Kiwi Snow Reports

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Kiwi Snow Reports, New Zealand

9 June, 2006 - Free and Independent

Snow Ora

Three weeks ago we all thought we were setting for a brilliant start to winter on Coronet Peak with rumours sweeping town that opening would be shifted forward a week.

Then darn it all if the weather doesn't go all warm on us and sorry folks looks like you wont be sliding on the Peak this weekend ... meanwhile up North Mt Dobson has pulled the pin on their season on Sunday 28th May with a couple of hundred people enjoying what looked on TV like some pretty "hard pack".

Evan "waiting to do the snow thing" Bloomfield

>== This Issue

** Snow Flakes
** Fresh Snow
** Coronet Peak
** The Remarkables
** Treble Cone
** Wouldn't you love it?
** Cardrona
** Snow Park / Snow Farm
** Last Issue
** Subscribe and unsubsnow information

>== Snow Flakes

< Curling's Hot > Stone me dead if the latest winter craze in the deep south isn't curling. Featuring in carefully crafted cheese adds and strong on the list of What's Hot these ice bowler's even have their own purpose built indoors Curling Rink. Bring on the spelunking! < It's traditional> That season pass thing. Well it should be anyway. You got yours? I wear mine everywhere. Another tradition is opening day. Long may it live. < Talking about braassss monkeys> Yep another fantastic tradition in theses parts is the Brass Monkey motorcycle rally. Held every Queens Birthday weekend in Otureahua which often boasts New Zealand's coldest temperatures. <Luxury digs> "Dozens of luxury apartments to rent in Queenstown has meant the Arrowtown rental market was doing a slow freeze, Arrowtown Property manager Leeanne Newman said yesterday .... included in that rent is underfloor heating, hot water and Sky TV. They're very comfortable." Moving to Queenstown? Why not rent a luxury apartment? Full article in the Southland Times; http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3691113a6011,00.html

>== Fresh Snow

Well truth be told we haven't had a lot. Oh I did have a bet with the kids that we would get some around home on Sunday night and we did have a dribble in the lee of a few tussocks but really? Sunday afternoon looking hopeful and long range Wednesday is snowy.

Mt Hutt is set to be the first major field in the southern hemisphere open "Canterbury's Mt Hutt ski area is on track to open this Saturday, June 10 following an icy blast that dumped 15 centimetres of fresh snow on the slopes"

Now that is an awesome site. Exchange drop from the top of Rocky Gully T - Bar

Anyone who has played on that little face will realise how many great runs there are.

And being there on a day like this? Luscious. 28 July 1999.

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>== Coronet Peak

Opening 10 June....well it was meant to be...

"Coronet Peak ski area manager Duncan Smith said a further 20-30cm of natural snow or 50-70 hours of good snowmaking weather is needed to open the main trails serviced by the Coronet Express Chair, the Meadows Chair and the Beginners Lift."

Features for this year;

• Increased snowmaking 20 new Techno Alpin automatic snowguns
• First Tracks offering early bird access between 8 and 9 am
• New improved method of getting a coffee in the Bistro
  

>== The Remarkables

The Remarkables – opening 24 June.

• 15 new snowmaking guns
• Widened trail in the Easy Out and Gotham City area - hmmm where the heck are they?

>== Treble Cone

Treble Cone – opening 27 June

$12 million invested in the past 3 years - we love it

New features at Treble Cone this season include:

• New and improved Easy Rider beginner trail (previously Triple Treat)
• The new Skite trail for Intermediate skiers and boarders
• In the Saddle Basin, the new and improved Raffills Run has also been widened
• Snowmaking increased to 30 snow guns
  

Evs Comment - waddya say? Big altitude, big terrain, big lifts. Dying to ride to Tim's table on a fresh powder day in 2006.

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>== Wouldn't you love it?

"Your current membership expires on 20 Jun 2023 at 23:59 GMT"

That's the message i got when i logged on to snow-forecast.com. Dear old Rob Davies, brains behind the popular snow forecasting website ( see my snow report of June 1999 ) has renewed my membership for a few more years.

No sorry a life membership is not available for the general public on snow-forecast.com but it seems like none of you want life memberships anyway ... certainly RAL have suspended their plans after a less than enthusiastic response to their recent offer.....

"Plans to build new high-speed chairlifts at Whakapapa ski-field on Mt Ruapehu have been put on hold after lifetime ski-pass sales raised less than half the total needed. However, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts will still go ahead with a new chairlift at Turoa next year.

The company offered 7000 lifetime passes to fund the $30 million of upgrades at Whakapapa and Turoa. Only 3000 passes – at $3875 and $4995 each – were sold by the deadline this month. The sales raised $11 million of the total needed to install three new high-speed chairlifts and upgrade snow-making and cafeteria facilities at Whakapapa and Turoa.

General manager Dave Mazey said the company had decided to defer work till 2008-09 on the four-seater Tennants Express and six-seater Valley Express chairlifts at Whakapapa. For the full article;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3680880a34,00.html

Declaration : yes I am a life member .. slogged my guts out washing cars and mowing lawns with mum and dad matching me dollar for dollar - cost in 1976? $400.

>== Cardrona

Cardrona Alpine Resort – opening 23 June

Cardrona Alpine Resort has invested $4 million in improving infrastructure for the 2006 season. 
New features include:

• A fourth kids centre catering specifically for 7 – 12 year olds.
• A third terrain park
• The new Cardrona High Performance Centre aimed at advanced snowboarders and skiers
• Five new apartments (two two-bedroom, two three-bedroom and one four-bedroom) have been built on the mountain, bringing the total to 15.

Evs Comment - kid friendly, happy staff, great facilities... if only they could tilt it a few degrees steeper

>== Snow Park / Snow Farm

Snow Park NZ – opening 29 June

$6.5 million of investments pay off this winter with groundbreaking new developments on and off the hill. 

New features include:

• Snow Park triple jump line is now a permanent feature built out of dirt. 
• An artificial 4m (13 ft) cliff drop has been created at the bottom end of the newly widened ‘Box Run’.
• Snowmaking facilities have been improved, a new pump-house has been built, along with re-constructed pipes underground. 
• The Switch Academy has been designed to provide guidance, coaching and support. Switch Academy is a youth development programme dedicated to freestyle skiing and snowboarding. 
  

Snow Park Village

Snow Park Village is a new apartment complex looking over the Snow Park resort and Southern Alps, with ski in and ski out capabilities. 

Apartments feature:

• Four bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, living area, LCD Televisions, full kitchen and large deck styled out with a barbeque and private hot tub. 
• Four of the 24 planned apartments will be completed this winter.  (The remaining units are being built in stages over the next two years.)
• The Woolshed Restaurant and Bar; this facility has a sprawling deck overlooking the action at Snow Park. 
  High-Altitude Backpackers in NZ; located above The Woolshed Restaurant and Bar the backpackers can sleep 50 people

Evs Comment - development on the Piza range continues at breakneck speed. Hold on to your beanie coz this place is going off. If you are in to flipping or flopping go hang at the Snow Park.

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