YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Winter 2017 | Page 19

you time and money. Falls Creek
has a local supermarket but is
considerably more expensive (due
to their significant overheads). If
you need to do a last minute
supermarket stop, drop into Mount
Beauty’s supermarket on the way
up; your wallet will thank you.
5 Stay mid-week
If you can stay outside of peak
times, you’ll usually get significant
discounts on your accommodation
price. Mid-week specials at
Howmans Gap Alpine Centre start
from as little as $40 per person, per
night. The added bonus of staying
on the mountain during the week is
that you’ll avoid the weekend rush
of city-goers, all competing for a
slice of the snow turf.
6 Get meals included in
your accommodation
Eating out while on the mountain
can be an expensive undertaking.
Therefore, ensuring some meals are
included with your accommodation
is a great way to stick to your
budget, especially considering
there are often good quality
chefs living onsite during the
snow season. Also look out for
packages that include kids
eating for free. A package at
Howmans Gap, which
includes a hot cooked
breakfast and two-course
dinner is only $33 per
day, per person.
7 Choose affordable activities
There’s an endless option of fun
activities for families at the snow,
ensuring that boredom is virtually
impossible. However, some snow
adventures do carry hefty price tags, so
when choosing your activities, consider
the cost of equipment hire, lift passes
and if your family want to have lessons.
Cross-skiing is an affordable option over
downhill skiing, as you won’t need to
fork out the cost of lifts (which at Falls
Creek is around $300 for a family, for a
weekend). It’s also a great activity for
beginners who are still trying to find their
snow feet. Discount lessons are
available from Falls Creek Cross
Country, which is close to the ski tracks
at Windy Corner. Tobogganing is also an
activity that is very low-cost, as
equipment hire is minimal and no lift
tickets are required.
8 Buy your passes online
It seems pretty logical but planning in
advance will save you considerable
cash, especially if you opt to buy your
passes online for ski lifts, carparking
and resort/park entry. In some
instances you can save up to 20 per
cent off the standard prices.
Last minute winter packages are now
available for families and groups at
Howmans Gap Alpine Centre. Find
out more or book now at
howmansgap.ymca.org.au
WINTER 2017 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE
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