Come August, a number of clubMINI members are going to be taking their MINIs to the snow.
Now that interest is growing, clubMINI is proposing a extra special run for August.
If you have never skiied before, Perisher Blue is the best place to learn. Our accommodation is so close to the lifts, it's scary, with the beginner's runs outside your door. For the experienced, you have the largest linked skiable area in the southern hemisphere, with a great balance of green, blue and black runs.
For those who ski like they drive their MINIs, there are also a number of double blacks thrown in for the fun of it.
If you are interested in joining this MINI convoy down through Canberra and up into Kosciusko National Park, PM me.
There has been some interest from a couple of Sydney MINI pilots to also join in. What the heck, if you own a MINI, live in Oz and want to join in, PM me and I'll try and find you a room as well.
Brief details are as follows:
5 nights on-snow accommodation at Perisher Blue with car parking.
Sunday 1 August 2004 - Friday 6 August 2004
Studio apartment with cooking facilities $995 p.p. twin share (or purchase a meal package, if you don't want to cook)
Hotel room with Breakfasts and Dinners $1055 p.p. twin share
Each room has a queen bed and a single, so there is always an option of a third person at a slightly cheaper rate.
Open lift passes are $358 for 5 and a half days
Open lift and lesson passes $455
First Timers lift and lesson passes $340
Even on the 195/55 16s with the slimmest chains I could get last year, the chains took the paint of the struts. No damage to the wheels or tyres.
I have a call into RUD snow chains. They have a new style out that doesn't go around the back of the tyre.
They can be fitted to 195/55 16s and 205/45 17s at least. The only problem is the requirement that there be a minimum 30mm inside diameter "hole"on alloys where the head of the stud sits. (Not the hole where the stud goes through the wheel to the rotor, but the indent which the head of the stud sits in.)
My OEM 5 spokes have the room, but my 17s are aftermarket and only have 22mm. I am guessing at the moment, but since the OEM 16s appear to have a deliberate 30mm, then the 17s might too. I'll have to have a look at swamos's on Thursday night.
Other option to driving the MINI to the accommodation is to leave it at the car park at Bullocks flat and catch the SkiTube up. I used to leave my car there some years back without any trouble.
Anyway, I still have a couple of rooms that are being held for another week, before I have to let them go.
Even if it is not with this group, you'd better make a decision quickly if you want to stay on-snow. Once Easter comes you are unlikely to find any on-snow rooms during the peak snow season.
Hopefully, I will have a new job by then and will see you there.
The snow and holiday show is on in Brisbane this weekend. This is usually the weekend where all the peak season rooms tend to be booked out.
I rang Smiggins Hotel and Chalet Apartments today. They have 2 rooms left for the week starting 1 August.
Anyone who has been undecided, this may be your last definite opportunity. From then on, they will call me if they have any cancellations, but won't hold rooms without deposits.
Just realised there may be another option for the chains. I noticed in the latest GO MINI mag, an ad for billet alloy spacers with a machined spigot ring to suit the OEM wheels.
These were available in 10, 15 and 23mm thicknesses, from memory, and reasonably priced. I think even the 10mm spacers would provide sufficient clearance for ordinary ladder chains, but I will have to follow that up.
I wouldn't drive from Bris to the snow with the spacers fitted, but would have no hesitation fitting them in Canberra, Cooma or Jindabyne, just in case NPWS requires the chains to be fitted.
I always hire my chains from BP Jindabyne.
I am still waiting on RUD regarding their new chain style. Since I drive down every year, I'd probably end up buying a set.
BTW, the Mont Blanc MINI roof racks are now available in Australia. I know Autobarn in Bris sells them. Removable and no holes to drill.
This snow chain thing is frustrating. I wanted to buy my set. I have been through this exercise with other mini2 users last year. In the end I took the 4WD up the snow.
I have called a number of snow chain suppliers in Victoria. Not much help. I even found the model number (which is 155-46) for the RUD Centrax to fit the 17" on the mini. It sounded like they did not want to sell it to me. They said its for Europe and the have special snow tyres and should not be fitted to our tyres in Australia.
Well do for finding someone that stocks the Mont Blanc roof racks in Australia. Again I have been looking for them in Australia.
Stuart at RUD Australia had no problems, and advised me it would take about 2 weeks after ordering. I am not at home so can't access his email. PM me and I'll send you his email address.
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We are both taking the wives and kids too. I hope there is a studio left when we get back from skiing 
ShermanM 
