Summer 2007 / 08

Summer is a great time to enjoy the mountains.

Perisher is certainly a very different and quiet place.

The lodge is an ideal place to base yourself for even a few days or something much longer.

Bushwalking, fishing and sightseeing are just a few of the activities you can enjoy, and right now, there is still skiing!

The rates this summer at the Illabunda have remained the same as last, so that means it is CHEAP!

You can check the summer vacancies here.

Get down there and enjoy!

Winter 2007 - It's Over!

Winter 2007 has come to a close, and what a great season it was.

August and early September ended up being fairly dry in terms of snowfall, and it wasn't until the final two weeks of the season, did snow finally fall again.

That doesn't mean the skiing was bad - in fact, the solid snowpack that was on the ground held up really well, and even on the long weekend - the whole resort bar Smiggins could have been open - an amazing situation.

The lodge was full almost all season, and a huge vote of thanks must go to our fantastic managers Matt and Luanne who made every guests stay an absolute pleasure.

When the closing weekend arrived, it came with a surprise - 10cm of fresh snow - the Saturday was great skiing, with no - one around!

While the lifts are closed, there is still plenty of snow to enjoy on the higher slopes of the main range, and if you are keen, it is there for you! 5cm of new snow fell on Friday night!

So goodbye to all the Skiers, boarders, snowshoers and holiday makers and welcome to summer!

Tragedy

I hadn't seen Tyrone Monkman in a few seasons, but from all reports he was still a keen skier. A few years back, he was a regular guest at Illabunda.

Late this season he was killed in a skiing accident at Blue Cow.

Tyrone tragically left behind his wife Renee and their baby daughter Olivia. The thoughts of all Illabunda members, guest and friends are with them.

Make sure you think of Tyrone the next time you ski under the Ridge Chair at Blue Cow, and if you knew him, even stop for a moment to remember him.

2007 Illabunda Junior Race Report

The Illawarra Junior Interclub races were held on Saturday 1st September in brilliant sunshine.

Our considerably young team turned up ready to tackle their more fancied rivals from the big budget clubs but were certainly not intimidated.

The Giant Slalom and Snow Board events were contested on the Upper Rollercoaster Race Course at Blue Cow on a testing layout with softening snow in the morning followed by the Cross Country contest which was fought over at the Nordic track in the afternoon on what was described by experts as a tough course.

Our little tackers not only looked the goods in their team attire but performed admirably on all fronts and did us proud with their efforts.

Lauren Egle Marshall skied her last race for the Juniors this year but also raced for the Seniors as a 16year old. She has served the Juniors well over the years and showed that she will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come by being crowned 2007 Female Combined Champion in the Senior competition.

Ben Dryburgh also heads to the Seniors next year after a very successful reign in the Junior competition. Ben had to unfortunately miss this year’s Junior races due to other commitments.

Thank you and good luck to both of them.

The recruitment phase continued this year with Oliver Howden joining the team. Oliver padded up for all three events and did well.

I would like to extend my thanks to the parents / helpers who provide me with great assistance on the training and race periods. Also thank you to our new Illabunda managers, Luanne and Matt who looked after us with fine food and great hospitality.

Thank you to all of the Juniors who trained and raced for the club in 2007. I hope they all had a great time and enjoyed the team spirit of the club. They all performed very well and I look forward to seeing them in 2008.

We at Illabunda, now enjoy a very good relationship with Rhythm Snow sports at Cooma. Mick and Rolph kindly donated many items for our presentation night as well as the benefits we enjoy when hiring our equipment on each venture to the snow. Let’s show our appreciation by continually supporting Rhythm in the future.

See the Illabunda Web Page Race section for all results.

Terry Dryburgh

Pirate's Tale Part Two

Hey guys,

Today after a light snow storm in the early hours of the morning, the crunchy frozen base combined with an inch of powder made for an interesting combination of skiing impracticability. The terrain park on Pipers was my pick of the day, an awesome combination of rails and jumps (which the groomers managed to work their magic on!)

The Bunda Challenge Day Two

Today Smiggins (in its tiny entirety) was covered. The 'snowboarder' Ellie would like to think she can manage on her own but on several occasions resorted to grabbing my pole for support!!! I cannot say I enjoyed the extra baggage, especially on the way back.

The crazy managing blogger would like it noted that his wife has been spotting doing something 'crazy'. He claims that the 'brain teasers' from the local magazine is 'silly'....something she blatantly denies. (He probably thinks its silly because he cant do them. Another reason why the guest bloggers should start a 'coo' of this blog. Now who looks silly?)

