NZ trip in August
Hey guys.
I’m currently organising a ski trip in August for a bunch of friends (about 15 of us) and just needed some input.
I’ve got the flights and accomm sorted (staying in Queenstown itself) but just wanted some info on the snow.
We’ll be hiring cars instead of taking the shuttle due to the number of us, so I was wondering what the parking sitch is around the Queenstown area slopes. Is it expensive? Is it a pay per entry, or can you get a few days pass?
Also, we’ll be a mix of stone cold newbies and boarders with 15 plus years practice, so I was hoping for some input on the different slopes:
Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone
How are they for beginners?
How are they for advanced boarders?
Which has the best terrain parks?
any opinions on them in general?
I’ve looked through previous posts and loads of other blogs, but can’t really find anything direct.
any opinions would be appreciated, especially any details from people who’ve run a group holiday this big.
if you want terrain park riding, go to Snow park. Well worth the hour drive (same distance to cardrona, and its closer than treble cone).
Snow park has features for even beginner park riders to try.
Also, if you hadn’t already booked, I recommend Ace car rental company for the cheapest & best car hire.
plus the lift ticket is only 48 aussie a day, less for students. So worth it!
From my experience…
Cardrona is great for beginners. Also has a great terrain park.
Treble Cone is great for advanced riders. Terrain park is fairly non-existant.
Snow Park is the ultimate terrain park experience.
I haven’t been to Coronet Peak or The Remarkables.
I’ve been to Coronet Peak, Cardrona, and Remarkables. All of them have at least one decent beginner run, with none of them really standing out from one or the other in that respect. For intermediate riding I found Cardrona and Coronet Peak better with much more runs. Cardrona was about a 1.5h hour drive from Queenstown though vs Coronet peak 35min. It normally wouldn’t take so long to Cardrona though, but we had lots of snow and even boulders on the road on the way there.
When we were at Cardrona there were heaps of jumps (small and big) and two pipes set up (I can’t remember if there were rails too, but it was a powder day anyway). Not sure if the jumps are always there though, cause a few days later they had a comp, which Shaun White won apparently.
Hey mate,
There is no charge for parking on the mountains that I am aware of, probably just get there early rather than later to ensure a closer spot for parking. Some of them have shuttles going around to ferry people to a from the car park areas.
Best thing about remarkables is probably the amount of park and jib stuff they have. The terrain is not much good if it hasnt snowed for a while so its better when its fresh i’d say.
Coronet peak has no park i don’t think. It’s pretty fun for beginners though as the terrain is big rolling hills.
Cardrona also good for beginners and has a fair bit of park stuff, two half pipes and a border cross track!
Have not been to treble cone but have heard its better for more experienced riders.
Out of those i’d say I preferred Cardrona the most.
Check out Ohau if your driving from christchurch, its somewhere in between queenstown and christchurch, great little club field!
Hope that helps!
Remarks, coronet and cardrona all have free parking. When you buy your remarables ticket from the office in Qtown you get a free return shuttle bus ticket. When I went last year I was a beginer. Between coronet and the remarkables I would say go to the remarks. Its green runs are longer and much more enjoyable. There is a few park set ups including the Burton stash and a halfpipe I think? Coronet is still worth a try but after a good snow fall. By the time I hit up cardrona I could already board. They have a good beginers park set up there and some long green runs. I would say this would be a good resort to learn at but is a long drive especially if its foggy or icy. As for snow park, if you are with beginers its not worth it for them. There is not much for them to do there. Hope this helps
the parking is free at all resorts but as said above. The earlier you get there, the better/closer the park.
Remarks is prob my fav when its fresh. I went last august and we hiked to the top of the ranges surrounding the remarks and boarded down on untouched powder. Was some fo the best snow i have ever riden( only riden in nz and aust) but ther is no half pipe at the remarks. only coronet peak( or is it cadrona i keep getting tem mixed up) has a pipe.
