New Zealand

Sidney77

Which is better Queenstown or Wanaka

Been looking at both. ill want good snow obviously and a good night life too

Advice?

Static M.e.

This is for next June/July/August right?

I would choose Wanaka! I love that place

Crash

Well, Wanaka gives you the easiest access to the Cardronas, which is a nice skiing spot - probably got the best choice of all the places we went to (note, didnt make it to treblet cone so not sure what that was like) - Queenstown is closer to Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski areas.

For the town itself, Wanaka is beautiful, its quite small, whereas queenstown is that bit bigger and bustling. They are only about an hour and a half apart, so if you're planning on renting a car (which would make your life much easier) its much of a muchness really.

robinph

Do both.

Crash

There's that too - as said, an hour and a half or so between them, and wanaka is an excellent place to chill after the hecticness that can be queenstown at high season

Sidney77

robinph wrote: »

Do both.

ill wanna work on one of them, but ill prob see them both at times

Griff77

Queentstown for me was the bee's knee's! Great craic there at night and always something to do. I loved Wanaka aswell but if you plan on living there, you may find it a bit small after a few weeks. To be honest both towns are great but make sure you buy a car. There's loads of cars down there for $700 or so. Generally you can sell it for what you bought it as long as you give yourself a week or two to shift it. Oh yea on old, high mileage cars you have to do a mini NCT every three months (only costs $30) so most old cars work fine.

I thought Treble Cone was good fun although full of Japanese boarders which lead to many icy patches on the slopes. It was generally a quieter resort and not for beginers.

Don1

Any of the Cardies and TC people I spoke to said they were bored as hell working out there as the town is too quite. Queenstown is a great spot and I miss it a lot!
I cannot reccomend working on Coronet Peak highly enough! Short bus drive there and back, really sound senior crew (lifts - where I was) and generally nice to work on.
Remarks is better for park style riding but work there is more boring and you have to bump all the chairs even 4 seaters if you're a liftie, which sucks!

Sidney77

Well i dont drive so thats the car option out the window.

How small? Im from a city but ive done a season on Whistler.

CianRyan

I had time in Queenstown, first thing i'd have to ay about it, is i can no wait to get back to it.
Great buzz around the town, and if you are there for the opening week of the ski season, its just a big crazy party, good fun.
No lack of snow, when traveling there last year, i actually couldnt fly in, because of blizzards which left the town in-accesible for a day or two, but even at that, the coach journy from Christchurch to Queenstown was nothing short of stunning.

Both the Remarks and Corinet Peak are great mountains, they both offer a great range for both bigginers and the more advanced.
I had lessons in Both ski fields, both instructers were great, told me what i needed to know, and then some and helped me progress very well.

The drive up to the Remarks snow field...
Well its something else, yes it looks beautiful, but i swear, the whole coach was compleatly silent most of the way up the mountain.
Sheer drops to your sides and unsealled roads and a few patches of black ice.
But well, what can i say, when we hit ice, the driver knew what to do, he does do it everyday after all, and i am still alive. :rolleyes:
It i terriying, but rest asured, you'll make it up and back.
Once you get to the snow fields, make you sure have a camera, look striaght out through the two mountains and the other between them, an image that has been burt into my mind, and i dont ever intend to let it go, absaloutly amazingly stunning.

The road to Corinet Peak is not nearly as bad, nor is the ski field as high, or the views as spectacular, but in the end, thats now what you are there for, and the skiing/snowboarding is great on the mountain.


If you dont own your own gear, check out browns, got all my stuff from them, great quality and good value.

And while you are there, make sure you get to Milford Sound at some point.
Amazing place and another beautiful drive, full of the Southern Alps and glaciers(though you have to keep an eye out for them).
There is one place, on the drive that i will never forget, Homers Pass...
Amazing place, you come out of a several kilometer long tunnel, to the light at the end, and then a rugged beautiful, snowpeaked mountain range.
Class place.
Love it.

And thats what i have to say about the place. haha

Crash

CianRyan wrote: »

Once you get to the snow fields, make you sure have a camera, look striaght out through the two mountains and the other between them, an image that has been burt into my mind, and i dont ever intend to let it go, absaloutly amazingly stunning.

As a teaser, this'd be the view Cian is talking about:

Brian

Queenstown Fo'sho. I preferred the snow at Whakapapa though. Also, erm.. I was going to say that one of Coronet Peak and The Remarkables is way better'n the other, but I can't remember which it is now. The one that's further away from Qt. Remarkables I think. Also, the shuttle bus up is like being a plane or something, so high up, but since you're right on the edge of the cliffs when you look out the window it's kinda like you're flying.. terrifying.

CianRyan

Going Forward wrote: »

As a teaser, this'd be the view Cian is talking about:

Had to save those picture, they're amazing mate.

Thanks for posting them.

Sidney77

Yeh thanks for posting them pics theyre awesome,

thanks for the advice everyone, ill head down and have a look at both.

cian you really sold queenstown to me

CianRyan

Just passing on what i know about the place.
Love it.:rolleyes:
haha

robinph

As for the actuall skiing, of the four ski fields that I visited (Whakapapa/ Turoa/ Coronet Peak/ Cardrona), I think the skiing was actually better on the Mount Ruaphehu fields in the North Island. Also skiing down an active volcanoe and right next door to Mount Doom has to be done if you ever get the chance:

rappp attackkk

Definately go for Queenstown. I was there in August and i wanna go back already. Wanaka is really nice but too small. Went boarding for the first time over there so i dunno will i be much help to you but i thought Cardrona was great. All the staff were sound and everyone was really helpful. Go to Fergburger too...... best burger ive ever had!

shanem152

Moving to Auckland in August.

When is the ski season exactly in NZ?

Is there any ski in the north island or is it all south.

Would day/weekend trips from auckland be a norm, or should i just eye up moving to Queenstown

IFFF i was to move to queenstown, how easy/hard is it to get work there!?

sorry, lots of questions, but just got my visa approved , and i am buzzing!

EDIT:

Just read robinph post, nice some ski in the north island, sweeet. Is mount doom in north?>

Brian

Mount Doom = Ngauruhoe, it's adjunct to Ruapehu which is home of the main slopes on the north island. Not sure you can go on there to be honest.

jamieharte

I spent 3 months living in Wanaka and I never got bored! I found Wanaka a lot more chilled out than QT and most of the people in Wanaka are there for the skiing and snowboarding more than the big nights out. As someone said they're only 1.5 hrs apart (which is nothing in NZ terms!) so you can pop across to QT for some of the cool activities and rowdy nights every now and then. I went out about 2 nights a week in Wanaka and it was always fun. There are only about 3 or 4 big bars so you get to know people around town really easily.

As for the skiing and snowboarding, Wanaka has Snow Park, Cardrona and Treble Cone, which has the most challenging terrain in the area. QT has Remarks (v good park) and Coronet Peak.

I guess it depends what your priorities are. Wanaka, QT and NZ in general are awesome so you'll have a great time wherever. I'm living in Whistler these days and I still think Wanaka was an awesome place to spend a season!

shanem152

Interesting Jamie,

How difficult is it to get work in Wanaka?

happo

I would recommend Treble Cone as the pick of the Wanaka/Queenstown resorts as regards natural terrain. Some epic natural half pipes in Saddle Basin. They also have the open gate backcountry thing going on

Personally I would pick Wanaka over Queenstown. However it would be quieter and more difficult to get part time work I would imagine.