Skiing Queenstown New Zealand
General Feel . Queenstown is a great destination for skiers who want to explore fresh snow powder terrain well beyond the boundaries. In coming to New Zealand, we looked for unspoiled mountainous scenery, landscape interwoven with rivers, pristine lakes, and glaciers. That is what we found on the southern end of the southern island. We traversed all of New Zealand, both islands, searching for rugged mountainous peaks. The most tantalizing area in terms of town ambience and skiable terrain was around Queenstown.
Tips. If you have few spare days, snow trekking around Queenstown is great. Catch the gondola to the viewing point above Queenstown, and track these regions. You will take in beautiful views of the town, lake and the neighboring valley.
If you want to steer away from Skiing just for a day, you will be blown away with the adventure activities that this place has to offer. Take a fat wallet and you will have a blast.
If you have not seen Fjords before, take a trip to Milford Sound. This Fjordland bears parallels to Gigantic Norwegian Fjords. If you can afford it, fly there, alternatively take the bus. Just be warned it takes half a day to get there. We would suggest staying overnight on the cruising ship, and coming back the next day.
Best time to ski is end of June to beginning of October.
Off Piste. The best mind set to have when skiing Queenstown, is to realize, you are at a remote part of the world which is not densely inhabited. Consequently everything in terms of infrastructure has to be scaled down. Towns are smaller, lift systems are smaller, and the patrolled ski terrains are smaller. All the skiable slopes and drop-offs have to be driven to, and are not within a walking distance. Access is usually by an unsealed road.
Our recommendation is experience this place with the help of a helicopter. Ouch !, ..an expensive exercise you say, true, but one, which will make you, appreciate the vastness of the region. Entire mountain ranges, powder trails, panoramas are yours to keep. You will enjoy scenery only some skier’s dream of.
The resorts around Queenstown may to some, resemble ski parks rather than resorts. They are cute and varied, by all means see them, just scale down your expectations. After all, the entire Southern Island of New Zealand has a population of only 1.2mil. Arrive here with the view that you will enjoy the scenery, do some skiing and to fully saturate your spirit of the ski adventure, take a helicopter ride.
Our favourite resorts were Remarkables and Coronet Peak, which are closest to Queenstown, followed by Treble Cone and Cardrona whilst further away offer more challenging terrain.
Enrich your experience Skiing Queenstown, by visiting above four ski parks, which can be reached by car, within approx. 1 hour.
These four ski parks are designed for day skiing, without provisions for overnight accommodation. Allow yourself a couple of days per ski-park to learn the terrain inside out. Each spot shares different views, all of them are breathtaking, and all barren and exposed to the elements. Skiing these destinations on a good clear day is a blissful experience. You will enjoy the solitude, being surrounded by the mountains. Often as far as your eye can see there are no reminders of civilization.
Christopher
About the Author
We travel the world looking for different ski experiences. In doing so we embark on different adventures during our journey, this one is from New Zealand.
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