It is hell fun over there and cheap(cost me the same for 2 weeks over there as it would prob cost me a week at perisher)
love nz…echo what everyone else is saying about cardrona…it is a lot of fun and there is plenty of stuff to do…treble cone a bit more challenging but a lot of fun…prefer these to coronet and remarks but am being way too picky at the moment!
have a blast and am jealous (will miss the sohe winter as will be working overseas for a few months then)...bummer…
the parking is free at all resorts but as said above. The earlier you get there, the better/closer the park.
Remarks is prob my fav when its fresh. I went last august and we hiked to the top of the ranges surrounding the remarks and boarded down on untouched powder. Was some fo the best snow i have ever riden( only riden in nz and aust) but ther is no half pipe at the remarks. only coronet peak( or is it cadrona i keep getting tem mixed up) has a pipe.
It is hell fun over there and cheap(cost me the same for 2 weeks over there as it would prob cost me a week at perisher)
Went at the end of July and pretty sure there was a halfpipe. . .
Check out Ohau if your driving from christchurch, its somewhere in between queenstown and christchurch, great little club field!
In a straight line, Ohau’s only about 100Km from Wanaka - but the drive is more like double that. The turnoff for Ohau is about 19Km after you hit Twizel (if you find yourself in Omarama you’ve gone too far), then another 20-30 minutes heading out towards Lake Ohau. Apologies for being pedantic, but Ohau’s a commercial field, not a club field. If you ever drive from Christchurch to Queenstown or Wanaka, a stay at Ohau should be on your MUST DO list - it’s got the best vibe of anywhere in NZ.
Hey Kozeyekan - my tip for your “mix of stone cold newbies and boarders with 15 plus years practice” would be to head out to Treble Cone first up.
Why? Because while your “boarders with 15 plus years practice” get their legs together on TC’s more challenging runs, your “stone cold newbies” can ride FOR FREE ALL DAY on the magic carpet beginners area! You can take turns teaching your mates while doing laps off the 6-seater, which loads directly above the beginners’ area.
The next day, head to the Remarks - where your “stone cold newbies” will enjoy the confidence boost of a wide open beginners’ only area serviced by a couple of magic carpets - and anytime throughout the day, they can progress onto the Alta Chair if they’re up for it. This gives your “boarders with 15 plus years practice” time to hit up The Stash and the other park features - as well as some nice freeriding if it’s snowed recently.
Day three should see you at Coronet Peak - your noobs will be stoked to lap the Meadows Chair all day, while the rest of you go exploring. Off the Coronet Express Chair, you can catch up with your nood mates for a few turns on the way back down to the chair loading area. As you’re staying in Q - if there’s a decent pow day, scoot up to CP really EARLY and buy a first tracks pass for a whole hour to track out the place before anybody else is allowed up - WELL worth it!
Cardies is the go for day four - at this stage there’ll be plenty there for the lot of you, whether it’s learning, cruising, park or freeriding. Cardies’ park is actually rated by many as better than Snow Park - but true parkrats among you will definitely want to hit up Snow Park at some stage. Noobs can still ride Cardies - and you can all meet up down below at the Cardrona Pub at day’s end.
Anywhere up to a few days after a really good pow day, make sure to visit Treble Cone and head straight out to the Hollywood Bowl and Motatapu Chutes (riders’ right of Saddle Basin) - it’s well worth the hike back out. If you happen to be at TC on a pow day, scoot out to Saddle Basin ASAP!
Hope this helps.
Oh, and except for Coronet Peak, driving up to NZ resorts is either major fun or wet-yourself scary depending on your perspective. (I love it) Enjoy.
remarks drive is always fun hahaha
How’d you go with your NZ plans, Kozeyekan?
I went in early Sept last year and will be going same time this year, got a pic thread floating around somewhere on here. I did Coro’s, Remarks, Treble Cone, Mt Hutt and a day of heli and stayed in Qtown. Didn’t get to go to Cardrona as it was closed which I was unhappy about as I was keen to try it out. Heli was head and shoulders above everything else but of the resorts Treble Cone was by far and away the favourite, so much so that this year we booked Wanaka rather than Qtown.