Beach homes and snow chalets prove strong in off-peak seasons

Despite a slow start on the opening weekend, things are looking up for the snow lovers in Canberra and the surrounding regions planning a trip up the mountain in the coming months. 

With 68 centimetres of snowfall in the week preceding Thursday, there have already been reports of long queues and wait times at Thredbo and Perisher. 

While this is normal for the 16-18 weeks of the peak snow season and a very lucrative time for investors in the area, what happens when the mountain dries up, and the season comes to an end?

Director of Henley Property Sales, Michael Henley, says it’s not all about the snow season for the areas in and around the Snowy Mountains.  

“We experience two peak seasons, obviously one in winter, but then we get another over Christmas as well,” he said. 

“Through to the Australia Day long weekend, we have people doing everything that you can’t do in winter from water-skiing and wakeboarding to sailing, fishing, walking in the mountains, or mountain bike riding.”

The 2021 census reported just under 3000 people living in Jindabyne, not including those in the surrounding regions. 

However, Henley says that, over those peak seasons, 15,000 to 18,000 people can visit the area.

While the summer seasons did take a hit to visitor numbers over the pandemic period, the trends are showing they are rising for summers to come.  

“Last summer was a little bit slow, because as the world opened up, we saw people travelling overseas to anywhere they could if they had the money, but the summers of 2017, 2018 and 2019 were like peak winter,” he said.  

“So far, the bookings we have through our holiday business for this summer are looking very similar to the patterns we were seeing in 2019 and I do believe we are going to get back there.”

The South Coast is another popular destination for tourists, with its peak period sitting over the summer months. 

Kate Humble of My Agent Team has worked on the South Coast for about four years and has seen the business of the tourism season over that time. 

While many investors reap the benefits of the busy summer months, she says they get just as much enjoyment out of their holiday homes when it’s quiet. 

“In comparison, winter is much quieter, as we are a very seasonal area and it is pretty cold here in winter, but our owners often come down in winter,” she said.

“The best thing about a holiday house is the fact that you can enjoy it when you want to. In the current market, it is a lifestyle decision to holiday, more than an investment decision.” 

The area experienced the same pandemic woes, putting a strain on both the region’s tourism and investors, but has quickly bounced back. 

Just last year, the NSW government’s South Coast Visitor Profile estimated the region experienced 11.8 million domestic visitors, 61 per cent of whom were travelling on holiday. 

It reported 31 per cent of those travelled in summer, 26 per cent and 23 per cent travelled in spring and autumn respectively, and just 20 per cent in winter. 

However, for those looking to make money over the quieter months, Humble said it’s a simple formula.

“During winter it is all about price. If your property is priced lower you will get bookings,” she said.