New Zealand Skiing

tri111

Hi,

For anybody who knows anything about skiing in New Zealand, can you tell me what the ski scene is like out there? I'm still basically a beginner, have a couple of weeks skiing done (well, will do in a few weeks).

I'm thinking of going there next September and am wondering what the ski conditions are generally like at that time of year?

Also, which are the best resorts to go to and any other information you can provide I'd appreciate?

Thanks.

ybbi

Queenstown on the south island is the main hotspot for skiing, I am heading there in end of June, which is the beginning of the season, looking forward to it, Also it is a big party town with load of extreme sports to do aswell.

Don1

Just spent a season in Queenstown and it is pretty good, although the snow is not as good as Europe. Can't comment on anywhere else.

September can be nice for Spring skiing in t-shirts and stuff, but it gets pretty slushy and slow, and it ended pretty quickly in late September last season.

If you can aim to get there a bit earlier you won't regret it!

robinph

Queenstown is the main ski "resort" town in New Zealand and there are 2 or 3 ski fields relatively close by, and then plenty of bars to keep you amused in the evenings as well as loads of other things like jumping of bridges, jumping out of planes or jet boats along the rivers. All ski fields in New Zealand you'll need to drive to each day ro get a bus, there is no towns actually anywhere near the lifts though.

Whakapapa in the North Island is actually the biggest ski field though, and you get a nice view of Mount Doom as well. Turora is also on the same volcano but on the opposite side. Both areas can be got to from staying in Ohakune, or National Park which is closer to the Whakapapa field. They were the first two areas that I skied in NZ and I was starting to get annoyed with the number of t-bars that they both had and the lack of chair lifts, they do have a couple of newer chairs though but the skiing is excellent so worth the pain. They both have excellent roads up to the ski fields though.

In the South Island the main ones would be Treble Cone near Wanaka, Cardrona (which looks like Noddy and Big Ears live there) and is half way between Wanaka and Queenstown, then slightly nearer Queenstown you have Coronet Peak and The Remakables.

Treble Cone was shut the day I was planning on going up there so I ended up at Cardrona instead. It's a dirt road up the hill there but was still perfectly drivable in a Hi-Ace sized campervan. There was only two chair lifts at Cardrona but is actually still a decent number of runs that you can access just from them. They have a bit of a snow park as well I think, but the weather was awful that day so I couldn't see that well.

Coronet Peak and The Remarkables I think are owned by the same company so I believe that you can ski either on the same lift pass. I never made it over to The Remarkables but that is supposed to be the best for boarders. For Coronet Peak then Don1 is the man to ask really as he was a lifty there, but it did seem to be the bigger ski field of the ones that I made it to in the South Island anyway.

I'm probably going to be spending the season at Coronet Peak myself this year.

Static M.e.

Did a season in Wanaka, near Queenstown.

Who need to organize accommodation in advance or you could find it difficult/expensive

See above. Robinph summed it all up nicely

La La

i did two seasons in queenstown. i loved it, but this was a few years ago. its essence is being stripped away with the construction of a heap of awful hotels, but it's still a great spot.
(the place i used to live has been bulldozed, as well as the legendary bottle house where heaps of money-strapped seasoners used to live too).
the purist in me would suggest you go to wanaka if you want an experience of what queenstown used to be like. the hills near both towns though - remarks, coronet at qtown and cardrona, snowpark and treble cone at wanaka are fun. not huge, but some nice terrain. snow's nothing like canada or europe but there were some epic powder days i'll never forget.

if you;re planning on doing a season, get there before june - mid-may i'd say. the competition for jobs (and particularly now that most of the cheaper places in qtown have been knocked down) and housing is fierce.

it's awesome though.

Don1

Coronet is a great mountain with loads of trails varying from complete beginer up to crazy vertical black stuff! Even hosts race training for international teams!

Only thing is the conditions affect it greatly with low vis being a problem some times as well as prolonged periods without snow earning it the nickname concrete peak! As you'll be there in September it'll be as follows;

Early morning - rock hard but groomed
Midday - softened by the sun and lovely spring conditions but fairly busy
Late afteroon - slush city, quite slow, and very busy
Night ski (Friday and Saturday until nine) - re-frozen, rock hard, super fast, pretty dangerous for beginers! (also a lot of slow zones are opened up at night and people peg it!!!)

