[Manicmouse]

I doubt any aussie resort comes even close to the awesomeness of Cardrona! Great for boarders.

A rare powder day not closed to high winds on Mt Ruapehu is pretty sweet, epic off piste on the glaciers.

Will never go to Australia for snowboarding, I'll stick to your beaches.

 

[Manicmouse]

Prices are good now too, especially accommodation and rental vehicles. I hope we open up for you guys soon!

NZ is on 1 active case, everyone else has recovered. No new cases for 11 days. 👍

 

[Manicmouse]

$125 got bumped up to $145 on Mt Ruapehu with half the lifts closed for the season. I haven't checked the South Island fields.

 

[Manicmouse]

So what's that, about $130 AUD. Are they still doing multi-day passes though?

Just checked the website, it's actually $149 NZD so that's $137.50 AUD. Couldn't see any multi-day passes for sale online.

After doing Japan for so many years I just can't bring myself to go back to NZ (forget Australia). I'd rather go on a surfing trip to Yamba or something and wait for Japan or Canada to open up again. Sorry, but I think I will give USA a BIG miss.

We definitely don't have scale of the big resorts in the northern hemisphere that's for sure. Check out the heli-boarding in the South Island though, that looks amazing! Watch the NZ scene at the start of That's It That's All at 5 min 30s and you'll see what there is outside of the ski fields.

 

[Manicmouse]

Not bad, that's where I'll be in July. We've changed our Wanaka accommodation booking to Queenstown.

My wrist has been out of a cast for two weeks now and I have five weeks to get some strength and mobility back. My hand therapist says it's a good target!

If I can't snowboard then I'll take the kids' gear at least.

 

[Manicmouse]

Just dial back the aggressive riding a touch and wear a wrist guard.

Ha, yeah I suppose so

The worst part will actually be helping out my youngest two, pulling them around. My 6 year old isn't anywhere near confident yet and my 4 year old is fearless and a menace to society.

 

[Manicmouse]

Not much of a "GURU"?

 

[Manicmouse]

NZ will be extremely reluctant to open for tourists, we'd need to remove the 2 week quarantine to make that happen. Achieve elimination of Covid-19 and it's a no-brainer to open for Aussie/Kiwi travel.

Interestingly we let in a film crew of 50 from the States as they threatened to take the movie away

 

[Manicmouse]

I did read that they were going to start travel between Aus and NZ soon but only for politicians and new crews/media which makes me wonder what can they really achieve in person they can't through online collaboration - except ski

We need tourists in to boost the economy. Keep the politicians on Zoom...

 

[Manicmouse]

NZ is now Covid-19 free. No active cases. 16 days since our last reported new case.

C'mon Aus, catch up so I can get my holiday to the GC in October!

 

[Manicmouse]

Had a couple of days up Remarkables Queenstown this week the first after around a foot of fresh .....epic first day ...as NZ School Holidays so pretty busy ...but well worth the efforts.... looking forward to having many more days up Remarks-Coronet peak before SEPT__ Cardrona with the family ....

I did my first day of the season today at Remarks. It was raining so most kept away, with chains we got a 2nd row park at 8:40. At lunch it started to clear up and I found some pow stashes later in the afternoon.

 

[Manicmouse]

How is the depth and coverage there?

Dunno what it's usually like down there but it seemed pretty good. Once the vis improved it was an awesome day. Off the groomers there was a lot of powder and not many people riding it.

I'm used to riding Ruapehu which only gets good at 1.5m of base, but that's a rocky mountain. You don't need as much base down here where it's just tussock grass.

 

[Manicmouse]

I see you have a few of these Hybrid chair lifts in NZ that have both Gondola's and chairs on the same line.

I think Coronet Peak got one installed last year. Whakapapa has a new gondola too.

 

[Manicmouse]

Our Club was going to New Zealand this year but got cancelled. Our Club president made the news in 2013 broke his legs and survived 17 hours overnight in sub zero temps out of bounds at Treble Cone

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1846364818711146

Holy shit! Didn't SAR get called out when he didn't return??? Poor weather? edit: the post says a storm Crazy story!

 

[Manicmouse]

He's very lucky. I'd die overnight as I don't wear much when riding!!

 

[Manicmouse]

To be fair I'm not a 72 year old at an unfamiliar resort skiing off piste in a storm... Nuts!

 

[Manicmouse]

Same! I like light pants (usually Columbia or HH), an undershirt+flannel+vest if the conditions allow, thin beanie under my helmet, folding-finger mitts. I would die out there, if going off piste into a storm, was my bag.

I wear some sort of mid-range pants, merino t-shirt (short sleeves), hoodie (removed during the morning), mid-range jacket (more than a shell at least), mitts (not for cold weather) and helmet (no beanie). I only ride with a bag if going off piste, I should probably get a foil blanket as @rayt100 says!

 

[Manicmouse]

As this is the Australia vs New Zealand thread I feel I should weigh in with spectacular snow reports from NZ. But nah, nothing happening down here It's pretty dire.

 

[Manicmouse]

Auckland is now at Covid-19 level 3 and the rest of NZ is at level 2 with rumours that we'll go to level 3... Our first cases of community transmission in 100+ days.

This means my planned trips to Ruapehu over the next two weeks are probably going to be canned

 

[Manicmouse]

Goes to Perisher to shred, spends all day on Instagram and checking messages - bloody phones

@Craig64 has been served.