2LT Local News

SYDNEY, June 7 (Xinhua) — Australian winter sports enthusiasts, deprived of their fun in the past few years due to the pandemic, are expected to make up for lost time when they converge on ski resorts for the start of the season during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend on June 11-13.

Skiing is popular throughout the nation’s chillier southeastern regions including the highlands of New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, the island state of Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

The cold snap that continues to grip large portions of Australia has added to the great expectations with snowfalls of almost 100 cm having been recorded during the past week at the sprawling Perisher ski resort, which covers 1,245 hectares within the Australian snowy mountains of NSW.

“We are so excited about the snow this storm is bringing our way,” a Perisher spokesperson told Xinhua on Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of excitement for the season to come, especially from guests who haven’t been able to visit us the past couple of years … and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back to the mountain.”

Weatherzone meteorologist Andrew Schmidt told the national broadcaster ABC that the weekend forecast looked ideal with a cold front combining with a low-pressure system.

“It is definitely a good sign for the season ahead,” Schmidt said.

“With La Nina still lingering around and we’ve also got the Southern Oscillation Index, which is a good sign of rainfall — or in this case snowfall.”

Such bountiful snowfalls are also expected to be an economic windfall for the national economy. A report from the Snowsports Industries of Australia (SIA) released during the pandemic in July 2020 claimed that snow-related businesses had been worth “well over” 2 billion Australian dollars (about 1.43 billion U.S. dollars) annually before COVID-19 crushed the industry.

Meanwhile, with or without snow, one mountainous attraction destined to appeal to keen walkers will be a newly opened 9-km trail, featuring the country’s highest suspension bridge that is almost 1,630 m above sea level, in Kosciuszko National Park.

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the spectacular track along the upper Snowy River would establish the region as a “key eco-adventure tourism destination” likely to draw about 50,000 visitors annually.

“Once all four stages are complete, the 55-km Snowies Alpine Walk will be a world-class experience for visitors,” Toole said.