Aussie man shocked by price of ski lift pass at popular resort: ‘It’s even more of a rich hobby now’

Michael Atkinson has been skiing all his life and was amazed at how expensive lift tickets are today compared to 34 years ago.

The 47-year-old Australian father visits Perisher ski resort in New South Wales every year and tells how a lift cost him $46 in 1990 when he was 14, but now customers have to pay $249.

The father of two, better known as @outback_mike Online, he describes in detail how he used to stock shelves at Woolworths for $7 an hour and could save up money for one shift after a seven-hour shift.

Now his 15-year-old son, who earns $17 an hour, must work twice as much to save enough money for one pass.

“And it’s not inflation because I’ve put it into an RBA inflation calculator and it should cost $107 today. If you add VAT to that, because that came later, it should cost $118,” he said in the video.

‘Adjusted for inflation, the ski pass should cost $118. It’s more than double that. Absolutely insane.’

However, some skiers criticized the father’s calculation, noting that he was comparing a child’s pass from 1990 to an adult pass from 2024.

At Perisher, a child pass costs between $95 and $124 if you pre-order it, and up to $136 for a same-day pass. This is more in line with its GST and inflation calculation.

However, Perisher counts anyone 15 and over as an adult. Adult day passes cost between $172 and $226 if purchased in advance – up to $249 for a same-day ticket.

Day passes to Thredbo were cheaper everywhere, with tickets for teenagers costing up to $112 per day.

Mr Atkinson told FEMAIL the expensive hobby is becoming increasingly “unaffordable” for the average Australian.

“I think it will widen the gap between rich and poor,” he said.

The avid traveller says he will never give up skiing, despite the cost, and that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the price increase.

Mr Atkinson (pictured with his wife and children) told FEMAIL how the expensive hobby is becoming ‘unattainable’ for the average Australian

The disappointed father highlighted the price difference in an Instagram video that has since gone viral and has been viewed more than 2.8 million times.

Mr Atkinson said his intention was not to “blame the rich” but to highlight the problem.

“Everyone is trying to make money and get ahead in life. It’s more a function of the growing gap between rich and poor. Policies that further this gap make life worse for the majority,” he said.

The avid traveller detailed how he started stocking shelves at Woolworths for $7 an hour at the age of 14 and could save up money for one pass after a seven-hour shift (stock image)

Thousands of others on the internet agreed, with many calling the price “offensive” and pointing out that the snow in Australia is not as good as in New Zealand or Japan.

“$250 for crappy snow, short runs and long lines,” someone commented.

“I’ve heard Japan is a lot cheaper but it’s sad that Australia is so expensive,” added another.

A third wrote: ‘It’s the same with house prices. Feels like it’s going to be a rich thing soon.’

The price for a day ticket for adults aged 15 to 64 varies depending on how far in advance you book.