NZ is much steeper than Aus in general, and as you've noticed it's all Alpine style terrain, we don't get trees above 1000m, which means all the fun stuff are cliff drops, chutes, and wide open faces. Coronet peak is very mellow, and in '94 the Remarkables didn't have much terrain available, you definitely didn't see the best of it hah.
If you're looking for a different experience that you won't find anywhere else in the world, come to NZ, hire a 4wd, and do a tour of all the club fields. These are non-commercial ski fields, mostly run through the use of tow-ropes where you wear a harness and use a metal clamp to hold onto the rope as it pulls you uphill. You avoid the crowds, get to see the best terrain has to offer, and many of them have on-mountain accommodation options. Typically dormitory style, and everyone helps muck in for lunch and dinner service. My favourite place on earth is Mount Olympus on a powder day, and their lodge for Apres. It has the highest hot tub in NZ, and a gigantic dress ups box, and alcohol is so cheap is should be illegal. Cheapest beer is $2.50 a can, $5 mixers or shots etc.
Some pics I put up a few years back -
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/photography-video-other-media/184217-new-zealand-spring-riding.html
Aaaaaand a big write up I did for a different forum;
club fields nz | Boardworld Forums | Australia's Premier Boardsports Community
The video in there was the season we only had our rope tow open for 5 days because of low coverage, and in those 4 or 5 runs in that video I managed to completely destroy that board. Conservative riding because it was all rock underneath... The 2017 season we had it open literally every day of the season, with a few very good dumps on it. Imagine that face with 30cm of fresh on it with a good base :grin: