Where we left off
Our last Journey update was all about our road trip along the New South Wales coastline. The reason we did this road trip was to kill some time before our jobs started. We managed to get ourselves jobs at a Private Members Club in Charlotte Pass ski resort, called KAC.
This club has three resorts on each ski field in Australia, all within one hour of each other. The unique aspect of our lodge is the fact that as soon as it snows, Charlotte Pass is inaccessible. The only way in and out of the resort is via over-snow which would cost us about $70 a trip. we would then have to get a ski tube to the car park where we had left the car!
Charlotte Pass Ski Resort break down
Due to the isolation of the resort, this meant three months without leaving this tiny village. We had stocked up on toiletries beforehand but neither of us would realise how much Rum and Coke we would go through. Many emergency trips were made by our boss to stock us up! In the village, there is one huge hotel, with a bar and restaurant.
This is about the only thing to do in the village other than skiing. There are a few other lodges dotted around but overall it is a 5-minute walk from either end of the village. The ski resort has only 4 lifts, one being a small chair lift. This makes the resort perfect for Milly as she has never skied before and was wanting to learn here. I have boarded for years but this is the first time I have been surrounded by primary skiers.
Our Job Roles at Charlotte Pass Ski Resort
Mine and Milly’s jobs were to help out the lodge managers who were running KAC this year. All 4 of us would clean, change rooms over, help out in the kitchen and serve dinner which was table service in the evenings. As all of us were new to this lodge, I and Milly didn’t know what to expect when it came to guests or the day-to-day running of things.
We knew that the guests were either members or friends of members. We also knew that some people have been coming here since they were babies and this is where they learnt to ski. Our managers had their own catering company which meant the food was fantastic every evening. Mine and Milly’s idea of eating well went straight out the window every night when we saw dessert.
The lodge could hold up to 40+ guests which could sometimes take its toll. Every Saturday was changed over the day which meant 18 rooms to change, clean the toilet and get ready for 12 pm.
Social life?
I and Milly would have two shifts a day. Mine would start at 7 am and Milly’s would start at 9 am. We would both finish around 12 in the afternoon. Depending on what was for dinner, we would have to be back at work around 5 pm. If we weren’t too tired we would try to make it out to ski but half the time we would use our break to have a nap, edit photos or get ready for the evening shift.
We would normally finish around 9 and would then eat dinner and be too tired to go out. Our days off would often be different days and I didn’t really fancy going to the pub without Milly. I think we made it to the pub, once or twice. This didn’t bother us too much as we came here to make money and we were. Don’t get us wrong, we would have loved to make some more friends here but we are getting old and can’t handle hangovers like we used to!
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When Milly had ski lessons she was often mistaken for a guest as none of the ski instructors had seen her before. We also made some friends towards the end of the season and went to their lodge for a drink. When we arrived everyone asked us where we had been all season as they had only heard about us and not seen us. That and they thought we worked at KFC so kept expecting chicken.
The good.
Some of the members at Charlotte Pass were amazing. Members would show a huge interest in mine and Milly’s story, they would often follow us on social media and overall be extremely positive about our photography blog. To have encouragement from people who barely knew us, would make our day. A few members even offered their hospitality if I and Milly were ever passing and needed somewhere to stay. Kindness like this was something we did not expect at all! I even met some members who snowboard. They would come and snowboard with me on my days off.
When the president of the club came to the lodge was our favourite week. He made us laugh our heads off, he made us feel included and he also made us drink! Every Tuesday we had to dress up in our Austrialian-themed attire. This week was the only week we didn’t feel like complete fools as the president’s whole family had the same outfits! Everyone made a huge effort and it was such a fun night.
The bad.
When working in isolation, things can get to you very easily. Sometimes we just needed to get out and take a walk to feel normal again. Sometimes on our days off, we didn’t want to speak to anyone or do anything. The issue was that you couldn’t get a coffee without seeing someone in the lodge. This was especially hard for Milly as she spends days off in her Pyjamas. Therefore, I was nudged out of bed to get the coffee. Milly would also like me to note, that the price of chocolate was the worst part of our time here. One chocolate bar would cost $7 from the shop, that is if they had any in stock at all.
And the Ugly.
The ugly side came from people being rude. Being English meant we would often get the “What do you think of Brexit” conversation we tried so hard to avoid. One guy was super rude to Milly about her appearance which was just unnecessary. Â Milly did seem to get the brunt of the rudeness, like one time she was cleaning the public toilet and a kid pretty much pissed in her face. Brilliant!
Sunrise Hike Charlotte Pass Ski Resort
I and Milly had a few days off towards the end of the season and decided to go on a hike to Mt Stillwell for sunrise. We hired snowshoes and set our alarms for 3 am. Guided by the moonlight the start of the hike wasn’t too bad. Milly got very hot and took her hat and coat off for the climb up the runs. Once we got to the top of the ski runs towards the mountain ridge, the weather temperature dropped to -4.
Milly’s hair and gloves completely froze and she quickly put all of her layers back on. Once we got to the top it was incredible, it was probably one of the best things we have ever done. The colours were beautiful and we tried to take as many photos as possible. The problem was our fingers were so cold they were numb and we couldn’t do much other than try and warm up. We slowly walked home taking in everything around us. We got so carried away that Milly slipped and fell over on the way down. It was pretty funny to watch her try and get up with the snowshoes stopping her.
The End for Hansel and Gretel
Overall this was an amazing experience. Not only could we prove to people back home that it does snow in Australia, but we managed to earn and save money. It taught both us lots and it was really good fun. That being said we are not in a rush to head back to the snow any time soon. We have spent too much time in winter and it’s time for us to enjoy summer again! We are awfully pale and in need of some Vitamin D in our lives!
When it comes to plans while travelling, they never really pan out the way we intended them to. With that in mind, our dream to come back to Australia to work on a ski resort to save money, was exactly that, a dream. Milly never really believed it would possible and we are so glad we actually made it happen. Charlottes Pass has been an adventure but it’s time for us to hit the road again and head down to Melbourne to plan the next few weeks! Not before Milly spends her savings in Canberra shopping!
Hey! Just wondering what the staff accommodation is like at Charlottes Pass?