This snowy day trip is magical for kids and just 45 mins from Canberra

Emily MurphyBy Emily Murphy
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Forget the alpine resort haul.

Dreaming of snowball fights, toboggan runs and frosty fun without the long drive to the ski fields? You don’t need to trek to the Snowy Mountains to get your winter fix, because Corin Forest , Canberra’s only commercial snowfield, is just 45 minutes from the city.

Tucked into the Tidbinbilla Range in Namadgi National Park, Corin Forest delivers a full-blown snow experience for families looking for a quick, easy and affordable day trip. And thanks to snow machines, you’re guaranteed a snowy playground even when the rest of Canberra is dry.

Corin Forest snowmaking by SandwichCafe
You’re guaranteed snow thanks to snow machines. (Image: SandwichCafe)

The main event at Corin Forest in winter is the Snowplay area – a safe, supervised space designed for tobogganing, snowman-making and general chilly chaos. Snowplay sessions run for two hours, and you’ll want to book ahead: they’re incredibly popular during weekends and school holidays.

You don’t need to bring anything with you. All the snow gear you need, including toboggans, jackets and pants, is available to hire onsite.

If your crew is keen to try skiing or snowboarding, Corin Forest also has beginner lessons on a gentle 80-metre slope, complete with a magic carpet lift. Packages include everything from equipment hire to instruction, so all you have to do is show up and try not to stack it. Corin’s ski and snowboard instructors are friendly and patient, and the slope is perfect for first-timers, young and old.

After you’ve had your fill of frosty fun, head to the lodge for a hot chocolate and a bite to eat by the crackling wood fire.

Need-to-know details

Two children tobogganing at Corin Forest
Corin Forest is perfect for kids. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Where: Corin Forest is a 45-minute drive from Canberra.

When: Snowplay sessions run multiple times a day through winter.

Cost: Snowplay from $25, with gear hire extra. Lesson packages start from $149, including gear.

Whether you’re travelling with kids, trying snow for the first time or just chasing that winter wonderland vibe, Corin Forest delivers all the thrills – no ski lift pass required.

Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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Victoria’s surprising new outdoor adventure hotspot

    Craig TansleyBy Craig Tansley
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    A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination. 

    There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.  

    old gold bank Victoria
    Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time. 

    It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.  

    Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital 

    Creswick bike trail
    This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

    Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria. 

    I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers. 

    I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.  

    The Woodlands
    The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides. 

    A traveller’s checklist 

    Staying there 

    1970s log cabin
    Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife. 

    Eating there 

    Le Peche Gourmand
    Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

    The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand . The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857. 

    Playing there 

    Miss NorthcottsGarden
    Miss Northcotts Garden is a charming garden store with tea room. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.