I took my kids on a ‘budget’ surf’n’ski holiday – here’s how you can do the same for just $81-per-day

I took my family on a cheap trip to the snow and proved that you don’t have to leave Australia to have a great winter holiday with the kids.

If you bring your own food and don’t buy a lift pass, you can do this for as little as $81 per day, per person for a family of three.

We added two nights at the beach as I wasn’t sure the kids would like the snow and ‘surfing and skiing holiday’ turned out to be a popular search term.

We chose a much more expensive option for the first day and decided to go snowboarding, but we could have easily rented a sled for $10.

We also went during the week and drove there on Tuesday after work because the accommodation is cheaper then.

We stayed at Discovery Parks in Jindabyne, about 20 minutes from the snowfields.

Budget cabins start from $115 per night in winter, but we opted for the $175 per night cabin. It sleeps up to six people and we stayed there for two nights.

I figured the trip could be ‘even cheaper’ next time if we took a few friends along.

We opted for a ‘free’ breakfast every morning, bringing cereal from home instead of going to the café or bakery, which cost us $50-60 each time.

We passed on the option to rent a sled, but would do that next time instead of a morning of snowboarding.

To get to Perisher, where there is a special area for sledging, we would have had to pay $133 on the train. We could also have hired snow chains for just $25 and paid the $30 entrance fee to the national park.

Instead, we opted for a $207 snow gear and ski pass rental per child and a $350 snow gear and ski pass rental for myself at Thredbo.

I also opted to take the private shuttle to pick us up and take us home on the first day – which cost $364, as I wasn’t sure I wanted to drive up myself. I drove the next day and would drive myself if I went back up.

After about four hours of snowboarding on the ‘mini hill’, which included walking up a gentle slope and learning the basics, and taking the chairlift up twice, our boards were finished.

We dropped them off and went for lunch in the pub style restaurant – where we spent about $80 on hot chips, chicken strips, a portion of butter chicken and three drinks. I will definitely make the effort to pack lunch next time.

The rest of the day we had fun in the snow before heading back down the hill at 3pm, everyone was completely exhausted. We got Thai food from the restaurant next to the caravan park, which cost about $60.

We drove up the hill to Thredbo on the second day, paid the $30 National Park fee and hired snow chains which we didn’t end up using. There is a hefty fine for cars not having snow chains so it’s a must to hire some if you plan on driving.

Buses run up the hill on weekends. A return ticket costs $23 for adults and $12 for children.

This was a much cheaper day and the kids said it was their favourite. We went for the Winter Wonderland pass at Thredbo which gives you access to the rollercoaster, gondola and access to the village pool and gym.

For me, a ten year old and a five year old this only cost $149 and it was an activity that kept me entertained for most of the day.

The kids loved the roller coaster, although each pass only allows one ride. Additional rides can be purchased at the ski counter.

They also loved the Gondola which you can ride all day. We got off at a few stops, compared the snow and the views and then continued on.

We built a snowman, made snow angels and practiced sliding for hours before heading back to the village.

I took the leftover Thai food for lunch and sat down at one of the tables by the river to eat it. The kids ended up hanging out there for hours and having a great snowball fight.

Then we had a cup of hot chocolate (about $17 for the three of us) and headed back down, this time with maps we had kept at Discovery Park in Narooma.

The kids slept the whole way – which was great as it gave them energy to explore the fantastic playground at the new caravan park.

The park borders the beach and has a number of cycle paths, an inflatable cushion and a playground that attracts attention from the road.

The budget cabins in the park cost around $99 per night. We opted for the deluxe option, which was $169 and huge.

It had a large laundry room, kitchen and bathroom. A large living room and dining room and two bedrooms, one with a queen bed and the other with two bunk beds.

The staff were very helpful and suggested what we could do during our stay, for example we could rent a few pedal karts, which turned out to be a great success.

The karts were $5 for a half hour and we had two for about two hours.

On Friday I took the kids to the harbor, where I taught them how to SUP.

Renting a board for an hour costs $30. We rented two and both had a cup of hot chocolate afterwards.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the caravan park and the beach, making the most of the play equipment.

We had sausage rolls for dinner, using food we had brought with us. I did notice that Woolworths was only a few minutes away.

On Saturday morning we packed up and decided we would come back again, probably taking the dog with us as it is a dog friendly campsite.

It’s a five hour drive so we had Maccas for lunch which cost about $25.

This trip has changed my perspective on caravan parks, I remember when I was a kid they used to be quite grumpy.

But the two Discovery Parks I visited were exceptional.

They were very clean and well maintained, you felt safe and because it is a family oriented environment I didn’t feel the need to quiet the children as they ran from one play area to another.

Including fuel, accommodation, the food we bought and activities, our four-day mini-vacation for three people cost $2282 or $190 per person per day.

This could have been shortened even further if I had opted for standard huts and the cheaper first day snow experience, which I think the kids would have enjoyed more anyway.

Without the ski pass and luxury cabin, the trip would have cost $972, or just $81 per day.

Prices at caravan parks vary depending on timing and availability, being cheaper outside peak season, on flight routes and during the week.