Advice on NZ trip please
OK guys, trying to talk my missus into doing a week in NZ in September, she likes snowboarding but if given the choice she would probably want to go somewhere warm like Bali or the Goldy, told her we can do Qld over xmas. She is reasonably competent, gets down all the blue runs at Buller no issues and even does a few bunny hop airs from time to time. There are a couple of options I have been thinking about in relation to NZ and cost is defintiely a factor.
The easiest and cheapest option seems to be to fly into Christchurch regardless of the mountain you are visiting. Obviously Mt Hutt is the closest to there and going there you obviously maximise your time on the mountain. If you fly into Christchurch and are boarding around Queenstown or Wanaka, your basically sacrificing a day of driving each way, somethign I would prefer to avoid but it is by far away the cheaper option to flying direct to Queenstown. I guess the biggest thing is, are the mountains around Queenstown worth the extra dollars or is Mt Hutt a decent enough mountain to keep you occupied for 4-5 days?
If anyone has recommendations on any websites or travel agents with good deals going that would be appreciated, being looking into a lot the best I have been able to find is flights, 5 nights accom, car hire and lift passes to Mt Hutt for $865 pp. We could possibly to 7 days as well but don’t want to take more than a week off work. Cheers guys, your input would be appreciated.
Well Mt Hutt is definitely a good enough resort for 4-5 days.
It is more about what you are after. Do you want to experience different resorts during your trip or would you rather convenience?
I have only been to Mt Hutt and i can certainly say that it is a pretty nice mountain though.
Well I just want to go and have a good time with as much time on the mountain as possible. Trying to get out of the driving to a lot of different places and spending to much time on the rd. BTW howse the drive and parking and all that stuff at Hutt?
Have a read through this thread: https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/20/
There is good info in there about Mt Hutt and the other mountains.
Personally I haven’t been to Mt Hutt, but I can tell you from experience Wanaka and Queenstown are worth seeing. I’m sure your girlfriend will appreciate the beauty of either of the two. I know it’s a tough decision to make given you might lose a day or so on the mountain. I have heard good things about Mt Hutt and I’m sure there is enough on the mountain to keep you satisfied for 5 days. Whatever your decision, you will have a great time. IMO if I was going to miss a potential day on the mountain due to travel, I would just stick with Mt Hutt. 5 days isn’t much so you might as well make the most of it.
Hopefully Enn Zed drops into this thread. He is the NZ guru.
A few websites to check out…
http://www.ski-newzealand.co.nz/
http://www.sella.co.nz/store/4yhr1r/mt-hutt-ski-area/ (cheap lift passes)
Well I just want to go and have a good time with as much time on the mountain as possible. Trying to get out of the driving to a lot of different places and spending to much time on the rd. BTW howse the drive and parking and all that stuff at Hutt?
Driving up mt.hutt is a bloody cow and the roads are very scary. so my parents got us onto snow shuttles i think this is them:
http://www.ridesnowshuttles.co.nz/
Most the roads going up to the mountains are like that in NZ. Gravel, hairpin turns, big cliffs.
Ahh well my parents didnt bother hitting the slopes while me, my brother and sister were there so they just dropped us off.
My dad was pretty afraid of the drive up so he thought it’d be better to chuck us on a shuttle and i must say i felt a lot more relaxed…
Saw the other thread on NZ but it’s mostly about the other mountains with not much on Mt Hutt thought I would ask the specific question about that mountain. I’m not to worried about the driving just interested to know what to expect!
well its not very packed and i wouldnt know much about the parking cos i just got dropped off and picked up. However, it is apprently notorious for closing off in bad weather hence the nickname mt. shut. However, when i was there, there wasnt a lot of people so i’d doubt that parking would be a problem.
As far as I know there is no on mountain accom at Mount Hutt (or most commercial mountains in NZ) therefore your still going to have to drive up the hill each morning.
From Darfield it’s about 45min - an hour up the hill.
You’ll have to drive the same times to get to the hills around Wanaka & Queenstown.
If your girlfriend isn’t ‘that’ into snowboarding I’d highly suggest queenstown or wanaka, the views in both towns are some of the most amazing views you will ever see in your life. And both are actual towns with things to do! Around mount hutt there is only one horse blink and you’ll miss it places lucky to have a pub or a supermarket or both!
If for some reason your girlfriend wants to take the day off from riding at least there will be something for her to do in qtown/wanaka.
/my 2 cents
We would be staying at Methven if we were going to do Mt Hutt. To fly into Qtown direct your looking at around another $500 between us or thereabouts, not heaps but trying to keep the costs down a bit!
hey man,
I was recently over there. I went with ski max (link above). 7 day trip staying in Qtown for 7 nights with car hire. We landed in Christchurch and drove. It was an epic day of about 18 hours travel!! well worth it though. Qtown was amazing with so many great places to eat out. Cardrona and Coronet peak (max 30 mins drive with good weather) were excellent, so yeah I would recommend making the hike. We got 4 days skiing in.
If your girlfriend isn’t ‘that’ into snowboarding I’d highly suggest queenstown or wanaka, the views in both towns are some of the most amazing views you will ever see in your life. And both are actual towns with things to do! Around mount hutt there is only one horse blink and you’ll miss it places lucky to have a pub or a supermarket or both!
If for some reason your girlfriend wants to take the day off from riding at least there will be something for her to do in qtown/wanaka.
/my 2 cents
Theres really not that much to do in methven if you take a day off boarding or even if you’re looking for variety in dining. I’d also suggest queenstown or wanaka as then you will have an option to take a day off if the weather is crappy and still have things to do.
Queenstown is excellent for everything else other than the snow (bungee, skydiving, rafting)
Food is good, bars are great - Night life is filled with Aussies…
But the drive down is a pain from Christchurch. And if the Lindas Pass (I think thats what its called) is snowed in, you have to take the long way around which takes AGES.
However, the drive from Christchurch to Queenstown does pass some absolutely gorgeous scenery.
Halfway along the drive is Lake Tekapo, where there are some pretty decent hot-springs for a nice break.
Cardrona actually has a small lodge/on mountain accommodation, but its usually booked out pretty early..
Who knows, try your luck.
Also, weren’t AirNZ recently offering $1 connecting flights if you flew to any major city? Don’t know if they have that anymore.
Here is my input.
The better she will get the more she will like it, and maybe a week full or riding is what she needs.
but try and fit in other things that week that you know she enjoys… turn ‘your week’ into a week that you both enjoy and like doing.
You dont want to create a thing where you have to alternate vacations because snowboarding is the thing that you want to do… and the beach or whatever is the thing that she wants to do…
Make the snowboard trip her week too.
If that takes extra $$ for a day at the spa or whatever to help her tolerate the exercise, then do it.. .it will be worth it.
Be sure to plan a nice evening out with dinner or whatever she might like…something like that to keep her excited about the snow trips also.
When you and your wife are planning a trip for a week, it is a good time for a surprise gift from you to her if you know of something she would like… but dont force gifts. Forced gifts create only more problems.
some good advice snowslider..um I mean super dad 