Overall Qtown rocks and I'd love to live there again! I recommend it, but try get there before the snow starts to disappear!

Edit: what LaLA said! 5,000 people applied for 50 spots as lifties on Coronet alone! Just to give some perspective! Accommodation is hectic. People used have to walk in from Fernhill which is waaaay away!

robinph

I don't think that busy in the Kiwi ski field sense is in anywhere close to busy in a European resort sense. I often had people on the lifts chatting away to me saying how busy it was, I just gave them a curious look and asked if they had ever been to Europe. The slopes were virtually empty most of the time and any lift queues were all pretty quick, the lifts themselves were not always the fastest though admitedly.

I did see a lot more people being dragged off the hills after crashing with others though than I have ever seen in Europe though, that could have just been due to the mountains being smaller and so it was more noticable when it happened though.

Don1

You should have seen it during the school holidays man. Bloody mayhem! It's never that busy if you explore but the beginner and lower intermediate areas can get clogged. Once you're good enough to head off around the mountain there's plenty of space!

Sidney77

heading there myself in June to do the season/get a job there etc, thinkign treble cone, dont drive tho so ill have to go with whichever is easiest accessible by public transpost

Don1

If you work on the mountains in Queenstown (Coronet of Remarks) there's staff busses.

kjoanna

Hi all,

Im going to Wanaka this July for 3 weeks and Im wondering what about this ski buses.
How many times daily they go up to the mountains (Cardrona and Treble Cone)?
Can you get in to the bus from few spots in Wanaka or is there only one stop?

What else should I know?

Anyone going there between end of July and August?:)

Joanna.

Sidney77

headin for the season myself, at least planning to if i get a job, i applied to cardrona, treble cone, and as a back up ruapehu (north island)

prob queenstown but i havent decided yet

Static M.e.

From what I remember...

How many times daily they go up to the mountains (Cardrona and Treble Cone)?

Twice, I think...

Can you get in to the bus from few spots in Wanaka or is there only one stop?

One stop in the village, one just outside. Wanaka is tiny though so the one stop is usually enough.

Cost was quite high when I was there it was 30 NZD per day, which works out a lot when you add it up. Hitch hiking is quite popular for getting up the mountain.

kjoanna

Thanks Static M.e.

I have checked bus ticket prices and for 15 days I would have to pay 150 euro extra... Well I might try hitch hiking:)

(F.L.) Anders

Sorry t obe reviving this, but tooffer some advice which is hopefully helpful...
I spent a season floating between Wanaka and Queenstown and hitch hiking from Wanaka was absoluetly no probs at all! I had my own car and still found it easier to hitch! God,what a season that was...hehe, be sure to check out scruffy murphies!! awesome pizzas!

kjoanna

Thanks (F.L.) Anders.

Its less then 2 months now and I'm really looking forward

granty1987

yeah just head over to hitch hikers lane - thats what i called it anyways, its where most people gather to hitch. its the road leaving wanaka towards Qtown by the rugby pitch/park... the general code is first come first serve.. would kill to be heading back to nz. i hear the Burton NZ open is on in cardrona instead of snowpark NZ which is mad! oh and check out kariokee wednesdays in shooters or the ipod battles in red rock... and cinema paradiso.. or ferg burger in Qtown... and the pies! or the luge track - awesome!

deadfingers

Sorry to hog the thread but myself and 5 friends are going to Queenstown in August. We have a 4 of 5 day all mountain pass. It covers most of the main resorts in NZ (I hope!)

What ski fields do you suggest for 6 boarders ranging from beginner to intermediate? I have looked at the trail maps and from what I can make it out I am leaning towards Cardrona and Coronet Peak as it seems to have more Green and Blue and runs in comparison to Treble cone. I am also not sure if snowpark may be a waste as we are not at a level to do jumps, etc...

Any feedback would be great!

Static M.e.

