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Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
I spent 3 days at the USA's most scenic ski resort, Heavenly Mountain
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Like siblings hugging in a snowstorm, Heavenly Mountain Resort has two distinct sides – one in Nevada and the other California. Here's how to ski both in 72 hours, enjoying stunning Lake Tahoe views, epic tree runs, swathes of powder and a fun village. X DAY ONE: Afternoon Turn away from famous Lake Tahoe and point your rental all-wheel drive uphill, along a narrow road hugged by old lodges. You'll weave around bends that become increasingly white with snow until you find yourself side-by-side with skiers zipping down one of Heavenly's home trails. Instead of parking and racing onto the slopes, climb higher to the behemoth that is Tahoe Ridge Resort, a Holiday Inn Club Vacations property clinging to the mountainside. Spend the afternoon in the resort's heated pool, partially undercover but mostly not, and enjoy the magic of tiny flakes dancing to the water. Dinner One of the benefits of staying in a resort as large as Tahoe Ridge is you don't need to leave. In the main building, you can play pool and ping-pong, then enjoy burgers at The Ridge Club Bistro. If you feel like eating in your apartment, there's the small Marketplace on site, or you can drive 30 minutes down the mountain into Gardnerville for groceries. Tahoe Ridge Resort. DAY TWO: Morning After frying up bacon and eggs in your apartment, catch Tahoe Ridge Resort's fun Skier Express gondola to Stagecoach Express. The chairlift leads to some of the mountain's best intermediate runs, and if the snow has fallen thick and fast overnight, you can take advantage of the advanced wooded areas, chutes and bowls on the Nevada side of Heavenly. Lunch By lunchtime, make your way to Tamarack Lodge, a handy meeting point for friends riding opposite sides of the resort. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, so nab a table and cover it with plates of chicken tenders, pizzas and bowls of chilli. Heavenly Mountain Gondola. Afternoon If you're travelling with kids, take it slow in the beginner zone outside Tamarack Lodge. This is where you'll find the children's Ski & Ride School, as well as tubing and an alpine coaster. Families can access the tubing and coaster – without the need to ski – via Heavenly's gondola, caught from the heart of Heavenly Village, on the California side. Evening Enjoy an easy apartment dinner before making your way to Tahoe Ridge's single-room cinema to watch a complimentary screening of The Super Mario Bros Movie. Before you go, grab a packet of microwave popcorn from the Marketplace. Snowboard lessons on the resort's Californian side. Picture: Jennifer Ennion DAY THREE: Morning Enjoy a day off the slopes as you move to the California side of Heavenly where there's a pedestrian village full of restaurants, bars and shops, including big-brand stores such as Showcase and Patagonia. If you prefer community stores oozing authenticity, drive to The Village Board Shop to browse a top range of boards and outerwear. Lunch You're spoilt for choice for village dining options, but for something simple and affordable, swing by Sugar Pine Bakery for cinnamon scrolls and apple pies. Or for a real change of pace you can join locals at Cuppa Tahoe, a café in a bookshop with fabulous cosy nooks filled with vintage furniture and chalkboards. Order one of the specialty drinks, such as the caramelised pear tea latte. The Baked Bear ice-cream sandwich. Picture: Jennifer Ennion Afternoon Head back to the village for a spin on the small Heavenly Village Ice Rink before heading to The Baked Bear for an over-the-top ice-cream cookie sandwich. With bellies stretched, check into Forest Suites Resort, a sprawling low-level property a short stroll from Heavenly Mountain Gondola. It has an inviting foyer lounge, outdoor hot tubs, and apartments with full kitchens. Dinner Skip the tourist traps and cross the highway to Poké Rok, offering visitors a refreshing break from burgers and fried food. Order a giant sushi roll with crab or shrimp, or a poke bowl brimming with ahi tuna, salmon or teriyaki chicken. Your body will thank you for it. Forest Suites Resort at Heavenly Village. DAY FOUR: Morning Forest Suites offers a decent free buffet breakfast of pancakes, hash browns and sausages. You can then catch the gondola to mid-mountain or, to fully experience the California side of Heavenly, hop on the free shuttle to California Lodge. Eager skiers jump on the chairlift here, but if the weather is particularly wild, line up for the aerial tramway. There's a stack of epic runs on this side of the mountain, especially if you score a fresh snow day. If you're advanced, drop into Powder Bowl Woods and be sure to ride the black terrain back to the base at the end of the day. Lunch Lakeview Lodge is a great lunch spot, offering a cosy respite from a snowstorm. This lodge is the quintessential back-to-basics