 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My daughter was in Queenstown for two weeks right at the start of July, skiing mainly at Coronet. Hadn't snowed much by then (conditions were better in Oz) but it had been cold for a while, so good cover with the artificial snowmakers working much of the previous month. Bit of a pain taking the bus to the resort every day (no in-resort accommodation) but she thought Queenstown was fantastic, so much to do, from bungee jumping to parachuting, to jet boating on the river. The domains proper are pretty small as I understand it... sorry, don't know how much beginner terrain there is at Coronet.
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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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moosepig, from Christchurch, Mount Hutt (via the town of Methven) is quite local and not to be missed - if nothing else for its extraordinary access road that traverses ancient volcanoes for miles and miles.
It has a tendency to suffer stormy weather - hence its nickname Mount Shutt - but would certainly be worth a visit.
Sadly I got there a few weeks after the ski season closed, but my cousin kindly drove me up that phenomenal road (which had a fair few rocks and small boulders strewn across it, and a near-absence of barriers on the edge).
Here's Mount Hutt's website.
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Would second the suggestion of Queenstown. It's a great place for all extreme sports.
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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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moosepig, DG is right. Mr Manda learnt to ski at Mount Shutt (hence his excessive desire to ski everthing in sight "in case the weather closes in"). It's the closest ski field to Christchurch (1.5hrs away?). I learned while dodging eruptions on Ruapehu.
There's other good stuff too. Waddaya wanna know?
Would be helpful if you told me a bit more about what you're after and how you expect your non-skiing plans to fit in.
How good a skier are you?
What kind of skiing do you like?
Where in Europe have you skiied?
How much do you know about NZ's skiing?
What are your dates, where will you be, and how flexi are you re: travel?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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S'all right. My reply is even more longwinded.
You'll probably enjoy most of NZ's slopes, although they're unlikely to give you that extensive crusing experience you might be used to. Powder skiing and especially heli-skiing is NZ's forte. On piste tends to be a bit icer/shorter/bumpier than what you might be used to, however I shouldn't think you will have too many problems on any of NZ's prepared slopes.
Haven't skiied "the South" (I am/was? a North Island girl) but have had my ear chewed enough about it to offer the following:
You'll be ok on Mt Hutt, but Mrs Moose won't - it's not learner friendly as it lacks easy runs and the changable weather makes learning unpleasant for novices (see if you can leave Mrs Moose wandering around the art stalls in Cathedral Square and then sprint up for a halfday's skiing?)
The rest of the South Island's ski fields cluster around Queenstown. About half a dozen down there, including Coronet as mentioned above. They're all good for both learners and intermediates. I'll post up a list with details shortly.
The drive from Christchurch would bite into most of your day, so better to accomodate yourselves in Queenstown and and go from there to whatever ski field you want.
You can fly Christchurch to Queenstown (or to any other main city/town), although www.airnz.co.nz has a state-funded monopoly so airfares tend to cost more than they should. But it may not bother you if you're travelling on the pound.
In which case, get yourself up to Ruapehu! Fly to Wellington and drive 4hrs to the mountain - it's worth the skite factor to say you've skied a volcano. Whakapapa (yes, it's pronounced faka papa, but only tourists giggle) on the western side of Ruapehu is better for your learner wife. Turoa on its south eastern side is better for you. If you're lucky the ski field operator has gotten around to a shared lift pass, even if the fields aren't yet linked. I'm biased, but I love the wide open moonscape feel of Ruapehu. And, because the pistes are lying over old lava beds, the undulating flow is a nice change from yer standard mountain.
PG's comment re: lack of slopeside accomodation. It's normal in NZ. Accomodation is always (barring Ruapehu) in a town well below the snowline, and you drive yourself (which is where the 4WD will become indespensible) for 30-40 minutes up the mountain road every morning to the "ski field". If the sun shone it was my favourite time of day - listening to music as you sleepily round the last bend, exit the treeline, & eye the mountain..... v. scenic & awesome. Trip home makes for interesting driving skills as you "carve" your car down the mountain road.....
If you're alert, you'll have realised why NZers call it a "ski field" rather than a resort. There's no "resort" as such in NZ. What you'll see when you get up to the snow is a ticket office, a ski hire shop (if you're lucky, as these are usually down in the town), a whopping big car park, a mountain cafe or two, a lift system, a series of prepared pistes, and a hell of a lot of offpiste (which may or may not be patrolled on the day - always check this at the ticket office in advance)
Speaking of tickets, Kiwis tend to nab a quick day/weekend on the slopes whenever they can during the season, much like the alpine French do, so the idea of a standard leisurely weeklong ski holiday doesn't exist. And neither do ski resorts (am I repeating myself yet?). But it does mean greater flexibility in terms of skihire and ticket prices.
