 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello everyone - just looking for a bit of advice on skiing New Zealand.
Basically, myself and my GF are currently travelling and will be getting to NZ for early June. We have decided that we are going to hang around for the season and ski a couple of months. Due to costs we will need to purchase a season pass (and quickly to get the discounts) but we're not sure where!
The two options are the Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt pass which costs $1199 NZ dollars and the Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa, Turoa and Cardrona pass for $755 NZ dollars.
So has anyone been and can compare them for me? Or has anyone done a ski season in NZ? Ideally I would like to find a pass that covers the whole both islands but that doesn't seem to exist!
Thanks for any advice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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NomadicBoo, welcome to snowheads. A pass covering both islands is a big ask - after all, there are no passes that cover, say, all of France - but someone like kiwi1 may be able to advise you. Good luck with your trip.
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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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Thanks. I agree it's a big ask but if not hopefully someone can at least compare them for me. It would be a shame to spend so much on a season pass and find out there's not enough there to keep us entertained for two months!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As a Queenstown resident and having now had 12 seasons here and having visited almost all the ski areas in New Zealand I will give you my two cents worth. All NZ ski areas are very small compared to what you find in Europe and North America and there are no on mountain resorts with the ski in ski out accommodation. So you have to live in the town in the valley and travel up the hill every day and the quality of the roads varies considerably.
The South Island areas (Coronet Peak, Remarkables, Cardrona etc) usually have better snow earlier in the season compared to The North Island (Whakapapa & Turoa) but the North Island tends to keep it's snow longer into spring.
If you come south and go for the Coronet, Remarkables, Mt Hutt pass you are also entitled to these discounts. From their website.
(In addition holders receive a $20 adult/$15 student/$10 child/senior discount off the cost of a day pass at Whakapapa, Turoa, Mt Dobson, Mt Lyford, Mt Olympus, Porters, Temple Basin, Mt Cheeseman, Ohau and Rainbow. A 20% discount off day lift tickets is available at Snow Park NZ.)
If you base yourself in Queenstown you have Coronet Peak & The Remarkables nice & close on the one pass and also Cardrona, Treble Cone and Snow Park (if you are into the park thing) reasonably close. Lots of bus services to all of these areas each day from town. If you are into the night life Queenstown is the best choice but it is still a small town on the international scale with about 15,000 population in the valley and maybe as many again visitors.
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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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Hi Sarge, thanks for the info - very helpful. 
I will be hiring a campervan for the two months so location will be flexible. I'm thinking the South Island pass will be the best deal as I'm flying in to Christchurch end of June. Then I can ski Coronet, Remarkables and Mt Hutt for a couple of months and then head over to the North Island for September to do a couple of weeks, maybe a month on Whakapapa & Turoa.
Does that make sense? Hopefully that will give me the best snow all over? Also, would you say that Coronet, Remarkables, Mt Hutt are large enough to keep us entertained for 2 months?
Cheers
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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NomadicBoo if you want to ski a different run each day you are coming to the wrong place but there is a a lot of variety to be had. NZ ski areas are a lot different than Europe in that there are pretty much no trees and so instead of defined pistes there is just an open mountain and you can take any line that you fancy. Coronet Peak, Cardrona, Treble Cone & Mt Hutt have very little in the way of rock bands or anything else to force you to take a particular line so it is totally up to you to go where the snow looks good. Obviously a lot of people stay on the areas that have been groomed as that is where they are comfortable but the differentiation between piste and off piste is not well defined as is not an issue in terms of avalanche safety as everything inside the area boundary is controlled by the ski patrol. It sounds like you will be in the right part of the country at the right times.
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My impressions from our season in NZ ('01):
Coronet Peak - Low altitude but lots of snowmaking. Decent piste area, not much off-piste
Remarkables - Pretty much the opposite of the above! High altitude, good snow, pistes pretty flat (good park though) but great off-piste if you're prepared to hike
Cardrona - Wasn't a big fan. Pretty flat overall, but I'm told there's great backcountry riding available.
Treble Cone - Best freeriding around
Mt Hutt - Big area, good on-piste, didn't have time to check out the off-piste
Mt Olympus - Our only club field experience. If you don't hit up at least one clubfield, you haven't done a NZ season...
Mt Potts - Back when we went, they offered very cheap cat-boarding packages and have some of the best terrain and snow conditions in NZ. Seems to have gone a bit posh (i.e. expensive!) since then though.
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Treble Cone is bar far the best commercial (ie non-club) South Island ski hill for variety of terrain, size and challenge. And Wanaka is a really nice town. Hutt is fun to if snow is decent. I've also had top days at Ohau, Dobson and Broken River.
Enjoy the access roads.
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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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stevomcd, A good summary. A couple of change since 01.
Coronet Peak, massive increase in snow making.