Cardrona - Is a great mountain which would suit everyone

SnowPark - is basically just a SnowPark but would be fun for anyone who is into big jumps, pipe or rails. You get a LOT of advanced people here and its fun to go watch people if your not on the mountain yourself

Treble Cone - is good for the more advanced as well, you can do a lot of off piste here

Coronet Peak - very similar to Cardrona, big mountain, lots to do and suits everyone, you can also do Night Boarding here.

They have another mountain in Queenstown that I cant think of..


Cardrona and Coronet Peak are probably your best bet, do 2 days on each and then see how you feel or how much you have covered.

robinph

Static M.e. wrote: »

They have another mountain in Queenstown that I cant think of..

The Remarkables.

Can't give you an opinion on there though for another month or so.

The only hills that I've done in the South Island so far is Cardrona and Coronet Peak though and what Static already said pretty much matches my brief experience of them so far.

granty1987

Remarkables is a real good ski field, Paulharte is your man to ask here as that was the main place he went to on his season. I myself was based in cardrona and snowpark NZ.
Cardrona has a bit of everything, good wide blues for beginners, nice reds and a few little blacks. it has a fairly good park and 2 pipes.. there are only 3 main lifts there but from the top of'em you can go anywhere.. only problem i found with hte place is due to the lack of trees, white-outs (which happen really regularly in cardrona) = you cant see a thing! NZ is known as the island of the long cloud.. youll see what i mean when you get there..
Snowpark NZ is probably the best park iv ever been to, its got a stupid amount of boxes and rails, some really well shaped kickers (but i felt that they were lacking a bit of diversity size-wise, ie you go frombeginner and intermediate kickers (5-10m) to the triple line which is a lot bigger! the woolshed bar/restaurant there is savage! and theres always a huge amount of pros there from the N hemisphere so you can sit back and enjoy the view

oh and if you want to check out some video footage from some of therse places, have a look at the video section of www.wearegreenpixels.com

paulharte

The remarks is pretty much the best ski field in NZ, in my opinion.

Higher up than coronet, great park, kickers for all abilities, steep terrain off shadow chair and the best off piste run in NZ (homeward bound)

Deadfingers: coronet and remarks are your best bets, snowpark would be a waste, to be honest. Both have a selection of mellow runs.
I'd say your pass is for coronet+remarks (queenstown pass). There is also another pass covering coronet, reamarks and mt. hutt, but it is quite a trek to hutt from qt, so not many people do it.

deadfingers

Great advise guys.

I think I will give the remarks and coronet a shot. Also I may go for a 5th day at snowpark and have a play on the beginner stuff and hopefully also catch some of the pro's at work. See how far I am behind

Also granty1987 thanks for the link some great video's. I am counting down the days until August 1st.

Again guys thanks for the advice.

In NZ at the moment; Queenstown to be precise.

Heading up the hills tomorrow but I'm quite annoyed with the fact that there is NO snow in Queenstown itself and all the snow seems to just be up the hills a bit. I was expecting the way Livigno is (totally covered) all over the place. Maybe that's just me though although if it's any consolation, my girlfriend feels the same way.

Great place though, just wished it would snow loads like in Europe in Winter!!!!

robinph

Yeah, that does create a much different look about the ski resort towns in NZ when compared to Europe. But then they are all a lot further down the hills, as long as there is enough snow on the top though it's all good.

Static M.e.

Deleted User wrote: »

In NZ at the moment; Queenstown to be precise.

Have you had a Fergburger yet, the big one to be precise?

Its an animal, I use to drive two hours just to pick one up on a Sunday

Static M.e.

Static M.e. wrote: »

Have you had a Fergburger yet, the big one to be precise?

Its an animal, I use to drive two hours just to pick one up on a Sunday

Haha no not yet, I'll give it a go though. Damn this place (foodwise) is cheap if you get takeout and you can be as healthy as you want too!

By the way, I'm going to be buying a pair of ex-rentals. They are called Head Monsters (unsure of exact model) but they are only a season or two old, and I examined the base etc and they are in great nick. Only issue is I was expecting to get a pair of new boots but they did a "Real Madrid" on me and priced me out of it. I wasn't expecting to pay 600 dollars for entry level boots so I'm going to take a gamble and go with an ex-rental pair too. They fit snug as and I'll be testing all the gear out in the morning before I decide to buy them or not.

