Thredbo and Perisher refuse to acknowledge reality and move this weekend on a week or two, to a time when there is actual snow on the ground. In the seven years that I have lived in Canberra there has never been natural snow on the ground in the first week of July. And to add insult to injury, Thredbo has now even refused to offer the fake snow and toboggan rides which drew families to it. Oh, and they waited until a week before the day to announce that.

So, what can you expect? At Thredbo expect zero snow, paying top dollar for ski-lifts, mechanical sled rides food and drink, a sad snow sculpture melting in the heat, empty pubs where one or two bored people watch footy, over-heated coffee shops closing early, a DJ playing house music to which toddlers and pre-teens dance while their parents stand around sipping over-priced beer and wine. The fireworks were such a non-event that we didn’t even realise they had happened. At Perisher expect some man-made snow, a few better musos, but not much more. Don’t expect a magical, fun-filled snow weekend as advertised in the brochures.

Don’t waste your money, time and energy on this over-hyped, over-priced kids party. Snow open weekend offers you zero snow and zero fun at full season prices. Despite the fact that Threbo and Perisher no doubt know, after so many years of having no actual snow on this weekend, that it will be snowless, they continue to promote this weekend as a funtastic opening to the snow. Too much to expect snow on a weekend claiming (and priced) to be the “start of the snowy season”? Apparently it is. Even Perisher barely has any snow at this time of the year and the reason those photos look so filled with happy people on the snow is because everyone is trying to squeeze onto the few man-made patches of snow for their instagram moment.

Until both Thredbo and Perisher start admitting that they are artificially extending the snow season in order to rake in extra money, and stop charging like there is actual snow on the ground, do yourself a favour and don’t fall for their lies. Show them the contempt they deserve by boycotting them for these first two weeks of June and go when there is actual snow and you are getting what you pay for. I for one will not be paying snow fees for a zero snow weekend again. Fool me once.....