Well it's Ellie here now, and I would just like to defend myself against these allegations my sister is making about my laziness. She OFFERED to drag me from the top of the Link T-Bar and seriously, who could decline such a tempting offer? Anyway, she's not so innocent herself, she led me astray into trees and steeps, although I did make her drag me out as revenge.

So as you can tell, so far today has been quite interesting.

Something I forgot to mention yesterday, and wish I'd taken a photo of is an echidna in the snow, I know it isn't un-common to see these interesting ant-eaters whilst cross-countrying in the back-country, but this one was hiding out in the middle of Interceptor!! It would have to be one of the cutest things I've ever seen. :)

So, I'm going to say adios to you for today!!

The Smiths

Pirate Bloggers

Hi There,

Well it seems the guest bloggers are more like pirate bloggers, so just to make sure you know who they are - here is a pic of them I snapped - catching them in the act!

Guest Blogger Report: Katherine and Elloise Smith

hi everybody,

Its Ellie here, and I'm here to report about the 13th of August at Perisher Blue.

The weather here is clear but the snow is, average. Although, Eyre and Towers were the pick over on Mt Perisher.

We're hoping for some great snow on Wednesday, to counter-act the recent rain which broke a lot of our spirits.

One interesting thing that happened today would have to be the debacle at the 'Over d'Eyre @ Eyre' kiosk. After warring for a seat and waiting half an hour in a queue, the four-dollar hot chocolates weren't as great as they're cracked up to be.

Today I'm seeming very negative, but other than that it was an amazing day out.

So now I'm going to hand over to my big sis Katie to tell us about her day. :)

The 'Bunda Challenge

The lighten the lack of inspiration and (I dare say) motivation I was finding common when thinking of my upcoming holiday, I set myself a 'challenge' of sorts.

By the end of the week (from Monday to Friday afternoon), I aspire to ride every single lift in Perisher Blue (at least those available to the general public, however a $10 bribe may buy the favour of a ski-school liftie).

DAY ONE

Today I sought to conquer Mount Perisher and the perilous Center and Front Vallies. Eyre and Towers proved to be the pick of the Mountain though International was so icy it made you feel like throwing down your stocks and giving up the sport altogether.

The Center and Front vallies were a blast from the childhood past. Indeed I passed all stages of my skiing life on the way down. As a MILO kid resembling a lolly pop, trying to master the pizza slice technique, as a grade three to four (ten year old) managing parallel turns and as a younger teen black diamonder, a speed demon with no sense of control (i formed a very close relationship with lift pylons).

Anywho, tomorrows destination is Blue Cow!

Au Revoir!!!

The Smith Girls

PS The Smith girls would like to point out the obvious lack of sanity possessed by the Managing Blogger on this site and would like to start a movement to remove the managing blogger and instate the guest bloggers as permanent resident of this site. SO THERE.

PPS just kidding.

PPPS not

Weekend Update

This weeks update comes courtesy of Terry - Illabunda Race Captain:

2007 Senior Training Weekend Senior training was held on the weekend of 28th and 29th July.

The weather varied from a little rain and snow on the Friday with improved conditions on Saturday.

We awoke on Sunday to a pearler of a day.The troupe was in usual high spirits and the look in their eyes was enough to realise the determination that they would be taking into their training.

Our race coach Dave Bale put on a skiing display that inspired us all and demonstrated how to race a Giant Slalom course with passion. He was very informative and gave us precise individual feedback.

This brought out improvements in each racer which will hopefully pay dividends on race day.The weekend produced a few minor injuries which are expected when giving 110%.

A couple of our top end skiers were spotted receiving a verballing and finger pointing from the mountain speed police. Maybe he was just applauding them for the fastest ever approach to a lift line. Maybe not! We blamed the coach anyway for hyping the group up.

The Illawarra Interclub Races are being held on Saturday 18th August and I’m sure the team will fly the Illabunda flag and do the club proud.

Thanks to Luanne and Matt for the fine food as usual.

Terry Dryburgh Race Captain

Weekend Update

WOW - what can I say - the skiing is awesome.

Cold temps have kept the snow in great conditions.

Sorry for the late update and no pics - I'll rectify the situation this weekend.

If you are heading down, you are in for a real treat.

Hopefully some more snow will top up the great cover.

