Wanaka is much quieter than Queenstown and
we enjoyed the contrast between the two. Starting
the holiday in Wanaka allowed us to ease into
alpine life gently before being plunged into the
fast pace of Queenstown. People were friendly in
both places, but in laid-back Wanaka they seemed
a little more helpful.
As a novice planning a ski holiday, I took away
some key learnings that will help me plan better
next time. Here are six tips I wish I had known
before the trip.
1. Daylight hours are short
It might sound silly, but as an Aussie I did not
think about the short days in advance. We arrived
in late June when the sun does not rise until
8.30am. It was not a problem, as we both enjoyed
the sleep in but it did mean there were fewer
hours in the day than we had planned for. Ski
fields, for instance, don’t open until 9am and they
close at 4pm, so to get on the snowfields and not
waste any hours of your half-day or full-day lift
pass, planning is required. Plus, be prepared to
drive some parts of your snowfield commute in
the dark.
2. Hire diamond-style snow chains
Getting to the Remarkables, Treble Cone and
Cardrona all involve driving up very windy
mountain roads. When the snow arrives, chances
are you will need to put chains on your tyres to
make the journey. Fitting chains is not an easy
task, so unless you want to lie on the ground in
the snow and mud, and freeze your fingers off, do
yourself a favour and ensure you hire diamondstyle
chains. There are chain-fitting bays with
people to help you on most mountains (but not
all) so practice fitting them before you go; there
are YouTube videos that can help!
The fee to fit chains for you is around $10, so
ensure you have the appropriate notes handy. Our
chains were an older style and very tricky to fit,
but those with diamond chains had a much easier
time. Coronet Peak (which we didn’t get to visit)
apparently has the easiest drive. It is only 18
minutes from Queenstown and has a sealed road
all the way with very few hairpin bends.
FITTING CHAINS IS NOT AN EASY
TASK, SO UNLESS YOU WANT TO
LIE ON THE GROUND IN THE SNOW
AND MUD, AND FREEZE YOUR
FINGERS OFF, DO YOURSELF A
FAVOUR AND ENSURE YOU HIRE
DIAMOND-STYLE CHAINS.
3. A 4WD is a good idea
The above mentioned chain fiasco apparently
could have been avoided had we hired a 4WD.
Although you are still required to carry chains if
you have a 4WD, the chances of needing to put
them on are reduced.
4. Hire your ski gear off mountain
for massive savings
We hired our clothes and ski gear from Green
Toad, who proclaim to have the cheapest rates
in both Wanaka and Queenstown. Two of us got
completely kitted out with ski jackets, pants,
helmets, skis, poles and boots for $53 per day;
ski boots alone cost close to $50 a day to hire at
the ski fields. If you are not a serious skier, Green
Toad is a great option. More advanced skiers and
snowboarders seem to prefer Browns Ski
Shop.
66 Pindara Magazine 2017