The main resorts of New South Wales and Victoria have experienced recent warm weather and while they were all able to make some man made snow, there was little natural snow to be found on the official weekend opener, the Queen's Birthday long weekend. Not to be deterred, revelers still took to New South Wales resort, Perisher Blue's Front Valley which has experienced an AU$9.75 million snowmaking upgrade over the summer. Weather systems and meteorologists predict heavy snowstorms around June 23 which should get the Australian ski season up and running before local school holidays. Most resorts have invested big in snowmaking for 2009 with Hotham's Heavenly Valley switching on the snow guns for the first time in history. Mt Buller's new six-seater high speed chairlift on Bourke Street will get a good workout this season with beginners looking for turns. It's run on 100% "GreenPower" and will carry three thousand skiers per hour over a kilometre in less than four minutes. Falls Creek in Victoria have upgraded their snowmaking on Wombat's Ramble for continuous coverage on Australia's longest beginners run at two kilometres in length. The boutique ski in/ski out resort of Charlotte Pass, Australia's highest ski resort, launches guided back country tours taking skiers and boarders to tree lined steeps and deeps for those prepared to hike. Meanwhile the snow predictions keep on coming and reference to dry starts followed by mega dumps continue.