Goes with out saying that there's not much in the way of food available on the mountain so BYO just in case. Most Kiwis do, and you'll see alot of piste-side picnics.
BTW, in bad weather or if the road's icey, that long queue of cars going up the mountain in the morning is because about halfway up the road you'll be stoped and if you're not got 4WD or your own chains you'll be turned back. Alternatively you pay $50 to have big burly chaps fit a set of chains to your car, which they will whip off upon your return at the end of the day. It can take litterally hours to get to the head of the chain-fitting queue, so 4WD is best as you can tootle on past (much to the agony of those queuing).
This (and the weather) also explains why many Kiwis insist on getting up in the morning & out onto the mountain road at what seems like excessively early hours to visitors.
From memory pistes are denoted in the European fashion (never took much notice, really - if it was lucky enough to be open it got skied) - Feel free to correct me, but I think blue is blue, red is red, and black is more than likely a hike for 2 hours past the last lift to the top of the mountain through powder.
Lift systems may also appear a bit antiquated compared to European standards - predominantly drags/pommas/t-bars and open chairs. A (very) few of the bigger resorts in the South Island are better equiped with a bigger ratio of chairs and gondolas, but not enough to excite a lift connoiseur.
There. Far too much info - will post a much smaller one lshortly with useful info like ticket prices/travel distances/accomodations.
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Wow Manda, that's comprehensive.
| PG wrote: |
| so much to do, from bungee jumping to parachuting |
I don't think Moosepig will be doing any bungee jumping somehow. He just sticks to getting those who have jumped extremely pissed.
First time I've ever heard his wife called Mrs Moose 
The rest of us in Southampton are just jealous. We're having to stay behind to run his beer festival.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I ain't even started yet.... (but I'm shutting up for now). I'm starting to get jealous too....despite having left NZ on purpose!
When's the beer fest?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Manda wrote: |
| I ain't even started yet.... (but I'm shutting up for now). I'm starting to get jealous too....despite having left NZ on purpose! |
Why did you leave? It seems to me to be the country that has everything, but that may just be the tourist's view.
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| When's the beer fest? |
June 16-18th, Southampton Guildhall. It was a suggested venue for the south coast snowHeads meet last year
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Oh yeah. T Bar, reminded me. When driving, there's a quirk with the left hand turning rule. Tourists getting it wrong tend to cause accidents.
If you're turning left at an intersection, and the oncoming car is turning to their right (i.e. you're both turning into the same road), YOU give way to the car turning across you. Idea being that the car coming toward you has further to go and is more likely to create a hazard by idling in the middle of the road than you would be by being crouched up against the curb.
It's a thing. I routinely fail to remember to switch it for here, with not unsurpising consequences....
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You know it makes sense.
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Why did you leave? It seems to me to be the country that has everything, but that may just be the tourist's view.
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Without being rude..... tourists tend not to notice that there reaaaaally ain't a lot going on in NZ outside the tourist resorts. Watching grass grow is a valid hobby and/or paid job down there.
Having said that, it's still the best place in world to raise kids &/or retire.
UK's better for income. Better for access to rest of world too. 'Specially snow. And most importantly when it comes to skifields in NZ (as T Bar eloquently put it)
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All the areas are small compared with most European areas
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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"wh" is really an "f".)
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Yes. But some native tribes pronounce "wh" as a "wah". In a conversation, Whakapapa can end up being prounced variously as "fakapapa" and/or "wakapapa". Even by the same person.
Cute, no?
Bored? Have a go at pronouncing Whakaraewaraewa. Bonus points for style, and for knowing a) where it is and b) why you'd visit.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The living Maori thermal village! It even has its own website here
Of course, I can't say the word for toffee.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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moosepig, you're as sad as me! Points awarded for speed of response.
Although it's not exactly a "living" Maori village any more than Arundel Castle is a "living" castle. 
Say - Faka (you knew that bit already) ray-wah-ray-wah.
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FAQ
Planning to be on the South island, I'll get in about 4 days' skiing I reckon. Will be based initally in Christchurch but am happy to rent a 4x4 and travel about, or even fly about if it means more skiing 
) We fly back to Sydney from Christchurch on July 13th; I've reserved the last 5 days or so for getting onto the snow - more because it's there than anything else. 
from Wannaka
