 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys,
I'm looking to spend 6 weeks out next summer and thinking of heading over to do a few weeks in New Zealand skiing (around July / August). I've got a couple of questions:
1) What are the best resorts in NZ? I'm an upper intermediate skier (although I don't really go off piste). I'd say apres ski, snow sure and having enough runs are important to me. I understand the ski areas are not as large as, say, Tignes for example but if I'm going for 3 weeks or so I'm happy to travel around resorts so perhaps you'd recommend a few resorts within proximity of one another?
2) Do you know any websites that offer historical snow information for NZ? Igluski etc has it but only for US and Europe. Snow-forecast.com is members only!
Cheers
Greg
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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simplyme, NZ is lots of fun and renting a car and travelling about a bit is a good way to do it.
I'd suggest a mix of the areas near Christchurch (Mt Hutt), then further south to Queenstown (Remarks, Coronet Peak) and Wanaka (Treble Cone, Cardona). Queenstown is a good party place so you might enjoy being centred there. Wanaka less commercialised and a bit more chilled.
Have a look at:
http://www.chillout.co.nz/
http://www.mountainwatch.com/Features?section=journals
And try to contact Sarge McSarge or hang11.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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simplyme, I've spent 8 days in the South Island and basically did what nozawaonsen, said above, staying in Methven near Mt Hutt and Wanaka. You need a 4wd car. I had a great time but you need to know what you're getting in to.
NZ skiing is gnarly and the piste skiing is pretty limited. A large ski hill has 3-5 lifts so comparisons with Tignes are pointless. Look at the Mt Hutt map for an idea http://www.skimap.info/australia_oceania/new_zealand/mt_hutt/ski_map_mt_hutt.jpg - loads of unpisted black terrain. Most 'club hills' have 1 or 2 T bars or a NZ rope tow which is a challenge in itself.
If I were you I'd sign up for an off-piste course this winter and spend as much time as possible working on your variable terrain skills. Perhaps do another one in NZ. I think Warren Smith operates there now in the summer.
If you can afford it, go heliskiing. I had two fantastic days heliing in the Harris and the Buchanan mountains out of Wanaka. Much cheaper than Europe or Canada and much more vertical per drop. You don't need to be a fantastic off piste skier, just competent.
Enjoy  [/img]
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's a fair point about Mt Hutt. There is a lot more terrain if you can ski the whole bowl rather than just the pistes.
Queenstown is definitely much more of an après party hard town than Methven which is basically a crossroads built round two pubs (both good mind you, the Brown being slightly more agricultural than the Blue, if you are lucky you might win the meat raffle!). The Last Post has quite a nice chilled après feel too.
Cardrona and Remarkables may be better piste destinations.
Some of the things I love about winter in NZ are the laid back, friendly atmosphere and the roaring log fires with a great glass of red wine.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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nozawaonsen, Methven was hard work! I couldn't believe how insular the people were - it was all I could do to get them to acknowledge me whilst buying beer off them. I was definitely Johnny Foreigner. Wanaka was a lovely town but again, all the conversations I had there were with Aussies, Yanks and other Brits. Wish I'd had the time to go to Queenstown which I understand is much more cosmopolitan.
I'd go back if I had the time and money but I'd make sure I'd done the end of the season in Europe so I had my ski legs/fitness and I'd take my own fat skis. Didn't get to Cardrona or The Remarkables; did Treble Cone, Mt Hutt, Craigieburn Valley and the heliskiing.
Can't help thinking piste skiing in NZ is missing the point.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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simplyme, The advice from nozawaonsen, sounds pretty good to me and mid July to August will give you as guaranteed snow as you are likely to get. Remember that although the resorts are small the whole area is avalanche controlled and you can ski everywhere you like and a lot of the in bounds "off piste" becomes ski packed and hence de-facto piste.
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I did 6 weeks in 1996 on the south island.I was pretty inexperienced skier with no real off piste. best week I had was at the craigeburn club field, no choice but to try some off piste, though was more like mogul fields at the time. would be rude not to try a club field,. hope to go back to nz one day to try out the heli and touring.
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I have lived in Christchurch NZ for the last 4 winters and done plenty of great skiing. skiing in NZ very different to Uk as said above, all the resorts are very small with only a few lifts but quite a large terrain to ski. club fields with rope tows are great fun but with very little actual piste. I would advise a road trip being quite flexible due to weather and snow conditions. Starting in queenstown with coronet and remarkables and some night life. Then off to wanaka bait more chilled and ski cardona and treble cone. You can then head north and stop at Ohau, lodge by a stunning lake and tekapo with roundhill or Mt Dobson ski ares nearby. Next methven for MT Hutt and and the Canterbury club fields and maybe stay up on the hill at broken river or craigieburn or for more of an adventure temple basin. Snow.co.nz and chill out.co.nz are both good sources of info. If you have the cash a heli trip is also amazing. Late July, August, sept best months to go.
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