Skiing in Queenstown

During our July long weekend in Queenstown, I wanted a taste of the famed New Zealand ski fields. Having grown up in the US midwest, saying you're skiing the local "mountains" is a bit of a nudge and a wink affair, and therefore was very much looking forward to what Queenstown had to offer.

Of the four commercial ski fields within reasonable driving distance (Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone), I decided to go with Coronet Peak given it is the closest to town, has a good mix of beginner (30%), intermediate (45%) and advanced runs (30%), and is known for its recently upgraded and high quality lift system.

When I first got onto the slopes around 9:30am, I was surprised to see the huge amount of fog that had settled in among the mountains, making for some picturesque views.

As the sun rose over the mountain, the fog started to dissipate and reveal the truly awesome vista of the Southern Alps.

One thing which most impressed me was how not busy, relatively speaking, the mountain was (again, this coming from a midwesterner). Run after run, I found myself with plenty of space, often with few or no other people in sight. Given the size and variety of runs (the longest being 2.4km), this really set a new standard for me, and I can't imagine wanting to go back to glorified hills ever again.

Taking a breather and enjoying the view back towards Lake Wakatipu.

Decent views.

Enjoying the 'pride of the South' from 1649m

Can't wait for my next ski trip to see what else NZ has to offer, and with any luck will have some company next time! (wink wink Mark and Erin).

** p.s. for those curious, Megan took a spa day today, so we were all winners here.