Although Australia is generally considered to be more suited to summer sport, several ice-based sports take place as well. Snow falls on the Australian Alps and parts of Tasmania. The Australian Alps are within six hours' drive for residents of Sydney, but within two hours' drive for residents of Melbourne and Canberra, Tasmanian ski slopes are within a day's drive for residents of the major cities of Hobart and Launceston. However, the season is quite short, as the snow is skiable for only about four months per year. Skiing in Australia was first introduced by Norwegian miners in the goldrush town of Kiandra, New South Wales, around 1859, near today's Selwyn Snowfields ski resort. The sport remains a popular winter activity in the south-eastern states and territories. Major alpine skiing resorts include Thredbo, Perisher and Charlotte Pass in New South Wales; Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller in Victoria and Mount Ben Lomond in Tasmania. Victoria has three dedicated cross-country ski resorts and extensive areas are available for cross-country skiing within national parks including Kosciuszko National Park (NSW), Alpine National Park (VIC); Namadgi National Park (ACT) and in the Tasmanian Wilderness.