So help me out here, Head Monsters? Any use? I wanted a set of skis that will suit beginners but give me room to grow into. Will these do the trick?

Picked up gloves, visors, and ski pants there today. Will get a helmet after I nail the basics.

paulharte

Deleted User wrote: »

I was expecting the way Livigno is (totally covered) all over the place.

Dont expect the ski hill to be aything like livigno either!! Just be prepared for one tenth the amount of runs and you won't be disappointed!!

granty1987

Static M.e. wrote: »

Have you had a Fergburger yet, the big one to be precise?

Its an animal, I use to drive two hours just to pick one up on a Sunday

The Big Al
(a double serving of prime NZ beef (1/2lbs) lashings of bacon, a whole lotta cheese, 2 eggs, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, red onion, relish an a load of aioli)

"Ferg loves you"

robinph

Stop teasing us.

Static M.e.

Is it wrong to want one of those at 10:33 in the morning?!...

robinph

I'm currently trying to decide if I should go straight to Fergberger, or to the hotel for a sleep when I get off my flight. Will certainly be a challenge to finish one of those off after the flight though.

Lads, that burger looks disgusting!!!

RATM

Static M.e. wrote: »

Have you had a Fergburger yet, the big one to be precise?

Its an animal, I use to drive two hours just to pick one up on a Sunday

Bambi Burger for the win:p Though I heard Ferg moved from their roots down Cow Lane and now have a proper shop on Shotover Street somewhere?

RE NZ Skiing- if you have a car with chains then don't miss out on NZs clubfields. You'll have to be competent on drag lifts because thats generally all there is.
But the rewards can be immense. We once arrived in Porters on a powder day- a lift pass was only $25 ( less for members) and we found massive stashes of the fresh stuff which we had all to ourselves as it was a Monday morning. Perfect;) Mt Cheeseman is also worth checking out and Craigieburn is excellent for advanced riders.
Most travelers to NZ seem to stick to the wel worn Remarks/Concrete/Cardrona/Treble Cone route but there are some real gems out there if you are willing to travel.

RATM, sounds good, any links to where I can find out more about these clubfields? Have a 4*4 dying to do a bit of offroad - go on the Toyota Rav4!

yellowstar

hey guys sorry for hogging dis thread, was thinkin bout headin 2 d ski slopes in NZ nxt year prob May or June. Have never skied b4!! was just wondering what kinda jobs can u get nd do u earn enuf 2 survive?? Was tinkin bout it til I saw that burger it swayed my decision ha ha!! Im def goin!!

Outsidethebox

yellowstar wrote: »

hey guys sorry for hogging dis thread, was thinkin bout headin 2 d ski slopes in NZ nxt year prob May or June. Have never skied b4!! was just wondering what kinda jobs can u get nd do u earn enuf 2 survive?? Was tinkin bout it til I saw that burger it swayed my decision ha ha!! Im def goin!!

As far as I'm aware yellowstar the season doesn't really kick off until late June. Plenty people around here would be a lot more in the know than myself though. What are you planning to do accomodation wise? Going to head over for a few weeks myself. I'll probably rent a campervan as I like having the freedom of my own wagon. My only concern though (Well, "the queens" only concern:)) is about showers and that but I presume there'd be campsites etc that would have the amenities needed....

robinph

I found all the campsites in NZ were very good when I was travelling around here last year in a camper, and although my van had a shower and everything onboard I never actually used it's shower as the ones on the sites were much better and less hassle actually. It was handy having a slightly larger van though which had the shower just for the sake of space onboard though.

Outsidethebox

What company did you rent off of Robinph? Any company you'd recommend for campervan rentals?

robinph

Jucy was the company that I used, but there are loads and loads of companies doing vans. In my research though they did seem to have the biggest small sized van, ie a Hi-Ace size rather than a Transit or bigger. It was just me on my own though so space might be an issue the more people your trying to squeze into the same box for several weeks.

