Join the ski club

The Australian and New Zealand ski and snowboard season is just a week old, with Thredbo, Perisher, Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller in Australia and Coronet Peak in New Zealand all turning their lifts for the first time.

The remaining resorts in New Zealand will open in the coming weeks and, despite the lack of early snow in Australia, all are hoping for a bumper season filled with powder snow and blue skies.

We asked some Australian celebrities where they like to hit the slopes, stay and play, so you can too.

MARK BERETTA

Sunrise sports reporter, Seven

Favourite ski resort Mount Hotham. Staying on the summit of the mountain adds to the whole snow experience. Mount Hotham has great skiing and restaurants. The staff are friendly and helpful. Flights in and out of Dinner Plain make it easy to get there and mean extra time on the snow.

Favourite accommodation We like Sambuca Apartments. They are spacious, close to the action - ski in, ski out - and have amazing views to wake up to.

Best fun experience for kids We love skiing together as a family. There is lots for the kids to do and tobogganing is always fun, but skiing wins.

Best run or trail For the family, the Summit Run is a great place to enjoy together. My favourites are Watershed and Tele Treat.

Best place for apres-ski The deck at Zirky's Bar is the place to sit and watch the last of the day's skiing.

Best restaurant Too hard to pick. I like Zirky's Bar and Restaurant again for food too.

Favourite off-snow experience Seeing the huskies at Australian Sled Dogs at Dinner Plain.

Need to know Mount Hotham Alpine Resort: see hotham.com.au Sambuca Apartments: from $1221 for two nights in a two-bedroom apartment. See hothamholidays.com.au.

ROBBIE McEWEN

Professional cyclist and triple winner of the Tour de France green jersey

Favourite ski resort Mount Hotham, Victoria. Staying at Hotham Central is exactly that, central. Easy, free bus hop to the Big D beginners' area, where the kids have a ball. Ski in, ski out means you spend more time skiing and less time in queues and riding lifts.

Favourite accommodation Ski-in, ski-out Zirky's Apartments.

Best fun experience for kids My two eldest kids learnt to board and ski at Hotham and now my four-year-old daughter is next. They love the Big D area for lessons and of course, Harry the Snow Dragon.

Best run The Canyon and Gunbarrel in Heavenly Valley.

Best place for apres ski Swindlers Bar and Restaurant - on the deck when the sun's out.

Best restaurant The White Room. Fine dining tastes even better when you've earned it on the slopes.

Favourite off-snow experience Sitting in front of the fire with the family after a day of snowboarding and skiing.

Need to know Mount Hotham Alpine Resort: see hotham.com.au. Zirky's Apartments have lodge rooms from $492 for two nights and one-bedroom apartments from $992 for two nights. Two, three, four and six-bedroom apartments are also available. See hothamholidays.com.au.

ROSE AND STEVEN JACOBS

Rose Jacobs, weather presenter on Network Ten. Steven Jacobs, The Today Show, Nine.

Favourite ski resort Steven and I say Thredbo out of our Aussie ski resorts. For us it has the closest European village atmosphere of them all and it has maintained its small yet welcoming vibe. It also has a fantastic selection of dining options and is an all-rounder, for a family ski trip or a romantic getaway or even a trip with friends.

Favourite accommodation The Novotel Lake Crackenback Resort and Spa, halfway up the mountain between Jindabyne and Thredbo on the Alpine Way. It has an awesome spa and restaurant with private lodges and you wake up to kangaroos outside your window.

Best fun experience for kids The trampoline centre at the Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre. OK, maybe it's the best fun experience for adults too.

Best trail Steven and I are regular skiers and when we have a day to ski without the kids, we go fast. Our favourite find at Thredbo is a black run to the far right of the resort, called the Bowl. It burns the legs just enough before you can then go again straight into another black run called the Schuss.

Best place for apres-ski The Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery is our choice. You can sit and enjoy a drink in a cosy outdoor or indoor setting. Don't miss the schnapps - it warms the toes.

Best restaurant There are so many to choose from at Thredbo, but one of the best meals we've had was at The Denman's old fine-dining Terrace Restaurant. The meals were exceptional, as were the matched wines.

Best place for apres-ski There's a sweet restaurant on Alpine Way called Crackenback Farm Restaurant and Guesthouse.

Need to know Thredo Alpine Village: see thredbo.com.au. Novotel Lake Crackenback Resort: from $639 for two nights on a winter escape package, including breakfast, $100 resort credit voucher and 10 per cent discount on ski hire, see lakecrackenback.com.au.

HOLLY BRISLEY

Television personality

Favourite ski resort We love Thredbo because of its proximity to Sydney and the village feeling.

Favourite accommodation We've had lots of fun at Bernti's Mountain Inn. We haven't been there for a while but have had many a great night at the bar. For more upmarket, we love to stay at Elevation Apartments.

Best fun experience for kids We took our kids to Vail [Colorado] for their first snow experience last year and they loved it.

Best run The 5.9 kilometre Supertrail.

Best place for apres-ski The Schuss Bar.

Best restaurant Jean-Michel at the Knickerbocker hands down - amazing food.

Favourite off-snow experience Massages all the way. After lots of time spent on the mountain, there's no better way to ease your body's aches and pains for more intense skiing on through the week.

Need to know Thredbo Alpine Village: see thredbo.com.au. Bernti's Mountain Inn has a standard room for two nights from $300, including breakfast, see berntis.com.au. Elevation 7 is a three-bedroom luxury apartment from $545 a night, see elevationthredbo.com.au.

LISA WILKINSON

Co-host of The Today Show, Nine

Favourite ski resort Here in Australia I love Perisher. I've been skiing there since I first put on skis at the age of 15.