experience with plenty of character and window seats. Make yourself a cup of hot apple cider, order the gyro and grab a rocky road cookie while they're warm. Afternoon Spend the rest of the day lapping your favourite runs. If it's snowing heavily, keep your eyes on the opening of the Sky Express chair so you can claim more fresh turns through trees or down fast blues. (Sky Express offers some of the best views of Lake Tahoe on clear days.) Celebrate a day of fun riding back at Forest Suites Resort with free s'mores by an outdoor fire. The writer was a guest of Vail Resorts, South Lake Tahoe and Visit California. Skiers enjoy great views of Lake Tahoe. How to get to Heavenly Mountain Resort The closest airport to Heavenly Mountain Resort is in Reno, Nevada, but save yourself the hassle of two flights and travel with Qantas into San Francisco where you can collect a hire car for an easy 3.5-hour drive to Lake Tahoe. Find more travel tips at Where to stay at Heavenly Mountain Resort Tahoe Ridge Resort is an on-snow property with a restaurant, games room, activities centre, pool, hot tubs, saunas and free shuttle. In town, Forest Suites Resort is a great mid-range, family option, a short stroll to Heavenly Mountain Gondola. Skiing/snowboarding tips The Heavenly ski season is from mid-November to mid-April, snow dependent. If you're snowboarding in the Tahoe region for several days, buy an Epic Australia Pass for unlimited riding at three Aussie resorts, as well as Heavenly. Originally published as I spent 3 days at the USA's most surprising ski resort, Heavenly Mountain
Courier-Mail
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Kembla preview: Claire Lever's patience pays off with Yes Siree
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. As legendary trainer Bart Cummings once said, 'Patience is the cheapest thing on racing and the least used.' Hawkesbury trainer Claire Lever is one person who follows that ideology with her horses and her latest subject is the three-year-old Yes Siree. From his early days the stable, the gelding showed Lever he was blessed with nice ability and even after he won a Hawkesbury barrier trial last November, she put him away knowing he wasn't ready to take the next step. 'He showed nice ability from the time he came into the stable but he was really slow to mature,' said Claire Lever. 'He kept growing and took a long time to come together to where you want him to be. Trainer Claire Lever with her jockey/husband, Chad. Picture: Bradley Photos The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'He grew more than we expected and took time to mature. 'I know he trialled well last time around but we just wanted to see him develop a bit more so we tipped him out. 'It wasn't until this preparation that he got to where we could do a bit more with him.' Returning for a late autumn and winter campaign, Yes Siree rewarded Lever and his owners with a debut win at Wyong on May 1. 'He trialled well then went to the races and won his first start,' Lever said. 'It probably wasn't an overly strong form race but it was over an unsuitably short distance for him and he did a few things wrong so he's progressing. 'It nice to have a horse in the stable that will keep improving that has been looked after.' That Wyong win came on a Heavy 10 but it was no surprise he handles the conditions so well being a son of Everest winner and Randwick 1200m track record holder Yes Yes Yes from an O'Reilly mare. Yes Siree is looking to make it two from two when he steps out on the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) at Kembla on another heavy track with Grant Buckley to ride. 'It's a heavy track again but the Yes Yes Yes' have won all well on heavy tracks,' she said. 'The fact he ticked that box off, you can go to the races with that little bit more confidence that the track is not going to worry him too much. 'Down the track, I think 1400m will be is best distance but stepping up to 1200 metres this weekend will be good for him.' Four-year-old gelding Casanova has been a model of consistency in his two campaigns for Lever with a win and two placings in the first and he has a win and two placings so far this time in. He is looking to improve on that when he lines up in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) with Lever husband, Chad, to ride. The gelding scored a tough win on his home track in March before a rare blip when well back behind Monkhena there a month later. A drop in grade saw him return his usually form with a third behind Exceedingly Hot at Queanbeyan on May 11. 'He is very honest, he puts himself up on speed or thereabouts and just tries really hard,' Lever said. 'His run at Hawkesbury was out of character but he pulled up okay. 'He bounced back with a better effort last start although it was at Queanbeyan in weaker grade. 'Back to provincial grade, on a nice track and down in weight, I think he will run well again. 'His form on wet tracks in good so I'm going to Kembla confident he will handle the conditions.'
