s day. There were not hordes of guys out and the waves were just coming through set after set. You did not have to wait long for a wave. In the morning it seemed like it was bigger with the lower tide. As the tide came in later in the morning it seemed to clean up a bit and break a bit more evenly. It also could have been a bit hollower with the higher tide coming in but i cannot say for sure.

I did not even have a look at NObbi’s or Newcastle Beach and went straight to Merewether today so I have no idea how the waves were at the town beaches. The forecast is for West to North West winds blowing from about fifteen to twenty five knots. The seas are expected to be from one to one point five meters and rising to two point five meters at times. The swell is expected to be approximately two meters from the South. The water temperature at the moment is around 17.4 degrees Celsius. So it is pretty chilly.

At this point in time the Wind is North west and blowing at seventeen knots according to Nobbys signal station. Low tide in the morning tomorrow will be after seven am with high tide at approximately two pm in the afternoon. The ground swell from the South is supposed to continue tomorrow but maybe drop a little to three to four foot waves. Winds will be from the west north west to the north west. It is perfect winter conditions and the surf is pumping so get out there and get some waves all for yourself.

Take advantage of Jetstar’s Escape Overseas Sale!

With fares from $139 from Darwin to Singapore. JetSaver Light fare - Carry on baggage only. Sale ends 5:00pm (AEST), Monday 30 June 2008, unless sold out prior. Sale may be extended.

South East Asia!

Darwin to Singapore $139 
Melbourne to Singapore (via Darwin) $299 
 Melbourne to Bangkok $329 
 Melbourne (departs Avalon) to Phuket (via Sydney) $449
 Sydney to Phuket $369  
Adelaide to Phuket (via Sydney) $479
 Brisbane to Phuket (via Sydney) $499
 
 
 These sale fares are JetSaver Light^ fares for when you travel with carry on baggage only.  If you choose a JetSaver fare for just $20 more, you’ll get 20kg checked baggage allowance.

Flights to Singapore or Bangkok are for travel 23 July to 18 September 2008.
Flights to Phuket are for travel from 13 August to 18 September 2008.
Limited availability over public holiday weekends.

New Zealand from $149!
Sydney $149  
Gold Coast $149 
 Brisbane $149 
  Melbourne $169
 
For travel 23 July to 18 September 2008. Limited availability over public holiday weekends and during peak periods. Very limited availability between Sydney and Christchurch 25 to 30 July 2008.

Japan from $249!

Cairns to Osaka $249  
Cairns to Nagoya $249  
Brisbane to Osaka $349
Sydney to Osaka $349  
Sydney to Nagoya $399      
 

These sale fares are JetSaver fares and include 20kg of checked baggage allowance.

For travel 15 July to 07 August 2008 and 03 September 2008 to 30 September 2008. Limited availability over public holiday weekends.

Japan sale fares are only on flights JQ 15/16, JQ 17/18 and JQ 63/64. Some sectors may be operated by Qantas. Flights may not be direct. Cairns to Nagoya may be via Osaka. Brisbane to Osaka is via Sydney. Osaka to Sydney is via Brisbane. Sydney to Nagoya is via Cairns.

Important Information

^ JetSaver Light fares have no checked baggage allowance. Carry on baggage limits, including size restrictions, will be strictly applied. Passengers with more than the applicable carry on baggage allowance will need to check in baggage, and charges will apply. JetSaver fares, which include 20kg checked baggage allowance, can be booked for $20 more. More details on cabin baggage.

For all payments by credit or charge card an additional $5 per passenger per international flight and $3 per passenger per domestic flight sector booked will apply.

Telephone bookings (13 15 38) attract an additional $15 per passenger, per flight to/from Christchurch and Singapore, and an additional $25 per passenger, per flight to other international destinations.

Fares are non-refundable and name changes are not permitted. Fares are one way, and are subject to availability (not available all flights or days). Melbourne flights depart Tullamarine Airport, unless otherwise stated.

To book, search in the relevant travel period and note that non-sale fares will also appear. Lower fares may be available.

All travel is subject to the Jetstar Conditions of Carriage. See Jetstar.com for more details.

Before you book your international flight, and before you travel, check current Australian Government travel advisories at smartraveller.gov.au

The surf at Newcastle has been reasonable this weekend. There was waves on Friday at Flat Rock just off the Newcastle Baths. The wind was coming from the south west and the swell was about two to four foot. There were some really good surfers out on Friday and they were getting some amazing barrels.

Today, Sunday, the swell is still up and was about four to six foot on the biggest sets. There were a heap of guys out at Flat Rock and lots of guys were getting hammered on the take offs on the bigger sets. There were waves off the point at Merewether. High tide was at half past ten at 1.27 meters this morning. Low tide will be at a quarter to five this afternoon late. The water temperature is seventeen degrees Celsius and the wind was coming out of the south south west earlier this morning. Now it is coming directly out of the south at twenty four knots.

The outlook is for increasing south to south west winds up 30 knots offshore, with a swell of between two to three meters. There is a new southerly swell predicted for Tuesday which will be a reasonable size. I am not sure how big but it is looking good for mid week. The winds are predicted to be coming from the west which will be good.

20 June 2008 

Beat the budget! 5 ways to make a snow holiday less expensive 
  
  If looking for a wintry getaway destination that has it all, but won’t break the bank, then Perisher Blue is the place to visit. Admittedly, organising a snow holiday can be time consuming, particularly when factoring in travel, accommodation, and booking lessons. But don’t be deterred, there are ways to simplyfy the process, cut the costs and beat the budget!

