There used to be a lodge on the right a little way after Ski Rider in the wide open flattish area. After it was demolished (in the 80s?) there were some stone foundations still visible for a few years but all trace is gone now unfortunately. Does anyone know anymore?
It was called Illabunda I think. As far as I recall they were given a spot up in the resort as a swap
According to 'Highway to Heaven' the book by Peter Southwell-Keely it was the lodge of the Port Kembla Ski Club and lasted until 1986
Yes, it was Illabunda, a new lodge was built in Perisher for the 1986 Ski season. There is some history on the Lodge website.
Thanks SnowRabbit and Skiex I think a few all went at a similar time like Perisher View above as a part of a policy by NPWS to move all lodges into the resort villages but I wondered about the history. Will look it up. It's a pity when history is lost.
Fantastic ! Thank you, I remember as a teenager in the mid to late 80’s, a lodge being there, great to have some photos to trigger the memories.
Don't know whether this has been posted before. Found this great old map on the wall in the Sundeck. Pre-decimal, but not sure by how much.
Is that @robbo mcs tree on the map? It seems to show the Man from Snowy River Hotel and it opened in 1960 so after then.
That is @rocketboy tree After looking, We decided the highest tree is just West of the top of Vista run, near top of mt p. There are actually half a dozen stunted trees there. That is the one shown on that old map. However, that is outside of current resort boundaries. My tree is more to the south, and the highest in the resort, I think That one is a single tree, and very stunted. Love that old map
Great map. Thanks for posting. I think it’s a bit later than 1963/4 as it seems to show the just removed old chairlift to Merrits Spur at Thredbo and the old duplex T-Bar up there. They built them in 1968. Being ancient I can recall they left the chair to Charlotte’s on maps for some years after it stopped operating.
The map could also be showing planned facilities too, but I think it is fair to say it was mid 60's, maybe even even before 14/2/66.
Can anyone recall when the mid-station on The Ridge chairlift was taken out? I recall it didn't get much use?
It was dismantled a long time ago, probably 10 years or more. I never saw it being used for customers. Occasionally you would see a patroller or training mogul skiiers jump off on the mid station ramp.
Finally found this old brochure which I think dates from 1988, the year the Skitube was finished, and the second year of operation for Mt Blue Cow. What an amazing discovery it was back then!
Great nostalgia, @GlenH . I like the promise of “constant grooming of slopes, day and night” back then . Interesting how names of runs have changed over the years.
Fantastic memorabilia. Thanks for sharing. Love seeing the original trail maps. Apologies if posted elsewhere but who funded Blue Cow resort? Some serious investment $ must have been needed to get it started with the quad lifts, terminal building and ski tube. Can't imagine we'll see this repeated again and another resort created anywhere else throughout the Alps in my lifetime.
It was actually a consortium of Transfield and Kumagai Gumi. The goss at the time was they did it to prove they had the ability to build the harbour tunnel.
Which is odd, because there is very little tunnelling in the harbour tunnel. The bit 'under' the harbour are actually concrete boxes that were sunk into a trench and the covered up. It's actually kind of clever how it was done.
There's a bit of tunnelling (not much) at Milsons Point and under the Opera House, but that's it. The tunnel sections were poured at Port Kembla and floated up to Sydney. They stored them near Cockatoo Island. They looked like bits of roadway floating in the Harbour.
