Get ready for a great winter holiday as we leave Sydney and journey south to Australia’s Alpine region. We stop off in historic Goulburn for lunch and then skirt Canberra before heading to Cooma, the gateway to the Snowy Mountains and the Kosciuszko National Park. At almost 700,000 hectares in size, the National Park offers a landscape of rolling hills and great peaks, relics of a 100-million-year-old geological rift. The park is home to snowfields and ski resorts plus a multitude of natural attractions including Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mainland peak, several large lakes and beautiful waterways including the Snowy River.

In Cooma, our home for the next four nights, we will pick up your snow gear (waterproof jacket, waterproof pants, snow boots are all included) before our first group dinner. Let the fun and fellowship begin!

Overnight: Cooma

Our first day takes us to Adaminaby; the original town was relocated (including the 2 churches moved stone by stone) to make way for the creation of Lake Eucumbene, the largest reservoir in the Snowy Hydro Scheme. Enjoy views over the lake as we travel to Mount Selwyn ski fields for an opportunity to play in the snow. This area was affected by the Black Summer bushfires and we can observe how fire has reshaped the environment as well as the marvellous rejuvenation of Nature. Morning Tea will be taken in the warmth of the resort before we drive (weather permitting) up to Cabramurra, the highest town in Australia. Return to our cosy “base camp” in Cooma in the afternoon.

Overnight: Cooma

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme (built 1949-74), is one of the most complex integrated water and hydro-electric power schemes in the world. The construction not only improved agriculture and changed our economy but the skills required to build it brought more than 100,000 men from over 30 different countries to worked on it, transforming Australian society. Many migrants brought their families and Cooma, which was a sleepy farming town prior to “The Scheme”, ballooned to a population of over 10,000 to become the birthplace of multicultural Australia.

This morning we will learn the history of this incredible engineering feat at the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre before visiting the Cooma Gaol Museum. With its historical displays, real life perspectives by inmate guides and the opportunity to purchase products made by the prisoners the Gaol Museum is a surprising and thought-provoking experience.

This afternoon you have time at leisure to browse Cooma’s shops, connect with a new friend over a coffee or simply relax back “home”.

Overnight: Cooma

Europeans who came to work on the Snowy Hydro were instrumental in the creation of the modern ski industry in the area. Today the ski fields are a great drawcard for the many people who love snow sports as well as visitors, like us, just keen to experience a taste of a “European winter”. We travel through Jindabyne to the picturesque Alpine village of Thredbo for a wander around followed by a warming hot chocolate. Then it’s a drive back to Bullock’s Flat Terminal to catch the exciting Skitube ride to the top of the range at Mt Blue Cow.

Enjoy lunch feeling on top of the world! Then it’s “Snow Time” with the opportunity for a short walk or play in the snow before we return to Cooma.

Overnight: Cooma

Time to farewell our Winter Wonderland as we head for home. We travel back to Goulburn for lunch, driving via Bungendore, Tarago and Inveralochy, and then it is homeward bound.

We trust that this winter holiday full of fun, faith and fellowship will leave you with lovely, warm memories.