 Poster: A snowHead
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Any info on any resorts appreciated!
Cheers
Steve
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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http://snow.co.nz/map/
http://chillout.co.nz/chill_mountains.php
South Island is probably the best area to focus on. Apart from Queenstown and Wanaka, there aren't really resorts. There's ski fields up mountains, and small towns nearby, but usually rural service centres with a couple of shops, a pub, and a few churches. Queenstown and Wanaka are the main "ski" towns on the South Island. The smaller club fields have basic on snow accommodation, and Cardrona has some tourist flats. But really you're looking at a drive up the mountain every day.
The club fields on the chillout site rock if the snow is good, but the lifts are nasty and some of the access roads are a *bit* scarey. But IMO they're the special part of winter in NZ, but not everyone's scene.
Probably worth having a car, preferably 4wd, if you're looking at anywhere outside of Queenstown.
Personal recommendations for places to head to:
If the snow is good, any of the Craigieburn fields, especially Porters, Broken River and Craigieburn. Never been to Temple Basin or Olympus but both are supposed to be epic.
Further South, Ohau on a good day is great. If you can deal with a 1.4km rope tow, Roundhill has got some nice terrain on a good day.
Queenstown - Coronet is fun but gets busy, Remarkables for some of the lines that can be hiked, Cardrona is flat, short runs, good park, and Treble Cone on a pow day is great.
HTH
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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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I have been going the last 3 years and it is amazing over there! are you staying in wanaka? I love skiing at treble cone, some fun off piste when it snows and a lot of skiing for just 2 chair lifts + the views are incredible. Cadrona as said above is a little flat but good if your into your jumping and snowpark is only just around the corner. If your in queenstown you will have a blast its a really cool town with the best burger restraunt in the world called fergburger, definately worth a visit! on the skiing side cornet peak is pretty good and has some good terrain.
on the whole if your in NZ you will have a great time.
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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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| hang11 wrote: |
The club fields on the chillout site rock if the snow is good, but the lifts are nasty and some of the access roads are a *bit* scarey. But IMO they're the special part of winter in NZ, but not everyone's scene.
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Have heard stories about the club fields; tales of empty mountains, b**ls deep powder, and home built railways... Certainally features on my To-Do list.
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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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I am working at Coronet peak and its a fun mountain. The hills are small in comparison to the French Alps but they are fun and you can ski all over!! There are snow cannons covering all the pistes therefore it is snow sure! I'm having a great season!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
Have heard stories about the club fields; tales of empty mountains, b**ls deep powder, and home built railways... Certainally features on my To-Do list. |
It's worth trying to visit them. I don't think there's many places in the world where health and safety laws would still allow that kind of setup  The lack of people and ungroomed terrain is great - total contrast to somewhere like coronet peak, which is my local hill at the moment. There's no snow making though, so mother nature needs to deliver, and I think at the moment, a lot of them have quite sketchy cover.
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All the above posters speak with straight tongue when referring to the small "private" Canterbury ski fields
Check out this blog and pics to get an idea of some of the hills around Craigieburn, Porters Pass, Olympus etc
http://thecouloircollection.blogspot.com/
also
http://www.softrock.co.nz/mg/index.php
It's been a long while since my road trips through the South Island ski areas but my mates still getting out in the Kiwi hills tell me it hasn't changed much. They are NZ's best kept ski secret and Kiwis prefer it that way as most visitors head for Queenstown, Wanaka, Mount Hutt or - perish the thought - the North Island!
To tour the Canterbury fields (allow three weeks to give them all a good thrashing), you'll need a robust car (preferably a 4WD although you can do wonders with chains) to access each area and a robust attitude to the rope tows ( I'm told some of the fields still have them). Just roll up, pay your very cheap lift fee and off you go. Alternatively, you could do some serious touring from ski field to ski field but you'd need to check out local knowledge and right up to date info on that one.
While there are healthier attitudes towards avalanche control nowadays than there were 30 years ago, these are still relatively elfandsafety free zones. You're expected to posess the basics of common mountain sense and not be a complete pull-through when it comes to personal safety. A bit like some of the smaller Canadian ski areas.
I hear talk of a bar at one of the Craigieburn huts - luxury indeed! I'll bet one thing hasn't changed - there'll be hardly anyone around on the slopes* (unless its a school holiday weekend).
*To call them pistes is a bit flattering.
Go for it
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Brilliant, thanks for all the info people! 
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