More Interschools

Alex McCulloch also competed in the division 1 Interschool races for Kambala and achieved some great results:


Cross country relay 2nd

Cross country skate 2nd

Skier cross 3rd

Moguls 4th

Alpine 3rd

It is great to see some Illabunda Juniors competing in the Interschools, hopefully it will inspire others to get school teams together, and even go on to state and national championships!

2007 Illabunda Junior Training Week

What great relief it was to see the snow falling for this eagerly awaited training week for the Junior’s, especially after last year’s lacklustre corresponding week and the dismal season.

The snow was falling when we arrived and virtually didn’t let up all week except for a few patches of sunshine.

Conditions were wide ranging and contained everything from peppering blizzards to calm winds with heavy falling snow flakes.

According to the Illabunda Junior’s Official Snow Depth Gauge (on the orange pole outside the lodge), the snow depth rose from 0.4m on arrival to a satisfying 0.8m on departure. And the pole doesn’t lie.

The G S Race Coaching was once again conducted at Blue Cow with Perisher Blue coaches Damo and Heidi commending our juniors for their commitment and attentive attitude to training. Each child showed varied improvements by the week’s end.

Snowboard Training was at Perisher and was also well received and the usual enthusiasm and will to learn was evident.

Cross Country Training didn’t get the planned amount of time allotted due to the feral conditions but raw mongrel plays a big part on race day for our club.
Some of our junior’s were involved with NSW Inter schools races during the training week and did us proud by association.

Emma Gracie picked up a 3rd in Mogels, Skier Cross and Alpine and Tahlia Jackson excelled for a 1st in Alpine for her division and 3rd in Skier Cross. Well done girls.

A big thank you to our new lodge Managers Matt and Luanne, who’s baptism of fire went well with the littlies and I’m sure they will be appreciated by all members and guests.

Thanks to all the parent’s who assist during the training week.

Illabunda Junior’s also won the Snow ball fight against Telemark Lodge convincingly.

I look forward to seeing the entire Junior contingent for the Races in September.

Cheers
Terry Dryburgh
Race Captain

Just in!

A minimum of 15cm of snow has fallen since 5pm today!

3cm per hour could leave us with a massive total in the morning if it keeps up.

More Snow

As the icy temps grip Sydney another storm has rolled in over the Snowy Mountains.

Blizzard conditions are expected tonight and snow may fall down as low as 500m!

The next few days should offer awesome skiing.

Working Bees

A message from the booking officer regarding working bees this summer:

Dear members and friends of Illabunda

please be advised that the working bees for next spring and autumn are -
2/3/4 November, 16/17/18 November, 8/9 March, 23/24/25 May.

Contact Ron Fitzgerald if you are able to help out. Click here for contact details.

The Lodge will not be available for Summer bookings for the two weeks between 2nd and 18th November.

Regards
Leo Delissen

The maintenance and improvements done at the working bees are one of the things that make our club so good - they all keep Illabunda in the impressive shape it is.

Please set aside some time to attend a working bee - yep there is some hard work - but they are alot of fun too!

Weekend Update

Fantastic skiing again this weekend, with the resort now at full strength.

That's right 50 lifts up and running!

There wasn't any fresh snow about but the skiing on Mt Perisher was as good as on any day - the piste that is.

An amazing amount of snow is on the mountain and the runs have filled in beautifully.

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures - the skiing was simply to good to stop!

Weekend Update

This weekend delivered some of the best skiing that Perisher has seen in recent years - well definitely better than last season for sure.

Blizzard conditions continued for most of the weekend, keeping visibility low, but Saturday the fresh snow was fantastic.

Those that were lucky enough to ski on Friday reported that it was even better than Saturday.

The Illabunda juniors appeared to have had a fantastic week, and we all look forward to hearing from Terry on the events of the week.

Blizzard!

A full on blizzard has been raging in the mountains today and last night.

At least 20 - 30cm of snow fell last night, and the blizzard intensified today.

Hopefully the Illabunda Juniors have been enjoying the snow and the storm.

The temp hovered around -3 today and a further 10cm fell from the sky.

One skier and mountain local described the snow as "Aussie windblown velvet"

Its easy to head to Mt P or Blue Cow on epic days like today, but consider Smiggins - apparently the skiing there today was fantastic!

More Snow Depth Info

Have you ever wondered how the snow depth this year compares with past years.

Snowy Hydro have a great feature on their website that allows you to see.

Click here to check it out!

You can compare against every year right back to 1954.

