Hey Guys,
Just wanted to see how many kiwis we got here.
I know a lot of people tend to go to the south island with all the places at Queenstown/Wanaka.
I think the powder horn has a spa. I know there is hot pools in Taupo, and I've been to one out near Turangi, but I'm not sure of its exact location.
No days this season yet, just moved back to the Tron from Oz. Hoping to get up to a lodge that I used to stay at in Whakapapa in a week or so (was meant to be this week, but the weather forecast was shithouse).
Yeahn that is harsh. What do you think is the main reason for the hige mark up? Shipping costs? Government import fees? Combo of both? Seems like the last option is what drives it up so much. Regardless that is lame.
Do you have any home grown manufacturers who's prices are more in line? Of course if NS and Burton boards are going for such a high premium, then you'd be smart to get at least near that price and a huge profit margin.
There are a few local manufacturers (check out candleman snowboards) but there prices are indicative of small scale manufacture and roughly the same price as the big internationals.
I think the prices are a combination of shipping, import taxes and government service tax (12.5%). Sure sucks though when you can see the northern hemisphere getting their stuff for half of what we're paying, plus the manufacturers have trade locks on stuff (I can't buy Burton off of trusnow) so that you have to buy local.
Even the locals here have trade locks on each other (aus vs NZ), take Greg from bwmsnow, if you look at his site from a NZ server you can see he's selling neversummer, but if you look at his site from an Aussie server its all magically disappeared, because cherricherripowpow has never summer locked down in Aussie .....where you can buy a heritage for $850 or an Evo for $780 aud. That's $775 and $720 usd.....
Awesome....might as well have three for that price....
Everything is so expensive in AU because the costs of labour and real estate is so fucking high that for a shop to even try to make money it has to charge stupid prices, even then they probably make next to nothing.
A 600ml bottle of coke for example is AU$3.80, in japan it is approx AU$2.00 and people think japan is an expensive country.
FINALLY got to do some snowboarding this weekend!!!!! Been busy lately and was over in Sydney the week before watching the ABs thrash the Wallabies :storm:
Not heading down for a while. Rode Whakapapa last week tues-fri, half days due to weather. Great to get back out on the snow and catch up and ride with a few friends.
Quick update from the weekend! had the last day of winter on sat and boy was the snow amazing. The Ruapehu team had it going for them as they opened up High Noon around noon :eusa_clap: with winds blowing at 40kph+.
My gloves froze every time going up high noon as they had it going much much slower than normal and best of all, there were no lines for it!
Wind blown powder everywhere with deep pockets in places - ducked out by vertigo had some great stuff. Truly the first time I have enjoyed making turns!!
Managed to take a huge fall on my last run, no idea what happened - didn't feel anything catch or hit anything but started falling and landed right on my goggle, the only impact was right on the corner of my face.
Also managed to land my very first 180s of a tiny jump!!
Well looks like the seasons on its way out. The last few weekends have destroyed the snow at the lower base of both Turoa and Whakapapa. Took my flatmates up for the weekend as they had a grabone voucher but, closed Sat/Sun. Went for a drive to show the flatties the "snow" and Alpine Shreadow is pretty much gone. Both Home Run and Clarry's are mud and rocks, so its only really upper mountain thats open now. Makes me contemplate if its worth even going up now considering school holidays have just started :/
Shame I missed your post Jollybored. I've been up there every weekend of the season
Ah guts! Yeah, I haven't been able to go as much as I wanted this year.
I did however go up sat/sun just gone; sun was beaming, not too many kids around. All in all not too bad.
Snow is still OK up top some soft spots here and there.
As mentioned a few photos from the weekend. Luckily the weather was good on the way up.
View from the top of the hike
Rode down into the crater for a bit of fun, but it was one ****** of a walk to get back out!
On the way back down the weather closed in just as we went out West they were roping the area off. Had to drop down big bowl and I swear we accidentally ended up on little bowl trying to find our way out.
I should be up there this weekend. Got a friend staying at mine so have to be there for that. Not sure if I'll do many more weekends beyond this. Will see how motivated I get. But took a few gouges out of my board as I got closer to base. Getting a bit nasty lower mountain now
High winds expected this weekend so am no longer going - suppose that's me for the season!
Well it has been a good one at that, I guess snowplanet will have to make up for any cravings until the next season!
Think I may have to venture upto Auckland at some point for some snow planet action too. However if everything falls into place I will be able to hit some of the Colorado fields in December
Yeah, I feel your pain, my fiance's sister and her bf are off to Copper Mountain in a week or so. Pretty jealous, but with a wedding and honeymoon to save for, no way could we afford to join them.
Im hearing ya. I just bought a house and have two young ones, i think my only chance of buying a season pass is if I "donate" a kidney or sell my rectum out on the street. Ive got a few mates showing all their "look at me im in the northern hemisphere" facebook statuses. Jackasses!
Have been counting down since the end of last season till this one starts, bought the '14 pass before 13 had finished Admittedly I did get up Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Vail during our summer. It just wasn't enough.
Fattrav, you should have bought your house in Kune, then you wouldn't have had to travel as far for the mountain making buying a pass more feasible
Checking in again as the dark and cold begin to limit the surfing down in sunny Christchurch. Stoked for the new season, Hutt's new triple is under way and in fairness to NZ Ski they seem to have put some money into some quality new gear for the mountain as well. Also the stuff going on at remarks down in Qtown should be pretty awesome, not least a sealed road!!! (yes I'm a pomme and can't get used to the crazy dirt tracks)
But the unsealed roads are fun... nothing like a good test of your concentration and shock absorbers to properly wake you up before a day on the hill :blink:
Haha, yeah I am psyched to finally ride my NS Proto HD, got it just before last season started, then missed the entire season after busting my knee playing hockey
We are gonna be down in Wanaka during August, mostly Cardies but probably TC too, will keep an eye out for anyone else rocking an NS board!
Snowcentre in Newmarket were stocking NS last year, had the Proto HD / HDX and the Evo from memory. Not sure if they had them at their Ohakune shop or not as well. I guess they'll make the call about getting them in for this season depending whether or not they sold OK last year.
Got a season pass for Cardies because the earlybird was pretty cheap ($599) and we are planning to be down for two and a half weeks or so in August. But most likely will hit up TC and maybe The Remarks for a day or two also.
LOVING IT!! Have a shack booked for Mt. Hutt opening weekend, so hoping that snow makes its way up here.
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