 Poster: A snowHead
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Basically me and a group of friends are planning to do a ski season before university and I was looking at New Zealand. So far about all I can find is that the season is obviously during UK SUMMER. I think MT reperau (almost definately spelt wrong) is the biggest resort. o , and a working holiday visa (12 months) is £110. so...
Has anyone been?
Does anyone know about Prices of accomodation, lift passes etc?
Does anyone know of a resort which isnt too isolated, and has a good night life?
And is it feasible to spend a while season there or are the resorts just too small? - keeping in mind we won have a car.
Thanks alot for any help!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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The only thing i know is they aren't as good as rugby as they would have us all believe 
Seriouslly its about 5 years since i was there and i think you can't go wrong basing yourself in Queenstown or at lake Wanaka.I don't remember there being any accomodation on the slopes and would highly recommend you look into transport before deciding where to stay.Had a fantastic time particularly at lake wanaka.We had a car as we were there and it made things so much easier if any one is old enough i would strongly recomend hiring one.
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hey there, welcome to snowheads.
Right, New Zealand... firstly... is the most fantastic country on the planet. Period. Snowsports...
Mount Ruapehu is far and away the biggest skiable area in NZ... two reasonably large resorts (Whakapapa and Turoa) on the side of an active volcano (you can hike from the top chairlifts to the steaming crater lake and ski down). However, there is no accomodation at the foot of the slopes, just some on-slope lodges. There is a small village called whakapapa with a big posh hotel, a slightly less posh hotel and a single pub. Other than that most people stay in some fairly charmless villages dotted around the tongariro national park... namely National Park (the village) and
On the south island there are a couple of resorts in Marlborough (the NE) but these will be more quiet and probably not what you would want.
Then there are the "season resorts." Most people looking for seasonal work end up in Queenstown. Its on a big lake, surrounded by mountains, near to a couple of resorts and would have all the nightlife you would need. It has however lost its soul to the gods of commercial tourism.
I personally prefer Wanaka... still clinging to some of its soul!! Its much smaller than queenstown but still had nightlife... on an even nicer lake overlooking mount aspiring and near to a couple of resorts.
Thats as best as I can give you. I only ever skied N. Island.... and visited the other places in summer... so perhaps someone else will be of more help
PEte
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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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my sister has done two seasons in Treblecone (TC). you have to drive up to the slopes like in many other NZ resorts she did the 'Rookie Academy' stage one instructor course and then trained last season for her stage 2. this means getting up driving up and skiing a full day. she says that the snow is not as good as it is in the PDS where we ski but still not bad and TC has some huge steep off-piste faces. she has never complained about a lack of skiing they have a snow park and good on and off piste as well as a rut line (pro moguls). im goning with her this season and from what i gather the skiing is very good.
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Thanks alot for all the information. unfortunately for me and my ambituos plans it turns out that a few people in the group cant go at that time of tthe year so we'll be off to Europe.
However, (and i know this isnt strictly snow related) i would still really like to go and was considerin doing some work there between September and christmas. Im guessin the Snow season ends in august/september so do you reckon theyll be any fruit picking jobs (the main source for people like me) around Wanaka or Queenstown.
Im hopping that as it'll be Spring in New Zealand Ill be able to get in on an influx of seasonal workers.
I actually heard that some Visa's had to be extended because there was a serious lack of fruit picking seasonal workers!
cheers
jac
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Queenstown is a touristic DUMP .
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What area would you suggest? Queenstown certainly seems very franchised, but the Skiing is meant to be really good there - as in a nice balance of slopes and location etc.
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IMO
South Island - Mount Hutt , Treble Cone & Craigieburn which is a small Club Area but the skiing is advanced.
However, I preferred the North Island.
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Hit Treble Cone - by far the best major 'resort' in NZ. And Wanaka is a really nice place to stay ...
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