Season 2007 is doing better than season 2006......but that is hardly surprising.

Snow Depth

Have you ever wondered how Perisher come up with the snow depth?

Check out how they do it:

http://www.perisher.com.au/pub/BlueChip/July%202/depth.html

A Great Place For Celebration

Illabunda is the perfect place for a celebration.

Helen, a recent Illabunda guest, celebrated her birthday.

Have you got a special event coming up that you would like to celebrate.

Check the vacancies and book you and your friends in for a memorable stay!

It Is All Happening

Snowfalls continued throughout last night, as did the high winds.

Illabunda is now packed to the rafters with excited juniors down for their race training week.

Eyre lift on Mt Perisher opened for the first time today, with access via Sun Valley lift - nice stashes of fresh snow mixed with horrendous ice and wind pack. The visibility was also a little limited.

Once groomers get over there though, the skiing will be superb. Welcome July!

Telemark lift also opened today, making Illabunda skiers and boarders very happy, now able to ski / board in and out of the lodge. Telemark lift was only open for one week and two weekends last season!

Weekend Update

What a day. Snow fell all day over Perisher Blue today, and the skiing was fantastic!


Mt Perisher was open today for the first time this season. Towers was the only run, with the double and triple running.

Above is the view over towards Interceptor, looks pretty good there, but that lift isn't running yet.

The McCulloch's have arrived for their first visit this season.

Al was straight into the skiing

The Quad is open to the top, and so is the traverse over to Blue Cow - so you can now ski to and from Blue Cow from Perisher.

Illabunda is looking a treat now with the snow pack really starting to build up.

Mt Perisher To Open Tomorrow

The snow that has fallen this week has made a huge difference. The valley looking fantastic as I walked up the hill tonight.

Snow is falling as I type, and the guns are also pumping.

Mt Perisher is set to open tomorrow which pretty much means all the resort areas are open.

The pic was snapped today from a Qantas plane at 10,000m. You can see the range, fully covered in snow with Lake Jindabyne at the front. You can see the Jindabyne township.

Blizzard Conditions

Full on blizzard conditions have produced 20-30cm of new snow.

If you are heading down, take care when driving as there is reportedly snow and ice on the road between Canberra and Cooma!

Stay tuned for a pic as soon as I can get my hands on one.

Conditions are starting to look great for the coming season, and the Illabunda kids down for Junior training next week should have a fantastic time!

Try Something Different This Winter - Go Snow Shoeing

Heading out onto the slopes these days can be a hectic affair. Snowshoeing offers you a slower paced way to enjoy the high country, and can take you far away from the noisy slopes.

A few Illabunda members, guests, and our manager Luanne have been seen enjoying this great sport over this and the last few seasons. If you are keen to give it a go too, you can hire a pair of snowshoes from one of the local outdoor stores, who can also offer guided tours at various places around the snowy mountains.

Not only is it a great way to take in the scenery, it is great exercise too! Comfortable and waterproof footwear is probably the most important piece of clothing you will need, but wearing a few layers is the way to go. So you can layer up or layer down depending on your temperature. Take your stocks with you as these really help with balance.

Most importantly, let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
Have fun!

A Message From The Booking Officer

Hi Members and friends of Illabunda,

A couple of beds have become available in the week commencing 15th July2007.

With what is probably the best start to the snow season in a decade, you would kick yourself if you did not avail yourself of this opportunity to give the slopes a burn during that week!

Check the website at http://www.illabunda.com.au/forms/CHART.htm for other vacancies as they are fast disappearing.

RegardsLeo

Déjà vu?

If you walked into the Illabunda lounge room this afternoon, you'd be forgiven if you thought you were experiencing Déjà vu? Here is what you would have seen...

Jochen & Suzette have turned the tables and are having a holiday at Illabunda for the next few days.

Both are well, and looked to be having a great afternoon relaxing in the lodge.

Blue Cow

Blue Cow today! Pretty good for the end of June.

Weekend Update

Fantastic skiing today!! The resort has really opened up this weekend, with lifts working in Perisher, Guthega, Blue Cow and Smiggins.

The skiing on some slopes was as good as on any day!

The Forrester Quad opened to top station for the first time this season, opening up a huge amount of terrain.

I haven't ventured over to Blue Cow yet, but from all reports it is pretty good over there.

Mt P is yet to open, but a bunch of us ventured over there including Louie, our lodge manager. Here is a pic of her heading up to the top on snowshoes.