Courier-Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
New extreme dating trend kicks ‘inconsiderate' men to the kerb
1/6 People online are sharing the smallest wrongdoings that have pushed them to dump potential partners. But is the trend taking ghosting culture to a new level? Many of us are guilty of putting up with too much for too long in our relationships. Some pushing themselves to look past red flags even in the early days of dating, but the tide seems to be turning for others, with daters online encouraging people to wrap things up over the smallest failings. Whether you think it's petty or valid, many singles have had enough and aren't just waiting to see how things go, instead ending it before things get worse.
Courier-Mail
16 hours ago
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Commonwealth Bank customers experiencing issues with PayID, BSB transfers
Don't miss out on the headlines from Money. Followed categories will be added to My News. Commonwealth Bank customers have been left frustrated this afternoon after a system issue disrupted transfers via NetBank and the CommBank app. Commbank confirmed the problem in a statement released on Friday, reassuring customers it was working to fix an issue affecting outgoing payments. 'You may be unable to make transfers between your accounts or pay someone using PayID or BSB and account number in NetBank and the CommBank app,' the statement read. 'Thanks for your patience. We are sorry for the inconvenience.' The bank later released a statement saying the issue had been resolved at 2pm. Commonwealth Bank customers have been left frustrated this afternoon after a system issue disrupted transfers via NetBank and the CommBank app. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi The bank confirmed the problem in a statement released on Friday, reassuring customers it was working to fix an issue affecting outgoing payments. Users trying to transfer money have reported seeing a pop-up message saying: 'Something's gone wrong. Try again a little later.' The outage has triggered a spike in complaints, with around 400 users logging issues on tracking site DownDetector. Despite the disruption to digital transfers, CommBank said customers are still able to use their cards for payments and access cash via ATMs. Commbank informed the issue 'was restored at 2pm'. 'We have fixed an issue affecting some transfers from CommBank accounts,' a statement read. 'Customers can now make transfers between accounts and pay using PayID or BSB and account number in NetBank and the CommBank app. Payments using cards and ATMs were not affected. We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience.' Nevertheless, criticism has been flooding in online, with some customers declaring they will be switching banks. 'So over Commonwealth Bank, I've lost track of how many times this has happened over the years,' one woman wrote on Facebook next to a picture of an error message on her Netbank. 'This time I'm changing banks, not being able to access my own money when I need to pick my car up from the mechanics is infuriating. I'm out in the cold with a baby ffs. They were having problems last night too, Commonwealth Bank, fix your sh**!' There were many more angry customers commenting under a post on Commonwealth Bank's Facebook page. 'Commbank down again, do you people have an IT department, or just winging it? Total disgrace,' he said. 'Standing in line trying to transfer money, bloody over it,' another wrote. Originally published as Commonwealth Bank customers furious after widespread issues with PayID, BSB transfers
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Josh Hazlewood powers Royal Challengers Bengaluru into IPL final
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. Josh Hazlewood showed he's got no issues with his shoulder after snaring three wickets in his first game for a month to help push Royal Challengers Bengaluru into their first Indian Premier League final since 2016. Having overcome the shoulder issue that he was managing in India, Hazlewood ripped through the Punjab Kings' top order, claiming the prized wicket of captain Shreyas Iyer and then fellow Aussie Josh Inglis, and finished with 3-21. It was perfect timing for Hazlewood, who is in a one-on-one battle with fellow Test quick Scott Boland for a place in the Australian team for the World Test Championship final at Lord's. Australian coach Andrew McDonald declared earlier this week that only one of the pair would take on South Africa and was happy with Hazlewood to round out his preparation in India. 'Whatever decision we make, it's never going to be a popular one,' he said. 'We leave Scott Boland out, we polarise Victoria, we leave Josh Hazlewood out, we polarise NSW. 'We see them as a unit, co-exiting and the more they can give each other a bit of reprieve from the rigours of Test cricket, it makes our team all the better.' Hazlewood will now be the last Australian to arrive in London for the WTC final, but McDonald was happy for him to be playing cricket, confident there was enough time to get red-ball ready. 'We have seven days of training. It will be good to see everyone come back together … it's a muddled mess in terms of the prep,' he told SEN. 'It always causes you unease when there is a T20 tournament right up to the start of the WTC. I'm not saying it's perfect having people all over the world, but we are well versed in preparing players remotely, having guys with us and bringing that all together. 'This has been a two-year journey, right back to the last WTC final. This is a priority for our group, they have zeroed in on it.' Australia will take on South Africa from June 11. Originally published as Josh Hazlewood returns from injury lay-off with a bang in India, pushes case for a spot in the World Test Championship final