Remarkables, new far larger park.
Treble Cone, new lift on upper mountain giving better access to upper slopes and better snow.
Remarkables, Treble Cone and some of the others have great access to high quality backcountry/off piste terrain. But you have to be prepared to hike.
Most NZ ski areas have rather basic facilities and some have pretty average grooming programmes but that does not mean you don't enjoy it. Sun, snow, mountains, whats not to enjoy.
Also great beer, wine and food.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Wed 25-03-09 3:36; edited 1 time in total
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| Sarge McSarge wrote: |
Alos great beer, wine and food. |
ooo - now you're talking. Wine in Otago is rather fine, food wonderful everywhere, and some fine, fine brews to be had. Worth going just for the indulgence 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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NomadicBoo,
I am sure Sarge McSarge, will confirm this or not but you probably had better not assume you can alway drive up to the ski stations in your campervan. The access roads are pretty well the equivalent of the 21 bends up to Alpe d'Huez without surfacing and without barriers. When I drove up, in a Subaru 4WD, it was late season and no snow on the roads but I would say a 2WD campervan might struggle, especially in full winter conditions. This applies to Cardrona and Mt. Hutt because they were they only 2 stations I visited on South Island, Whakapapa and Turoa on the North Island have surfaced roads pretty well right to the car parks though, as I remember. Despite the difference in scale from the big european resorts New Zealand is a great place to ski and we found the atmosphere and friendliness of all the people we met made for a great time whatever you were doing. (Even when I messed up the, very well managed, queuing system that some of the stations have to make sure every, and I mean every, chair is full. I was used to the french rugby scrum method which is not how the organized kiwis do it.) Also as I understand, some of the resorts, after record snow last season have made big investments in new piste machines etc.
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Guys - thank you for all the responses they are very helpful! Thankfully not to conflicting so I think my mind is set!
It looks like I will buy the pass for Remarkables, Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt for the South and The Mt Ruapehu pass for the north (thanks Kiwi 1!). Then I will supplement that by visiting Treble Cone and a couple of club fields for a few days here and there. I think this way I get the most value for money with unlimited skiing on 5 sites for about 600 pound which is a very good deal in my opinion!
Also, elaborating on Skitow's point - I was rather hoping the camper would take us to every field - hopefully this will be ok (we'll give it a try anyway  ) but if not I understand daily shuttles operate too? Are they expensive?
Cheers
NB
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You know it makes sense.
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NomadicBoo, Driving your campervan up the mountain is usually ok. Having said that you will need chains and the ability to put them on. If there is fresh snow on the roads or it is likely to snow during the day you may have to produce your chains before you are allowed up the road. Some times when road conditions are bad large campervans with duel rear wheels (i.e. two per side) are prohibited, but this is usually just for one day at a time. If you have to take the shuttle or miss the odd day you will still have a good season. Bad roads does mean good snow. A large number on New Zealand skiers us 2WD vehicles with chains as required and they manage to get up there and have a great time.
Have just checked on the cost of shuttle bus from Queenstown to Coronet Peak and Remarkables and it is a grand total of NZ$ 10.00 per day and there is an add on to the season pass that give you free shuttles but if you have the camper it is probably not for you.
Road info for you.
Coronet Peak, easy paved road to car park
Remarkables, 13 km unpaved with some impressive exposure in some places. A few km of new guard rails for this season.
Cardrona, unpaved not as exposed as Remarkables.
Treble Cone, unpaved, see Remakables but no guard rails and more exposure.
Mt Hutt similar to Remakables.
Club areas, have a guess 
Cheers
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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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Sarge McSarge,
Is the access road to Remarkables the one you can see from Queenstown sort of contouring round the mountain ? I wanted to visit there but we ran out of time. It really did look like an impressivre drive, maybe next time. I do rather envy you being a resident of Queenstown. I take it that it is probably as busy, or more so ? in the Summer than winter.
I was trying to resist it but I can feel the need for another NZ trip. I can probably justify it purely on the fact that the NZ$ is one of only about 3 currencies worldwide that the pound has'nt crashed against.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just purchased my season pass now for Remarkables, Coronet and Mt Hutt - exchange rate dipped slightly - cost me 475 GBP. Snow chains ordered and very excited! Can I fast forward 3 months please?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skitow, That is the road. That stretch that you can see from the valley is the bit that has the new guard rails. Great views up there at any time of the year and some nice hikes in summer. Queenstown is very busy in the summer peak which is Christmas through to mid January, with way more visitors than residents. The whole district has a population of just over 20,000 but averages over 37,000 people per night and as we have quieter autumn and spring seasons there are lots of people here in the busy times.
NomadicBoo, Good for you. Me to on the fast forward although the trees are just starting to change colour and we usually have great autumn weather with calm sunny days and cool nights. Saying that it is grey and raining right now.
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