August 06

Aug 2006
Had a job interview over in Niseko Hirafu for Ski Japan. Great drive over, went to Hidaka after work on Saturday then on Sunday carried on over to Niseko via Sapporo and Otaru. Decided to have a crack at the motorways and they were great. We could actually sustain a speed of around 100km/h for more than 5 minutes. Was a great way to by-pass Sapporo quickly. Cost around 3000 yen all up so a bit expensive but worth it as it saved us heaps of time. We stopped at a beach in one of the bays past Otaru on the road to Niseko. It was beautiful, made up of rocky bluffs and jagged coast with sandy beaches settled into the bays. Had a quick swim in the surprisingly warm waters, but was disappointed at the amount of rubbish on the beach. Niseko Hirafu was a sensory overload for us coming from Kuhsiro. Hirafu is a tourist resort town, which is pretty laid back in the summer but really takes off in the winter. It is at the base of a mountain containing 4 ski resorts on all its different aspects. All resorts a linked together and a full mountain pass gives access to all three resorts different chair lifts. There are western style cafes and restaurants and to our surprise menus written in English! Even English speaking staff. We stayed true and of course ordered in Japanese all the same. We spent the afternoon exploring the village then found a campsite and relaxed in the sunshine with a great view of Mt Yoeti. Mt Yoeti is Hokkaidos Mt Fuji. It is a classic dome shaped volcanoe that stands out on its own, and in winter remarkably resembles its southern cousin. After a rather poor nights sleep we had the interview with anAustralian guy. We were shown around the lodges we would be managing and the staff accommodation.