The School Holiday Ballot is open to:

• Members with children aged 3-17
• Members with children aged 18 who are still attending school
• Members who are school teachers who are unable to ski at other times

Bookings for non-member spouses may only be made from 1 March 2025 by request to bookingdirector@tac.org.au.

Please refer to page 2 for information about the Ski Development Programme, and to page 3 for the School Holidays Booking Conditions.

School Holiday Period Age Restrictions

Period 1 - Members with children aged 3 and over may apply. 

Period 2 & 4 - Members with children aged 5 and over with siblings 3 and over may apply however siblings aged 3 and 4 cannot be guaranteed an allocation of accommodation in the first round of the ballot process.  

Period 3 - Members with children aged 5 and over only may apply - please refer to Allocation Considerations for further detail.

Applications for school holiday accommodation will only be considered upon the receipt of a deposit of $100 per person. 

Applications by unfinancial members will not be considered.

By submitting an application, the applicant agrees to be bound by the School Holiday Booking Conditions.

The Programme is conducted over the four periods of the June/July school holidays if there are enough children involved in each period to form at least one squad of six children. In the past, there have usually been enough children in each week to form either two or three squads, one of higher standard and one of slower standard and an intermediate standard - numbers permitting.

The Programme is not a “learn to ski” Programme and it is not a “racing" Programme. Rather, it is a Development Programme designed to:

1. Build children’s skiing skills to a standard at which they may ski confidently and safely on Thredbo's intermediate runs;
2. Foster club spirit amongst the children through skiing with other TAC children who are staying in the lodge during the week;
3. Introduce members' children into the sport of skiing i.e. racing, in keeping with the club’s obligations under its constitution. Therefore, there will be some instruction in racing through gates, so the children may confidently participate in the club race in each period and (where applicable) the interclub race at the end of period three.

To participate in the TAC Children’s Ski Development Programme, your child must have progressed beyond the beginner stage. They should have achieved level 5 (blue+) in Thredboland on Friday Flat and at a minimum, be able to ski in the Merritts area, returning to Friday Flat via High Noon.

Children who are deemed by the instructors to be too slow to keep up with the slower squad after grading, should be enrolled in Thredboland until they have reached the level required to join the TAC Development programme. TAC does not pay for instruction or lessons outside the Club's Ski Programme, and it is parents’ responsibility to organise instruction in Thredboland until their children are skilled enough to join the TAC Programme.

The Thredbo Children’s Interclub race is likely to be held on Tuesday 15 July at the end of period three (TBC).

Preference in Period 3, is given to families with children selected for the Thredbo Interclub Race Team. Selection is based on results from the 2024 Children’s Ski Development Program.

It is a requirement that all children applying for the period three ballot be over 5 years of age and keen to race for TAC. It should be noted that all TAC children are welcome to participate in the Interclub Race should they be in Thredbo on the day.

Period 1: Arrive Friday 27 June or Saturday 28 June. Organise ski equipment and lift tickets by Saturday.

9.30 am Sunday 29 June at Friday Flat: grading by instructors into 2 or 3 compatible squads, followed by instruction for the squads until 12.30 pm.

9.30 am to 12.30 pm Monday 30 June  to Wednesday 2 July inclusive: Instruction. Club race 11.30 am Wednesday.

Period 2: Arrive Thursday 3 July. Organise ski equipment and lift tickets by Friday.

9.30 am Friday 4 July at Friday Flat: Grading followed by instruction as per period 1.

9.30 am to 12.30 pm Saturday 5  July to Tuesday 8 July inclusive: Instruction. Club race 11.30 am Tuesday (TBC).

Period 3: Arrive Wednesday 9 July. Organise ski equipment and lift tickets by Wednesday.

9.30 am Thursday 10 July at Friday Flat: Grading followed by instruction as per period 1.

9.30 am to 12.30 pm Friday 11 July to Tuesday 15 July inclusive: Instruction. Club race 11.30 am Sunday. Thredbo Children's Interclub Race Tuesday 15th (TBC).

Period 4: Arrive Tuesday 15 July. Organise ski equipment and lift tickets by Tuesday.

9.30 am Wednesday 16 July at Friday Flat: Grading followed by instruction as per period 1.

9.30 am to 12.30 pm Thursday 17 July to Sunday 20 July inclusive: Instruction. Club race 11.30 am Saturday.

DATES

a) Applications open on 22 October 2024.

b) Applications close on 7 December 2024.

c) Notification of the results of the ballot will be made on 15 December 2024.

d) Invoices will be issued in early January with final payments due by 31 January 2025.

e) Applications for non-member spouses and extra period bookings open 1 March 2025.

PAYMENTS

f) Applications will not be considered unless accompanied by a deposit of $100 for each adult and child requesting accommodation.

g) Members applying for the school holidays must be financial at the time of making the application and must have paid their 2025 subscription by 31 January 2025 when the final payment for school holiday accommodation is due.

h) School holiday reservations unpaid at 31 January 2025 will be cancelled (and subject to loss of deposit) and the relevant accommodation made available for bookings by other financial members with children.

ALLOCATION CONSIDERATIONS

i) Members who applied for but were not offered any accommodation allocation during the June/July school holidays in 2024 will have allocation priority for school holiday accommodation in 2025.

j) For Period 3, priority is given to families with children selected for the TAC Interclub race team. The team will be selected based upon prior years' results, the main requirement being that all children must be keen to race for the TAC Interclub Race Team. The team will compete in the Interclub Race on Tuesday 15th July (TBC).

k) The Club will make every effort to accommodate requests to be allocated with friends but cannot guarantee that this will always be possible.

RULES

l) A limit of one school holiday period only per child applies to the first round of applications.

m) Booking periods are fixed. Periods 1 and 4 are optionally 5 or 6 night blocks. Periods 2 and 3 are 6 night blocks. No exceptions.

n) Applications may only be made for children who have at least one member parent or member grandparent accompanying them. However, member grandparents may bring their grandchildren only if the parent is also a member.

o) A maximum of two member adults per family may apply i.e. any combination of: two member parents, one member parent and one member grandparent or two member grandparents where the accompanying child/ren have at least one member parent.

p) Non-member spouses will not be considered as part of the ballot. School Holiday applications for accommodation of non-member spouses open 1 March 2025 and may be requested by contacting the Booking Director on bookingdirector@tac.org.au.

q) Applications for members' children 18 years and over may be made provided the child is still attending secondary school. Adult Member rates will be charged.

r) It is the member’s responsibility to ensure their children's names and correct dates of birth are entered against their member profile on the website PRIOR to making a booking.

CANCELLATION

s) Refunds (less deposit) will only be made for cancellations made six (6) weeks before commencement of the relative holiday period.

t) Bookings cancelled within six weeks of arrival date are subject to a 100% cancellation fee. In the event that the lodge subsequently becomes fully booked, standard cancellation rules will apply. Bookings are non-transferable.

OTHER

u) School teacher members without children should only apply if they cannot ski at other times.

v) School holiday period accommodation that remains vacant at 1st April 2025 will be open to all members.