Snow, salt, surf and bikes – blast away the chill learning some new skills this June

WORDS CRAIG TANSLEY

STREET RACER

Want to feel like a legendary racer as you cycle to the shop for milk and the Sunday paper? Now’s your chance. Ducati have collaborated with elite Italian bicycle manufacturers Bianchi to produce a line of limited-edition bicycles bearing the Ducati name. It’s a match made in two-wheeled heaven! Troy Bayliss – Ducati rider, World Superbike champ and Aussie – is a fan. “I think if I wasn’t racing motorbikes, I would somehow be chasing a contract in pro cycling,” he says. The Ducati Corse line includes both road-bike and mountain-bike models, all named after classic Ducati motorcycles. The bikes only come in one colour – the famous Ducati Red – but really, what other colour would you want? City Bike Depot, 305 Kent Street, Sydney, tel: +61 (2) 9279 2202.

ICE COLD

Wanna be the coolest warm person in town this winter? To help you look as snow-cool as you can off-piste, Billabong have invented their most stylish street jacket ever. What’s more, it can be used on the slopes on warmer days, giving your ski instructor a run for their money. The Kokoda comes in stone-washed military and black and has a zip-off fur hood for extra style points. It’s as cool as you can get without getting cold. Check out Billabong stores or any decent surf/snow store; it’ll set you back AU$219.95.

COLD POWER

Don’t let winter put you off learning to surf – with wetsuit technology these days, a bit of cold water is no problem! Head up to Manly Surf School for the best instructors in the country: guys who have taught the world’s top surfers. The four-day school-holiday programs – Mondays to Thursdays – offer hour-and-a-half lessons each day for a measly AU$120 all up, which includes instruction, boards, wetsuits and sunscreen. For more info, tel: +61 (2) 9977 6977.

Photo: Mark Watson/
Treble Cone, NZ

TREBLE THE FUN

If you haven’t learnt to ski yet, you’ve just run out of excuses. Not only is Treble Cone (tel: +64 (3) 443 7443) five hours drive from Christchurch but is home to the biggest ski field in New Zealand’s gorgeous South Island. It also has some of Australasia’s best instructors. In fact, the folks at Treble Cone are so good at what they do, they offer a money-back guarantee on their ski and board lessons! Even if you’re a complete novice, they promise you’ll be able to ski the beginner slope after day one, and take on most of the mountain after day three – and if you can’t, you get your beer money back. With stunning terrain and a whopping lift capacity, the mountain is one of the least crowded in the area, so go on, sign up!

SALT SAFARI

Just when we thought the Tweed Coast couldn’t pack in any more action, along comes New Tweed Coast Adventures (tel: +61 (2) 6674 1039), a new outdoor company in Salt Village. It promises to be a one-stop shop for thrill-seekers: you can learn to surf, take a deep-sea fishing tour, whale watch, scuba dive or go on a motorbike tour. Or for something more relaxed, hire a kayak and go for a leisurely cruise up the Tweed River. It’s just AU$15 for two hours and AU$45 for a guided tour.