 Poster: A snowHead
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So we've just moved from Arabia to Australia (praise Allah !) so no more Zermatt awesomeness, St Anton coolness or Grindelwald meh-iocrity. Now in need of some serious cold white powder fun and gluhvein by the fire before the Aussie summer breaks out.
Where do you recommend ? Queenstown looks nice for a first foray.....but snow reports are bad. How about Wanaka ? looking at 2nd week in Sept...
Advice urgent sought 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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Check out ski.com.au for a bit more local info, but I think this year has been one of the best in Australia for quite a while. Dunno where you're based but if in Sydney or Melbourne it's a relatively easy drive (3-6hrs) to the local resorts. Early september probably much better than late.
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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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Queenstown/Wanaka isnt looking at all flash at the moment, and getting to the time of year where it will warm up and probably not improve.
Your best bet is near Christchurch. Mt Hutt and Mt Dobson are both very good at the moment, and enough base where they should hang in there nicely until early October. Porters, cheeseman and all the little club fields are sitting on good bases as well.
So the simplest thing to do is to get a flight to Christchurch, rent a car, preferably a 4wd, and take it from there. Mt Hutt is an hour and a half away from the airport, lots of accommodation in Methven, Dobson is another hour and a half south from there - staying in Tekapo would be good, just because it's a stunning spot. From Tekapo, Roundhill Ohau and Dobson are all easy day trips. Roundhill is quite low, so may not be that good as spring comes along, but if it's got some snow its a nice spot. Ohau is awesome on the right day, and stunning views from the ski area as well.
I'm not sure about Oz, but I'm pretty sure a lot more ozzies travel to NZ to ski than kiwis travel to Oz to ski, which probably tells you something.
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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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This year has been pretty good. At my local hill, Falls Creek, there is around 170cm.
September can be very hit or miss... a bit like late March in Europe.
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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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All of the Australia resorts are looking great at the moment, Thredbo and Perisher have both had over 90cm in the past two weeks and are looking the goods.
As for NZ compared to Oz, In NZ there is primitative infrastructure, little to no on snow accom on snow and roads up to the mountains are frankly dangerous. It always amuses me when people try to convince me that skiing in NZ is so much better than Australia when my own experience of skiing in both says stay in Australia.
While a lot of Ozzies do go to NZ to ski, more stay home and more go to Japan. Not many Kiwis go to Oz because it is expensive for them due to exchange rates.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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One other reason to avoid NZ is that you will spend a lot of time listening to ozzie tourists moaning about the roads, lifts, and lack of cafes 
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Having been to Queenstown I'd venture that describing the infrastructure as primative is huge exaggeration. I agree about the roads up to the lifts though.
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The roads are fine. It only becomes an issue if you don't stay on them. Most people manage to stay on them. Those that don't have a fair chance of a spectacular death, but it's only one or two people a year that do die, so statistically there is far more chance of dying on a state highway on the way to the access road, than on the road itself.
It's all part of the charm at the end of the day, a good crowd filter, and a good excuse to own a great big 4wd.
The lifts are great. Queenstown has chairlifts, but most other places don't.
The rope tows are a special invention in NZ, that proudly disregard health and safety laws for the pursuit of fun, and result in epic terrain being accessible only to those that don't mind the odd crushed finger/knee/hip and don't have long hair. There's nothing wrong with sharing a whole mountain with 60 other people, that are a bit tougher than the average tourist, with a guarantee of no smelly hippies.
Rope tows are also a great way of recycling tractor engines.
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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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Blewyn, At present the snow around Queenstown is ok (about what you find in Australia on an average year) but not special. If you go to Wanaka, Cardrona is well covered and Treble Cone is a bit thin right at the bottom but the upper slopes have great snow If you go a bit further north to Canterbury there is great coverage on all the mountains and if you go to Mt Hutt you do not have to fight the rope tow technology. This is the current situation and there is a possibility of more snow in the Queenstown area in the next few days. No problems with accommodation and no crowds on the mountains so come on over I am sure that you will have a great time. If you do come to Queenstown you have the choice to ski Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone. So there is plenty of variety. Travel time to the snow ranges fron 20 mins to about 1 1/2 hours.
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Or you can hold on to your money and head to Japan for the northern hemisphere winter.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Trouble is with Thredbo is that its stupidly expensive for what your getting. and when theres is a good snow fall, it dissapears very quickly. That was my experience when i was working there. didnt do any skiing in NZ  but everyone i talked to told me it is miles better there than at Thedbo/Perisher.....
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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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Didn't go in the end...just seemed like bad value. Is there a resort where you walk to the ski lift ?
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