Favourite accommodation Perisher Valley Hotel. Great food, so convenient and a killer open fireplace.

Best fun experience for kids Racing each other down the slopes during the night skiing.

Best run Ayr.

Best place for apres-ski The bar at the Perisher Valley Hotel.

Best restaurant Snowgums Restaurant at the Perisher Valley Hotel and not just because I'm eating food someone other than me has prepared. The food really is superb and, whatever you do, don't miss breakfast.

Favourite off-snow experience That great moment at the end of the day when you take off your ski boots and head to the fire for a hot chocolate.

Need to know Perisher: see perisher.com.au. Perisher Valley Hotel has rooms from $149 a night for a minimum two-night stay, see perisher.com.au/perisher-valley-hotel.

JULES LUND

2DAY FM breakfast announcer

Favourite ski resort I've always loved Mount Buller, Victoria. It has the best nightlife, which I've definitely made the most of.

Favourite accommodation Grand Mercure Mt Buller Chalet. You walk straight out the front and your ski-lift awaits. Then, to defrost at the end of the day, there's a toasty indoor pool overlooking the snowy mountains.

Best fun experience for kids It turns out my kids are obsessed with gnomes. There's a cute little walk called Gnome Roam that takes you on a tour of the mystical gnome world of the mountain village. I prefer the pub.

Best run The locals head straight for the Summit, which is great for intermediate to advanced riders. My favourite for long, open turns and groomed terrain is Little Buller Spur. It's 2½ kilometres.

Best place for apres-ski Appropriately named Apres Bar and Cafe at the Mt Buller Chalet, where all the locals and instructors hang out. Then hit up the Kooroora Hotel if they have a killer band on.

Best restaurant Hotel Pension Grimus. Hosts Lotte and Hans Grimus are famous in the Australian alps for their Austrian fare - schnapps and schnitzel.

Favourite off-snow experience The last at the Kooroora is always Dean Martin's Amore.

Need to know Mount Buller: see mtbuller.com.au. Grand Mercure Mt Buller Chalet: from $324 a night, see mtbullerchalet.com.au.

LAURA DUNDOVIC

Model and former Miss Universe Australia

Favourite ski resort Thredbo.

Favourite accommodation Thredbo Alpine Hotel.

Best run I'm not a great skier yet, so I like the easier runs in the Cruiser Lift area.

Best place for apres-ski Thredbo opening weekend party.

Best restaurant Eagles Nest. The view is incredible and they have a great selection of teas.

Favourite off-snow experience Sitting by the fireplace with friends.

Need to know Thredbo Alpine Village: see thredbo.com.au. Thredbo Alpine Hotel has rooms from $340 a night winter rate with breakfast, see rydges.com.

TRACEY SPICER

TV personality and Traveller on Sunday columnist

Favourite resort Falls Creek, Victoria. There's a wide variety of runs and plenty of ski-in, ski-out accommodation. They also have crazy activities, such as attempting the world record for the number of people doing the Harlem Shake in onesies. It was hilarious watching kids dressed as giraffes, elephants and skeletons tearing down the slopes.

Favourite accommodation We love the QT Falls Creek, a designer hotel featuring vintage posters and ski paraphernalia alongside modern Scandinavian furnishings

Best fun experience for kids The Snow Club 4 Kids has the perfect mix of fun and educational activities. It was so cute watching 10 of the little tackers, holding on to each other's waists, snaking down the slopes.

Best run or trail Scotty's is a lovely wide, blue run that generally has good snow cover.

Best place for apres-ski You can't beat the chai latte martinis at Milch Bar and Cafe.

Best restaurant and why The Gully Bar and Restaurant by Three Blue Ducks specialises in paddock to plate. Its wine list displays the distance from where the grapes were grown. Try the pork belly or the Elvis dessert, comprising homemade honeycomb, peanut butter and bacon.

Favourite off-snow experience Hanging out in the spa on the balcony of the apartment at QT and watching other people fall over in the snow instead of me.

Need to know Falls Creek: see skifalls.com.au. QT Falls Creek: from $409 for a one-bedroom apartment, see qtfallscreek.com.au.

RESORTS WATCH

PERISHER opens its new $4 million Freedom Chairlift at Guthega, increasing lifting capacity by 46 per cent. Expect 107 quad chairs transporting 2400 skiers and boarders an hour.

THREDBO has joined the global Mountain Collective resort pass. Season pass holders for Thredbo receive automatic 50 per cent off lift passes for up to five days at member mountains Alta/Snowbird, Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Squaw and Whistler. The resort also has a new snow play park for kids. Teenagers 17 years and under now qualify for child lift pass prices at Thredbo for 2014.

HOTHAM becomes the second resort in Australia to host a Burton Riglet Park for kids as young as three.

FALLS CREEK is offering a 1234Ever Pass for anyone completing a four-day learn to ski and snowboard program in June. Those who do the course can then ski the rest of the season for free.

MOUNT BULLER has a new mid-load station on the Tirol T Bar and six new snowmaking guns.

NEW ZEALAND

MOUNT HUTT near Christchurch has a new terrain park.

THE REMARKABLES near Queenstown has commenced a $45 million redevelopment, including a new high-speed, six-seater Curvey Basin chairlift.

CORONET PEAK near Queenstown has doubled the terrain on offer for Friday and Saturday night skiing.

TREBLE CONE Users can expect an extended High Street Trail and no credit card transaction fees on the mountain including lift pass purchases.

CARDRONA This family and freestyle resort between Queenstown and Wanaka, has a new intermediate terrain park in the Main Basin.