Edit: Oh, and after spending a lot of this week riding up the T-bar with the New Zealand ski team I spotted that Jucy is one of the main sponsors on the fleeces they wear over their inappropriately tight Lycra outfits.

Outsidethebox

Cheers man. Ha, I'd say them inappropriately tight Lycra outfits are nice alright. Jucy seemed to be uimhir a haon from what little research I've done alright. Thanks.

robinph

I think the US team is due here for training in a couple of weeks as well. I'll have to pass on some of my new skiing knowledge to them when riding up on the lift.

When are they arriving ? Need to check them out.

PS: I pm'd you back twice now and no reply tut tut !

yellowstar

hey outsidethebox havnt really thought that far ahead never really considered a campervan but not sur id like it for dat long. R there not apartments or houses to rent which r kinda cheap??? R u there for the whole season or just a couple of weeks?? As you may have guessed havnt done a whole lot of research, tink I cud get a job there tho!!

robinph

Deleted User wrote: »

When are they arriving ? Need to check them out.

I've been told that at least the US and Swedish teams are supposed to be in Coronet in August, possibly others as well.

Deleted User wrote: »

PS: I pm'd you back twice now and no reply tut tut !

I do apologise for my tardiness. I had a busy week with the lessons actually though, and then some continuing problems with my new set of skis which I'm going to have to try and get the money back on tomorrow.

I was getting loads of free beers from the hotel owner over the weekend though so never actually made it into town at all this week in the evenings again yet.

How are you finding the coaching ? Is it any use ?

Where did you buy the skis? What's the problem with them ?

robinph

Deleted User wrote: »

How are you finding the coaching ? Is it any use ?

It is very good so far. I'm actually being taught in by one of the NZSIA examiners for the full 10 weeks, Have only just got into the actual teaching segments in the last day or so as it's mostly been on sorting out how rubbish our own skiing was. Today we spent a long time under the quad "learning" how to put skis on and side step up the mountain and doing straight running. Tomorrow we are going to get taught how to do wedge glides.

Deleted User wrote: »

Where did you buy the skis? What's the problem with them ?

Outside Sport was where I went as we get a bunch of discounts in there for the course for buying kit and services etc. Only their stock of appropriate skis in my size seems to be a bit limited. I got some Atomic Drive Scandinium(?), but the bit of plastic covering the tip of one skis came off after one day. Completely irrelevant as far as the performance of the ski goes, but I'm not happy having bits falling off something that expensive after just one day, however pointless. Just got a call back from the shop this evening though and they cannot get the tip to replace it from Atomic until August so they are now trying to sell me something more expensive and less appropriate for the course which I'm not happy about.

Ah yes Outside Sports - found them to be quite professional (when looking for a pair of boots) but they ended up trying to get me (at this stage I had 2 weeks skiing under my belt ) a pair of ski boots for 900 dollars which was one of their most high end boots in stock - now the price is not that bad for good ski boots, and they were excellent with "aluminium" buckles etc ha but I was kind of annoyed (from a business perspective) that they were trying to just flog me a way more expensive pair because they didn't have any other decent ones that fit for less than 800 NZD.

I get easily annoyed at sales tactics like that and after a while, the whole "Ok well we don't have the boots we thought we did, but we have an excellent pair of Nordicas here, these are super boots, really high end, will let you grow into an expert skiier in the future and can really push it in these things, a much more advanced boot with alloy buckles, memory moulded bla bla bla".

Make sure you get a refund for that now. Don't take any crap. I had an issue in the Coronet Peak shop and I ended up tearing through the manager because he tried making me out to be some sort of retard because he was saying that a pair of goretex gloves I bought from him (which were over 200 NZD and ripped after the first day) was not faulty and it was wear and tear - I hadn't even fallen in them and they were unravelling ! Absolute Joke of a lad.

robinph

Out of the 40 of us on this course they make a lot of money out of us over the course of the season. Very good shop, but I think they were not quite as well prepared for all of us turning up at the same time looking for virtually the same gear as they could have been. I'll be doing a search of the other shops locally over the next couple of days looking for some replacements and seeing what deals I can get.