An underwhelming start to the snow season is causing Australians to flock to another country to make the most of the rallying Aussie dollar. Snow depth in the Victorian Alps, as recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology, was below average compared to the past three decades.“It certainly has been a pretty slow start to the season,” meteorologist Ilana Cherny told news.com.au. “We saw a little bit of snow pretty much in the first week of June and we haven’t really seen anything since then.” Australian resorts in the Snowy Mountains opened in the first week of June.Across the Tasman Sea, the New Zealand resorts recently celebrated a delayed opening avoiding the impact of early season warm temperatures, Cardrona Alpine Resort chief mountains officer Laura Hedley told news.com.au. Snow guns got cranking and the conditions at the ski resort, on New Zealand’s South Island, were boosted by last week’s natural snowfall. Snow guns will continue to blast powder during winter and if and when temperatures dive to an ideal degree, more terrain will be opened, Ms Hedley said. “Things are changing this coming weekend - it’s looking like we’re about to get our first major snowfall of the season, kicking off on Friday evening through until Sunday,” she said. Aussies dominating pre-bookings on the Kiwi slopes Ahead of school holidays, Aussies dominated the guest list with early bookings at Cardrona Alpine Resort. “We’ve seen strong demand out of Australia this year in pre-season sales, and in particular, we are seeing great growth out of the Gold Coast year on year,” Ms Hedley said. Welcoming a record number of first-time visitors, the resort boasts some of the “most beginner-friendly” terrain on the South Island. The resort is equipped with “Ski Kindy and a childcare centre”, giving parents freedom to enjoy the slopes while their little ones engage in snow play and make new friends. “Sort the admin early, and you can maximise your mountain time,” Ms Hedley said, encouraging early bookings and sorting out rentals the night before hitting the slopes. AUD against NZD: strongest in a decade The Aussie dollar is at an all-time high compared to the Kiwi currency, making the New Zealand slopes much more “enticing” for snow enthusiasts. Tristan Dakin, the ANZ country manager at Wise, told news.com.au the trip across the sea was “arguably better value than ever” despite the extra dollars spent in catching an international flight.“Once you hit the ground, the strength of the Australian dollar significantly offsets that initial sting, with the AUD up around 13 per cent against the NZD over the past year,” Mr Dakin said. He explained that a family converting $5000 into NZD today would get at least $NZ650 more compared to last year’s exchange rate. He said this massive saving was possible as long as the money was converted at the “true exchange rate” seen on Google. “The Aussie dollar sitting at a decade-high against the New Zealand dollar, you are getting a good deal in historical terms right now,” he said.Avoid the rookie tourist mistake Paying in local currency is your best bet when it comes to smart spending on holidays in New Zealand. Mr Dakin described paying in Aussie dollars as “the single biggest pitfall” Australians could avoid at checkout, especially when tapping a traditional debit or credit card. “When should I lock in the exchange rate?” is a common question for travellers looking for the best deal. In terms of currency conversion, Mr Dakin said the AUD sitting at a “decade-high” against the NZD was a good deal regardless. “One option is to convert some of your funds now, while leaving some in AUD. From there, you can convert the remainder in smaller chunks closer to your departure date,” he said. You could also use automated tools offered by Wise for automatic swaps at your ideal target rate, he said. In order to get the best exchange rate, Mr Dakin warned travellers to beware of hidden fees, saying banks commonly offered “zero fee” international transactions while hiding the cost in inflated exchange rates.