It’s a little early for snow, but we’re turning back the clocks in New Zealand this weekend and the cooler days herald the arrival of the ski/board season. For anyone with a love of snow; winter is a season to celebrate! When it’s raining in Wellington we’re praying for snow on the mountains and eagerly watch the snow reports on Mt Ruapehu. It’s a four hour drive on a Friday night to Ohakune, at the southern gateway to the Tongariro National Park World Heritage Site, at the foot of Mt Ruapehu. Ohakune is abuzz in the winter months. We have numerous memories of awesome experiences at Turoa ski resort and the apres ski atmosphere in Ohakune. We often travel up with a group of friends and stay at a rental chalet – there are numerous, affordable options at Ruapehu Chalet Rentals. Ohakune provides plenty of good places to enjoy those apres ski stories over a good feed and a few drinks (and some wonderful places to eat a big brekkie before another good day on the magic mountain!).
But for an all out ski-holiday then the South Island HAS to be the best in the Southern Hemisphere. We enjoyed an incredible week of skiing staying in Lake Wanaka’s Ski Resort. There is something for everyone. It’s a perfect base to take in the surrounding ski resorts; with plenty of activities for days when the weather is inclement or muscles too tired!
We took in the snow at Cardrona Alpine Resort, Mt Hutt and Treble Cone (back in 1997!). It was such a blast and the scenery from Treble Cone was utterly breathtaking. Those views have stuck in our minds and now that our children are a little older we might be very tempted to try our first ski holiday with ankle bitters this season! Charli will be five at the end of June – and no doubt game on to try her first ski lesson – and Sophie, at two-and-a-half, come snow season, will hopefully be game on enough for some sledging and snow fun! Cardrona’s website definitely stands out as the most family friendly resort – with children’s clubs and a creche for the littlies. So here’s dreaming… it’s been a long six year break from the snow!
The last time we hit the slopes was in September 2002 – and nine month’s later our first daughter appeared on the scene! That apres ski scene in Ohakune is just TOO good!
