Spring may be in full swing, but New Zealand’s premier ski areas are already looking forward to next season with the release of Early Bird season pass sale for 2015.
Early Bird season passes for Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt go on sale today and are available until March 19, meaning snow lovers can plan (and budget) for their winter fun.
People are encouraged to lock in the Early Bird season pass as it is the best value for those planning to ski and ride regularly in 2015.
To make accessing the deal as easy as possible, a payment plan for the 2015 snow season can be set up with eight instalments over the summer, provided that the first payment is made before November 18, 2014.
There are a range of season pass options depending on where people intend to spend most of their time skiing and riding. The NZSki Pass provides the most flexibility and longest winter season with access to all three NZSki ski areas, including night skiing at Coronet Peak.
An adult NZSki Pass offering access to Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt is frozen for the fourth year in a row at $999 for the season (youths and seniors $699; students $799).
The popular Queenstown Pass (for The Remarkables and Coronet Peak, including night skiing) is just $899 for adults ($599 for youths and seniors; $699 for students).
Reflecting the ongoing improvements at The Remarkables, with work already started on a multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art base building for 2015, an adult season pass for The Remarkables is now $699, with the option to add on night skiing at Coronet Peak for just $99 for the season.
The Early Bird Mt Hutt adult season pass price, is $749, ($599 for students and $329 for youths and seniors). A Mt Hutt Midweek Pass is $459 for adults;$359 for students respectively.
NZSki CEO Paul Anderson said the company was committed to continued investment at each of its ski areas and on-going improvements to product.
“This season we introduced our new six-seat, high-speed detachable Curvey Basin chairlift at The Remarkables which was a huge hit with visitors,” he said.
“Curvey was part of a substantial $45m investment at the ski area for the 2014 season which also included road re-alignment, sealing of the lower access road, trail developments, expansion of the snow making system, and extended car parking.
“The new base building will be the icing on the cake for 2015 – a brand new, world-class facility for skiers and boarders with improved restaurant, ticketing, rentals and retail, and easier access to the Curvey Basin lift.”
Mr Anderson said while NZSki worked hard to keep season pass price increases to a minimum, it needs to ensure it can continue to invest in improvements to its ski areas.
“Like any business, we face increasing costs and from time to time we need to reflect this in our prices. Most importantly, we’ll continue to provide an outstanding guest experience through ongoing investment in ski area improvements and staff training.
2015 season passes are available online at http://www.nzski.com/products/2015/seasonPasses.jsp
Buyers wanting to split their season pass payment over 8 instalments need to make their first payment before November 18, 2014.
Kids 10 and under ski for free at Mt Hutt, and kids 6 and under ski for free at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.
