Are you a powder hound in search of the ideal habitat? Perhaps it’s time to visit the snow covered peaks and great ski runs of ‘skiwiland’. By Flip Byrnes.
The temperature has started to dip and for many it’s time to plan a white holiday. While Australian ski fields are not to be sniffed at, the trip often involves a long drive with no flight alternatives and no guarantee of fresh powder.
On the other hand, New Zealand is a skiers paradise. Big mountains provide numerous options beyond downhill skiing — chutes and natural halfpipes for snowboarders, heli-skiing and cross country skiing. It also boasts multiple small club fields, 10 larger resorts, bars that never close and scenery that stuns. And, unlike resorts further afield, the dialect is familiar, the jet lag is minimal and you can be on the slopes in three hours, if you travel direct to Queenstown.
Here’s a rundown on what’s on offer in the South Island of ‘Skiwiland’.
If you want world-class skiing, great accommodation, fine restaurants and fun nightlife then your destination has to be Queenstown. Nestled on the sapphire shores of Lake Wakatipu and ringed by snow peaks, Queenstown is the jewel of the South Island and the location for Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are two major ski areas — The Remarkables and Coronet Peak.
Coronet Peak is the nearest resort to Queenstown and a good place to break in your snow legs while you take in the spectacular views of Queenstown below. Coronet Peak enjoys its own micro climate and when it snows here, it snows a lot. A new six-seater chairlift will increase the mountain capacity by 20 per cent, and although the 18 km stretch of unsealed mountain road can be daunting for first-timers, there is no other way to access all the ski areas.
The Remarkables is the place to head if you’re after more advanced skiing. It’s 29 kms from Queenstown and is one of the smaller resorts with 220 hectares. What it lacks in size it makes up for in punch. For a start, it’s one of the highest resorts. The carpark at the bottom is about the same height as the summit of Coronet Peak, which means even more snow. And, what snow is there stays longer.
The Remarkables has three sheltered bowls and enough variety to keep intermediates and beginners content, but the off-piste riding potential is huge. For those with altitude attitude head straight to the Xbox Terrain and Rail Park, which features tabletop jumps (shaped like a table) and a variety of hand rails to slide over. The atmosphere swings with outdoor entertainment on the sundeck on sunny days. So, fresh from skiing on the roof of the world, it’s time to sit back, relax and plan the night ahead.
If you haven’t heard of Wanaka yet, you will. It’s what Queenstown was 10 years ago and if you want to beat the rush, then get there now.
This charming lakeside town, 75 km down the road from Queenstown, is on the verge of a mini-boom.
Treble Cone (‘TC’) is the reason for all the fuss. It has recently changed hands and NZ$12 million has been poured into the resort, which now includes a six-seater chairlift and an additional 45 hectares of terrain. This is the first new terrain expansion in New Zealand in 15 years and an exciting addition. But even so, TC was already the mountain of choice for those who like their riding a little wild and rugged.
Treble Cone is the largest ski area in the South Island, with 500 hectares. It also has the longest vertical rise of 832 metres — longer than Thredbo, which has a vertical rise of 672 metres.
While it has a variety of terrain spread over three basins, it is the ungroomed powder and black runs that has made it the off-season training site for the Austrian and US ski teams, as well as a smattering of French and Germans skiers.
The resort is full of chutes and natural halfpipes for the snowboarders and north-west storms result in the major drawcard, perpetual snow.
“For some time, we have been deemed as New Zealand’s best kept ski story,” says Robert Skinner, Treble Cone’s director, who liked the resort so much he bought it (or part of it).
“The quality of the snow and record snowfalls is what sets Treble Cone’s ski area apart and has everyone talking.”
Cardrona (which neighbours TC) hasn’t been left shivering in the cold. While 20 per cent of its terrain is advanced, a huge 55 per cent is intermediate and 25 per cent beginner. So if you are a beginner, skiing with a family or getting your legs back before you make an assault on the other mountains, Cardrona offers the perfect pistes to get you into the riding groove.
The runs are open and groomed, the staff friendly and with a high base level of 1670 metres above sea level, the snow is so reliable that snow making has been made redundant.
Wanaka’s relaxed atmosphere attracts cool young people and more affluent types who gather to launch themselves from perfectly groomed jumps and chiselled halfpipes. Ski champs, Tanner Hall and JP Auclair, have stomped their landings in the park. And if you want to know what a Toxic 720 and Canadian Bacon are, then this is where to learn.
You can get great packages to New Zealand that include car hire, accommodation, flights and lift passes. The good news is you’re guaranteed attractive snow conditions, and if you plan to travel with little people (and we don’t mean hobbits), the New Zealand and Australian school holidays don’t coincide this year.
For travel packages and great offers to New Zealand, call NRMA Holidays on 1800 051 045 (a service provided by Qantas Holidays Limited).
Need a snow fix off-season? Then head to one of the world’s hottest ski destinations, Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido. Only 10 hours away, you can avoid the expensive long-haul flights to Europe and North America and jump onto more than 100 ski runs and some of the best powder snow in Asia. Visit in February and attend the Sapporo Snow Festival, featuring world famous snow sculptures. You also get to experience Japanese culture and warm your weary ski-legs in hot springs.
| Best tipple: | Put on the ritz at the Bardeaux in Queenstown. Or, for something a bit more rustic, try a Speights at the Cardrona Hotel, Cardrona, or a boutique brew at the Wanaka beerworks. |
| Best cafe: | Kai Whakapai Cafe and Bar, Wanaka. |
| Best run: | The Saddle at Treble Cone and the bowls at The Remarkables. |
| Best pro-rider scene: | The Snow Park, Wanaka. Take a helicopter. |
| Best odd thing to do: | Monday night karaoke at Shooters in Wanaka; add a bra to the Bra Fence near Cardrona; chair-drop in Queenstown. |
For more details on Queenstown visit www.queenstown-nz.co.nz and www.nzski.com.
For more details on Wanaka visit www.lakewanaka.co.nz;
www.skilakewanaka.com; www.cardrona.com; www.treblecone.com or www.snowparknz.com.
4WD
