 Poster: A snowHead
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The snowstorms which have swept Australasia in recent days have now kick-started the season for several minor New Zealand ski areas ... and massively boosted conditions on major mountains which have not enjoyed a great winter to date.
This chart on the Snow.co.nz site graphically illustrates the change in prospects.
The deepest snows continue to lie on the north island volcano of Mount Ruapehu and its two ski areas of Whakapapa and Turoa. Several ski areas on the south island, such as Mount Hutt, Treble Cone and The Remarkables, show a doubling of snow cover.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I suppose this is coming to the end of the season and the levels don't look great. As in those sort of levels would be considered a disaster in the alpes.
I have always fancied skiing in NZ but could never justify it...same with South America...
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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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If you apply a crude 6-month 'southern hemisphere/northern hemisphere' conversion, I guess mid-August converts to mid-February so it's not really that late in their season.
I don't know how the refreshed snow levels compare with an average NZ season in mid-August, but you're probably right that they're not outstanding. Must be a lot of fun this weekend, though! Here's the scene at Treble Cone today, reported by snow.co.nz again.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It looks appealing but still a long way to go..... I would have to stop off in Perth and then we are getting into 3 weeks away...!!
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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 was down there in August 1990. From my Experience of any Southern Hemisphere skiing is not to leave it any later than August . August can be wintry but it is generally more like our Spring skiing. Off course you can still ski September October but the later you leave, it is like Northern Hemisphere in April & May.
I skied Thredbo & Persisher Blue (OZ) in September 1999 and Thredbo was pretty much history on all of the lower slopes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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NZ traditionally has a later season than Australia, and August and September are prime months there. On the north island, there's regularly good sliding well in to November.
I left Treble Cone just before the dump last week, and the top 2/3rd of the hills was pretty darn good, especially in Saddle Basin. Many NZ ski fields have grassy slopes, and don't need much snow to be skiable.
It all looks rather excellent now.
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gortonator, welcome to snowheads.
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Yes, gortonator, interesting to have another rare poster from Oz. Do you rate Treble Cone as the best of the NZ ski areas? Which of the Australian mountains do you like best?
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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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gortonator, howzit goin. What brings you to a Northern Hemisphere website?
Hang on. [slaps JT around a bit] Good. Got that out of my system. Applogies, but I get very pi$$ed off by the it's-just-too-far and it's-too-costly crowds.
Firstly, if you can be arsed getting to Australia then you can bluddy well be arsed to go the extra 3hrs it takes to fly to NZ.
Yes it's a total travel time of circa 28hrs.
But guaranteed you've spent around about that kind of time travelling on trips closer to home. Anyone going from Heathrow to N America knows it'll take them the good part of a weekend before they get to their accomodation.
Secondly, there's no need to lengthen the travel time by stopping off in Australia - Cathay, Virgin, Air NZ, Air Malaysia, JAL, KL...... (ad nausem) all do one stop then bang into NZ.
Thirdly, airfares are rockbottom during NZ's ski season - £600 return economy. And a favourable exchange rate gives you around NZ$2-3 per £1, so you don't need to be wealthy once you get there.
So there. Stop whinging about it and just go, will ya?
Er hem.
Rant over.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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JT, No. it's not the "end of the season". It's about slap bang in the middle of it. In terms of snow June equates to December here, and July is equivalent to January here. So yes David Goldsmith, August is about February here.
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The deepest snows continue to lie on the north island volcano of Mount Ruapehu and its two ski areas of Whakapapa and Turoa. Several ski areas on the south island, such as Mount Hutt, Treble Cone and The Remarkables, show a doubling of snow cover.
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Yep, that's traditional. NZ resorts typically tend to get a slow windup of snow cover early on with big dumps later toward the end of September thru October. Most resorts call it a day by the beginning of November (more often because everyone's at the beach, rather than lack of snow), save for Ruapehu which traditionally is still open in the weeks before Xmas - one year it was open on Xmas day.
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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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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Yes, gortonator, interesting to have another rare poster from Oz. Do you rate Treble Cone as the best of the NZ ski areas? Which of the Australian mountains do you like best? |
Treble Cone (TC) is an excellent hill, decent vertical and some good steep chutes. Saddle Basin has some great natural half pipes that hold snow well and make for great high speed fun, even in the steeper ones.
The Queenstown hills are the ones that get the press, but TC has far better terrain and much better snow. Stay in Wanaka if you want the best skiing. The Ruapehu skiing is excellent too, but the weather can be wild. Both Turoa and Whakapapa have typical 'volcano' terrain, rolling, lava tubes, consistent fall line. Off there in 3 weeks for a long weekend.
The NZ club fields are well worth checking out too. We hit Broken River 2 weeks ago (just before the dump), and there was still some really nice terrain and reasonable cover. And 30 people on the hill. The 30 mins walk puts a lot of people off. And the nutcrackers. WIll be exploring more of those one day.
Locally, Thredbo is were i ski. There some nice fun runs there, especially in the trees. Fair bit of variety and better vertical than anywhere else in Australia. In fact, going there tomorrow for the weekend - 150cm base - not a bad year.
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Manda,
I couldn't go all that way and miss out Perth..and that would take about 3 weeks hol'.
What part of that didn't you understand..?
I am more likely to go to Aus only as I have family there.
In the foreseeable I am staying in the Alpes....I can go at a drop of the hut...almost.. and stand a good chance of getting good conditions.
It is better for me to do 4 days here, 5 days there..
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You know it makes sense.
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Manda's right - now would normally be early to mid season here in NZ and typically we do get the biggest dumps in September usually. That being said this is about the worst season I can ever remember here. Normally snow depths would be double what is on the chart above. The field I normally ski at has not really had any snow yet and will probably close for the season in the next week or two, as there's no bad waether on the horizon.
Normally I would say it's worth the trip over here if you're suffering withdrawal symptoms in the middle of your summer, but this year I'd say don't bother. We do have some spectacular skiing on and off-piste and the club fields are so uncrowded and cheap to ski at!
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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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| rossi60 wrote: |
| Manda's right! |
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Poster: A snowHead
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Referring to the heading of this thread, an avalanche warning has been issued for the "lower South Island back country" of New Zealand.
This report from Newstalk ZB.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry JT. Just get wound up sometimes. Out of interest, why Perth?
rossi60, I know! Am preaching the message up here [in 2000 I ran away from a student loan and settled in the UK], but the "it's too far/expensive" mentality persists....
Where's your normal skifield?
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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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Manda,
It's ok... I have a big brother and family in Perth. He is always banging on about me going over and I really should so I couldn't go to NZ without popping in. I have it in mind to do but they come over next year for the world cup so maybe the year after.
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