The Start of New Zealand's Ski Season Is Delayed
Excitement is building for the New Zealand ski season, but at many of the island country’s resorts, Mother Nature hasn’t started cooperating quite yet.
One mountain, The Remarkables, announced in a social media post that despite its snowmaking efforts, the slopes aren’t ready to go.
The resort pushed its planned opening date to June 20, writing, “Thanks for sticking with us, freedom seekers. We’ll keep you updated, and when those lifts start spinning, it’ll be worth the wait!” A similar story is unfolding at Mt. Hutt, which planned to open on June 12 but announced a delay instead.
“We have some colder weather moving in from next week, so we should see some natural snowfall & lower temperatures to get our Snowmaking cranking!!” the resort wrote on social media.
Cardrona also delayed its opening and is now aiming for June 20.
Despite the slew of delays, though, you can go skiing at Coronet Peak, which has a small amount of terrain, some freestyle features, and a slew of conveyors open for an opening phase it calls “Winter Made Early.” See below.
Whakapapa took a similar approach, building out a patch of snow for early-season tubing and sledding. It plans to open on July 4.
While the slow start may be a bit of a drag, there is buzz on the horizon for New Zealand’s ski season. The Remarkables recently announced plans to expand by 647 acres, bringing the total to about 1,757 acres. At full build-out, the expansion would make The Remarkables the largest ski resort in New Zealand.
For the latest information on New Zealand’s ski resorts, check out their websites or social media pages.
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Related: The Remarkables Aims To Become New Zealand’s Largest Ski Resort
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