Snow Guide '08

This winter we thought it would be a great idea to head down to New Zealand’s adventure playground and check out the snow on offer. Queenstown is a stunning location with a vibrant atmosphere, great for young or old.
Apart from the great location, Queenstown also features amazing dining and of course great skiing and snowboarding. Our personal favourite spot to eat and drink in Queenstown has got to be Winnie’s. A great pizza restaurant and bar that even has a roof that opens! It’s not uncommon to dance the night away while snow drifts through the roof onto the dance floor.
Of course the main reason we were there was to hit the slopes in order to let you know a little bit about each hill and what makes it the right slope for you, so here we have a run-down on the main slopes in the Queenstown/Wanaka area.

Coronet Peak

Base Elevation: 1220m
Highest Lifted Point: 1640m
Terrain: 691 acres
Day pass price: $93 (as at September 2008)
Coronet Peak is located only 20mins from Queenstown and is the closest slope to the town; as a result it is the most visited resort in the South Island. Coronet Peak sports a very cosmopolitan feel and has brand new 30million dollar facilities and New Zealand’s largest fleet of snowmakers. The distribution of slopes is 25% beginner, 45% intermediate and 30% advanced. As a result this slope is better suited to beginner and intermediate skiers and boarders, advanced levels will likely get bored by the lack of technical terrain.
Probably the best feature of Coronet Peak is its night skiing on Friday and Saturday nights during peak season, this is certainly a novelty and something that you should give a try if you can.
The large snowmaking capacity of the mountain means it is able to support a relatively long season and is known to have a very consistent snow cover.
Overall a very good slope but may lack excitement for more advanced level skiers and boarders. Locals say that Coronet can be quick to ice up in spring conditions but on groomed slopes this doesn’t present too much of a problem.

Treblecone

Base Elevation: 1250m
Highest Lifted Point: 1960m
Terrain: 1,359 acres
Day pass price: $99 (as at September 2008)
Our overall winner for best slope in the Queenstown/Wanaka area. Treblecone is the biggest and steepest field in the South Island and caters for intermediate to advanced level skiers and boarders. Situated 20mins from Wanaka makes it a decent drive from Queenstown (approx 1hr) but it’s well worth the trip. The main feature of Treblecone is its exceptional off-piste terrain, which makes it more suitable for intermediate to advanced level skiers and boarders. The distribution of slopes is 10% beginner, 45% intermediate and 45% advanced. The off-piste terrain makes this field gold for advanced boarders and skiers as it provides ample rock drop, chute and powder opportunities in its famed Saddle Basin.
Treblecone comes up trumps not only in its top quality terrain but also with its quality mountain café. Well presented with plenty of indoor and outdoor space available, it’s a great spot to take a break for lunch and laugh at someone as the Keas make off with their backpack.
The only negatives about Treblecone are the high lift prices ($99 peak day this season). Certainly expensive compared to other slopes but we think it’s worth an extra $20 for the added value. The other factor is the access road and parking available, on a busy day cars are parked well down the access road, and the road itself is tight and a bit rough. Not a major though as your going there to snowboard and ski, not park cars. There have been rumours that a Gondola may be on the way in the near future, allowing easy access from the bottom of the mountain.

The Remarkables

Base Elevation: 1586m
Highest Lifted Point: 1943m
Terrain: 544 acres
Day pass price: $87 (as at September 2008)
If you’re looking for a real alpine experience in Queenstown then the Remarkables is where you should be heading. Situated high in the Remarkables mountain range and surrounded by craggy peaks, they provide a truly alpine environment.
The great thing about the Remarkables is the fact that they truly cater to everyone, with a slope distribution of 30% Beginners, 40% Intermediate and 30% advanced there’s a lot going on to keep the whole family happy.
The features of skiing and snowboarding the Remarkables are its wide-open bowls, like the famed ‘Sugar Bowl’, and its renowned terrain park. New in 2008, ‘The Stash’ project is a Burton signature terrain park, the first in the Southern Hemisphere. This new park has added a kilometre long feature packed “back-country park experience”. This compliments the existing 150m FIS specification Parklife Superpipe, Fruju Beginner Park and UP & GO Terrain Park.
Overall the Remarkables provide an awesome experience and is our pick for the most family friendly slope as it’ll keep everyone happy.

Cardrona

Base Elevation: 1670m
Highest Lifted Point: 1894m
Terrain: 790 acres
Day pass price: $81 (as at September 2008)
Cardrona is located about 30mins from Wanaka and features good all-round facilities for all levels. It’s not the biggest slope but does have nice wide runs and a good range of terrain. Snowboarding is well catered for and Cardrona features half pipes and a nice terrain park with jumps and plenty of rail options. The wide smooth runs provide great high-speed carving for advanced skiers and boarders. If you’re looking for ‘big-mountain’ terrain, you probably won’t find what you’re after here.
The distribution of slopes is 25% beginner, 55% intermediate and 20% advanced. There are two detachable quad chairlifts (fast) and one fixed grip (slow) chairlift, three “magic carpet” lifts for learners and one platter for beginners. Cardrona provides a good all-round experience, a good choice for those looking to take the whole family and keep everyone happy.
On the down side, there is a bit of a lack of run options and by the end of the day you’ll probably feel like you’ve been doing the same run all day.
If you’re driving from Queenstown it’ll take you about an hour, but you’ll have the bonus of stopping for a beer at the famous Cardrona Pub, which is well worth the drive on its own.