Go to the Perisher Blue website to discover 5 ways to make a snow holiday less expensive.
Snow Fun! And 10 tips to help you stay safe 
  

 Holidaying in the snow is a lot of fun! And it’s even better when everyone remembers to follow a few basic rules. Just keep your eyes open, be aware of your own abilities and looking out for other people on the slope. Remember not everyone is at the same level and ability. Don’t forget to show courtesy to others and be aware that there are inherent risks in all snow recreational activities. Make sure to remember the basic safety tips to help you get the most fun out of your snow holiday!
 
Fashion Fiend: All the latest in clothing and accessories 
 
 All you fashion fiends out there in search of the latest in clothing and accessories for winter 2008 STOP! Go no further than the vast array of quality retail stores in Perisher Blue. Slopestyle, upstairs in the Perisher Centre and Addiction Snowboards on the lower level are just two such stores open daily during the season. Slopestyle and Addiction have it all! Offering a massive range of clothing and accessories as well as ski equipment with a ‘try before you buy’ fleet to help make that important decision just a little easier.
 

The resort is looking wild, white and wintry with a fresh covering of snow on the ground. We expect these conditions to continue throughout the next few days. Come up and check out the first flakes of the season, but make sure you are dressed for the conditions!
 
 
Talking with Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor 
 
 
It is the question on every snow enthusiast’s lips ‘What is the long-range forecast for the season?’ Well according to Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor from snowatch.com.au, Australia’s number one snow forecasting website, the weather will sharpen up and it should develop into a bumper season! ‘Overall,’ Peter said ‘I see a good season with consistent regular snowfalls through to July with August bringing quite a lot of snow. To compare to previous years I would say it will be the best since 2004 with the Spencers Creek snow depth reaching the 2m mark.’  
 
 
Culinary Delights at Perisher!
 
 
A group of girls enjoying a drink and some food from one of Perisher Blue’s food outlets,  season 2007.  
 There are plenty of places to stop, eat, drink and refuel while out on the slopes at Perisher Blue when the season gets into full swing. Select from an array of eateries serving everything from hearty meals to delectable delicacies, there is something to satisfy everyone.
 
  DEMO FEST ‘08!
 
 Running throughout the 28 to 29 June weekend the Demo Fest was your chance to try a range of the latest and greatest products from the industry’s biggest names. K2, Salomon, Burton, Ride, Volkl plus other ski and snowboard brands including fully-owned + manufactured Australian ski company Obsidian Skis will were on-site and available for you to try. 
 

The wind is icy cold from the South today and it is blowing a gale. The wind would blow a dog off a chain, as my old captain used to say. This morning the wind was coming from the south west at eighteen knots. The water temperature is nineteen degrees which is relatively bearable for this time of the year in winter.

The forecast from the Weather Bureau is for winds from the south west of twenty five to thirty five knots inshore ranging to thirty five to forty knows offshore. I hope that the ships off Newcastle have gone out to sea a bit because this time last year the Pasha Bulker got washed up on Nobbys Beach after a huge storm that went into folk lore in the Hunter.  Seas are supposed to be in the range of three to four metres with a South to South East swell getting bigger up to two to three metres.

I headed off today about 10 am and went along the harbour, trying to see if there was any swell getting into the harbour wall. No such luck as the swell is not big enough to be breaking inside the harbour breakwall. There were a few brave souls out at Nobbys but it was smallish and wind swept to the maximum. The swell on the open beaches was about four to six foot and messy because of the very strong winds. Merewether and Dixon Park were large and messy with the waves closing out, so no opportunity for a surf there.

I went up to the look out over Burwood Beach and had a look there but there were no decent surfable waves coming in there. I did not go to Blacksmiths because the wind was just blowing too hard to bother and I did not think the swell would be getting in there anyway. If the swell increases, there may be good waves at the obvious places around Blacksmiths. I will have a look tomorrow.  Low tide was at 10.47 am today and high tide will be at 5:30 pm tonight.  At 1:20 pm the wind was twenty knots from the South West.  The swell forecast has the swell maxing out tomorrow on Sunday to about six to eight feet.

Jetstar Great Ocean Road Holidays 

Jetstar is on sale with some great fares and holiday packages to one of the great drives of Australia.

The Great Ocean Road hugs the contours of Victoria’s rugged southwest coast and provides a truly spectacular journey of inspiring vistas and varied experiences.

Jetstar flies from Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth direct to Melbourne (Avalon), which is just minutes from Geelong, the beginning of your Great Ocean Road journey. Choose from our sale airfares or our fly-drive packages that suggest some popular, not to be missed attractions.

Fares and packages are on sale until midnight (23:59 AEST) Monday 16 June 2008, unless sold out prior. For travel between 23 July to 16 September 2008. Limited availability over school holidays, and public holiday weekends.

JetSaver Light fares direct to Melbourne (Avalon) departing:
 
Adelaide
from $39 Sydney
from $59 Brisbane
from $79 Perth
from $159 
 
 

3 day Fly-Drive packages along the Great Ocean Road
 
Packages include:
• Return flights to/from Melbourne (Avalon)
• 3 days Budget Group A car hire
• 1 night’s accommodation each at the Mantra Erskine Beach Resort in Lorne and the Mantra Deep Blue in Warrnambool.
 
Adelaide from $363 per person, twin share Sydney from $403 per person, twin share
 
Brisbane from $443 per person, twin share Perth from $603 per person, twin share
 
 
Packages can only be booked by calling Jetstar on 131 538.