It will only take one more decent snowfall for Mt P to open.

The whole resort is really looking like winter and this is a fantastic start to season 2007.

Dinner tonight started with Quesadillas which were delicious. You are in for a real treat when you experience the cooking of our new managers.

Interesting Perisher History

One of the first ski lifts in the Perisher region was right near Illabunda.

Johnny Abbottsmith placed a small portable rope tow in the gully near our lodge, running up to where Snow Revellers Lodge is. That would have to be the gully in the pic below - you can see the current Telemark lift.

I'm guessing it was there in the early 50s. Anyone know for sure? Leave a comment if you do.

10cm More!

10cm more fresh snow fell overnight, so this storm has been just what was needed. It has left Mt P looking pretty tasty. Here is a pic from last weekend

And here is a pic from this morning - slightly different angle, but you can see the difference.

Will you be missing your chance to get some skiing in this weekend? Can't believe there isn't a ski or board track down Towers yet............

Blue Cow & Smiggins To Open

Perisher Blue has announced that Blue Cow and Smiggins will open this Friday thanks to the 30cm or so of snow that has fallen over the last 24hrs.

This means more terrain, and more reason to get to the mountains and enjoy the skiing and boarding!

Snow!

Snow has been falling heavily today since about 8am, delivering at least 10cm of new snow.

Some forecasters are calling for another 40-50cm over the next couple of days, so this weekend could be EPIC! With heaps of beds available at Illabunda this weekend, it is the perfect time to grab some friends and go to the mountains to enjoy the new snow!

Illabunda Trivia

Does anybody recognise the area in this photo? Post your answer by leaving a comment.

Click the pic if you need a closer look!

We have a Winner!!! Ian Gracie has correctly identified this as the site of the old Illabunda, in Wilsons Valley, just below Rennix Gap.

Weekend Update

The snowfalls over the last few days have changed the look of Perisher quite a bit. With the natural snow along with snowmaking, front valley is now full width.

Today has been warm and the snow a little wet, but the skiing has still been ok, with lots of skiers getting out, including all the Illabunda guests.

A little bit more snow is still needed to get Telemark lift up and running as you can see below, so a short walk is needed from Illabunda to get to the slopes. With some careful skiing down the road, it is possible to ski back to the lodge.

It was overcast and misty this morning, but the weather has mostly cleared and it looks like being a nice afternoon.

Don't think it will be too long before Blue Cow is open.

Osso Bucco is just part of the tasty lineup the managers have in store for dinner tonight - can't wait!

10cm Of Snow

The overnight falls have brought 10cm of new snow onto the slopes around Illabunda.

Some warmer temperatures early this morning have compressed that a bit, which is ideal for this time of year as it helps to form a more solid base.

Scattered snow falls above 1400m have been forecast for today.

Snowing Heavily!

A report has just come in from Perisher - it is snowing heavily @ -1 degree. Sorry about the picture quality, it was taken out the window of the Illabunda dining room on a phone! Can't wait to see the result of this fall.

A Full Day Of Snowmaking Has Made Quite A Difference!

What Is New In The Lodge?

It is always exciting to discover new things at Illabunda each season during your stay, here are a couple of things I found last weekend:


This great book on Kiandra has some amazing stories of the old gold mining days and the early days of skiing in Australia. I'm not sure if it was donated, or if the club purchased it, but either way it is a great read - check it out!





Perhaps not all that exciting, but new just the
same!

New door handles on the bedrooms and bathrooms! Well done to all the members and friends who took part in working bees over the summer - Thank You!

A Cold Day In The Mountains

A good day for snowmaking down in Perisher Blue today - the temperature only getting above zero for a short time this afternoon. The man made snow will top up the cover on front valley, but a few good natural falls are needed to get Mt P up and running.

Opening Weekend Update

Louie and Matt, the new Illabunda managers, have kicked off the season by doing a fantastic job.

The food is FABULOUS! Here is the menu for Sunday night dinner.....

Early season Illabunda guests have had a great time enjoying the skiing on Front Valley. Mitchell T, the Village 8 and a couple of magic carpets are running.

The weather on Saturday was a little wet and nasty, but as you can see above and below - the weather today is super!

Everyone from Illabunda got out to enjoy the alpine environment, either skiing, boarding or walking and enjoying the scenery. But time spent relaxing in the lodge is also a great way to enjoy your break from everyday life.

With some weather on the way, hopefully more snow will soon be on the ground!

The View Across Front Valley This Morning