Corin Forest and Smoke Masters BBQ, ACT

Recently, we found a little winter play spot in Canberra that the kids really enjoyed - Mount Corin.  It's definitely smaller than Perisher, but honestly, if you're mainly looking for a place where the kids can experience snow, have a go at tobogganing, throw snowballs around, or even let beginners practice skiing.  Mount Corin is more than enough for a fun day out.

And before winter completely disappears, I thought I'd better share this in case you're still thinking about squeezing in one more snow day without going through all the hassle, crowds and long drive associated with Perisher.

Mount Corin is located in the Brindabella Ranges, just outside Canberra and it's a popular spot for a quick winter escape when the snow arrives.

The biggest perk for us was that it felt much more manageable with kids.  You don't necessarily need to commit to a full day of skiing or organise a big snow trip.  You can simply head up for a few hours, let the kids play in the snow and head back.  The snow play area has unlimited tobogganing, and there's also plenty of space for kids to play in snow, make snowballs and have a bit of a mess around.  Compared with the bigger ski resorts, it felt much more relaxed and less overwhelming.

We booked our activities online before going.  We booked both the snow play area and the Alpine slide.  Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. 

The day we went was rainy and very wet, so the Alpine Slide was not running.  We were told they needed to wait for the weather to clear before deciding they could reopen.  And as anyone knows, it can be unpredictable.

The tricky part was that we couldn't wait around for too long because there was no guarantee that the activities would actually reopen that day.  Unfortunately, they weren't able to offer us a refund.  Instead, we were given vouchers that we can use for another visit, which means we'll hopefully get another chance to try the Alpine Slide on a better-weather day.

So, if you're planning a visit, definitely check the weather forecast and the operating conditions before you go.

There's also a little shop where you can grab food and coffee if everyone starts getting hungry or cold.  

We actually decided to have lunch somewhere else on the way back to our hotel and stopped at Smoke Masters BBQ.

I'd read a few reviews saying that Smoke Masters BBQ usually sells out before closing time, so we're so glad that we made it there around 12:30pm.  Still, their Saturday special beef ribs already vanished, even though they were supposedly open until 2pm.  So instead, we went for the Carnivore Platter, which came loaded with brisket, pulled pork, chicken wings and kransky, along with slaw, pickled red onion and fries.  We also ordered the smoked pork ribs.

And honestly, we think we got extremely lucky!  As soon as we paid for our order, we looked up at the menu screen and pretty much everything was market sold out.  People kept coming in after us, only to leave disappointed.

The pork ribs were fantastic - super tender and practically falling off the bone.  The sauce had a really nice savoury flavour without being overly sweet, which we really appreciated.  It's definitely different from the sweeter-style sauces you might get at places like Hurricane's or Pancake on the Rocks.

The brisket was another highlight.  It was juicy, tender and nicely smoky, exactly what you want from good BBQ.  The pulled pork and chicken wings were also enjoyable and the sides helped balance out all that rich, smoky meat.

What made the experience even better was the friendly service.  Everyone was welcoming and helpful, which made the whole visit feel really pleasant. 

Corin Forest

1268 Corin Road, Paddys River, ACT

Ph: 1300 128 746

Smoke Masters BBQ

Unit 7a, 19-25 Kembla St, Fyshwick ACT

Ph: 6106 9563

Open: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday 10am - 2pm, Friday 8am - 2pm, closed on Sunday - Tuesday