And, with Australian resorts turning on parties and celebrations to mark the official ski season opening this weekend, it's time to start planning a trip or two to the mountains.

NSW
Thredbo: A pretty, alpine settlement of swish apartments, lodges, good restaurants and bars as well as a ski mountain that offers some of the longest runs in the country. The fanciest ski village Australia has to offer has boosted snowmaking in order to guarantee that skiers and boarders will be able to travel right to the bottom of the mountain, as well as across the more heavily trafficked areas, even in times of lean snow coverage. A smarter, computerised booking system will also make organising group holidays a breeze, as will the Live Chat facility set up in order to answer questions instantly. Thredbo's special gems include on-mountain restaurants Kareela Hutte, a cosy place for a schnapps or a meal, and Meritts, which serves exceptional food.

More: www.thredbo.com.au

Perisher: The largest resort in Australia also has the shortest runs, but there's loads of variety among them and a magical atmosphere as the ski field is so deep within the ranges. Lodges are spread out along the valley floor. Like Thredbo, Perisher has been busy upgrading its snowmaking system to the point where a marginal year won't mean the loss of key trails. A hiccup in the resort's layout has been fixed with the extension of the Happy Valley T-bar loading point, making it much quicker to return to the base.
More: www.perisher.com.au

Charlotte Pass: A picturesque, quiet, snowbound village close to Mt Kosciuszko, where family lodges abound and the main commercial hotel is the historic and cosy Kosciuszko Chalet, which has moved into the modern age to offer wi-fi for the first time. In a world where lift ticket prices have escalated beyond the $100 mark at major resorts, Charlotte Pass has kept its passes fixed at $89 for the third year in a row. Getting there means a rather romantic, 8km oversnow trip via snowcat from Perisher.
More: www.charlottepass.com.au

Victoria
Mt Hotham: A mountain-top village with a mix of very old and sparkling new lodgings which offers 40 per cent advanced runs and 40 per cent intermediate. Hotham also tends to get the most real powder snow in Australia thanks to its location deep in the alps. Again, snowmaking's been boosted to cover the key runs and - while that is the only upgrade this year - the resort has quite a lot to offer with four terrain parks, 20 bars, free snowboarding for girls (with a lift ticket) with professional riders on the first Saturdays of July, August and September and an airport 10 minutes down the road serviced by QantasLink from Sydney (an 80-minute flight - definitely beating the nine-hour drive).
More: www.hotham.com.au

Falls Creek: This large, snowbound village delivers the bliss of a car-free holiday. Its slopes are best suited for beginners and intermediates, although there is some truly advanced skiing with former Australian Olympic downhill skier Steven Lee's guided back-country ski tours to the supersteep flanks of Mt McKay just a short snowcat trip away from the ski lifts. The mercury fell to -4C last week, allowing Falls Creek to turn the snow guns full blast to build up a solid base. Try the affordable early and late season deals at the lavish new Quay West Resort & Spa ($450 a night for a two-bedroom apartment which sleeps four). Falls Creek has the longest beginner's run in Australia - the 2.2km Wombat's Ramble - now open for night skiing with another lift added for children.
More: www.fallscreek.com.au

Mt Buller: This resort's proximity to Melbourne (a three-hour drive) also makes it a realistic option for Sydneysiders who can hop a flight to the Victorian capital and either hire a car or book one of several daily coaches to the resort. Mt Buller has a wide variety of slopes with enough steeps to keep the advanced happy, plus gorgeous views. The village is large, with plenty of diversions in the way of atmospheric bars and restaurants and European influences (try Pension Grimus for a meal or stay) mixed in with the new. Like all the Victorian resorts, you'll want non-slip shoes to tackle the snowy streets and paths.
More: www.mtbuller.com.au

New Zealand
NZSki: The three ski resorts we hear most about in Australia -Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables - are all owned by NZSki, which means interchangeable lift passes and well priced package holidays. Mt Hutt is an hour from Christchurch and offers skiing on a big, wide open treeless bowl. Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are a six-hour drive - or an hour's flight - south, near the holiday hot spot of Queenstown. Coronet Peak offers lots of lovely, rolling, intermediate terrain and a super-modern base lodge with exceptional food, a large sunny deck and a VIP area with priority parking and private lounge. The Remarkables is nestled in the craggy, rocky peaks of the mountains that tower above Queenstown and comprises mainly beginner runs and excellent terrain parks, along with hike-to extreme terrain.

New this year for the three NZSki resorts is a credit card-sized micro-chipped lift ticket called mypass - designed to be tucked away in a pocket - which triggers the turnstiles as skiers enter lift queues. No more hassles with having to produce your ticket or attach it to your ski jacket. The mypass is a tad more sophisticated than others skiers may have seen overseas as not only can users pre-purchase their lift tickets for any of the three ski resorts online with a credit card but they can also upload ski lessons and rental equipment, as well as record the vertical metres they have skied that day.
More: www.nzski.com

Wanaka: A lakeside town about an hour's drive north of Queenstown is the home base for visitors to Treble Cone and Cardrona. Try Treble Cone for true big-mountain skiing - the ski field is almost unbeatable on the South Island after a big powder dump - plus sensational views and a base lodge with good, fresh food. Cardrona is famous for one of the largest half-pipes in Australasia, excellent terrain parks and intermediate skiing plus excellent children's facilities.
More: www.treblecone.com; www.cardrona.com

Whakapapa and Turoa on the North Island are on the flanks of the active volcano Mt Ruapehu. Whakapapa is the largest ski field in New Zealand, while Turoa offers the longest vertical drop. Both are well worth investigating. These fields take their shape from solidified lava which means interesting terrain features. Whakapapa is a four-hour drive from Auckland, while Turoa is a little further. Ohakune is Turoa's lively base town, a well-equipped tourist magnet with excellent hotels, lodges, live music, bars and cafes.
More: www.mtruapehu.com

 Top Tips: Ski 2010 guide