Less than a month to go until opening day and we look at everything new at your fave resort in Australia and New Zealand. From the new chondola (chair/gondola) at Cardrona to Thredbo’s 60th birthday.
Australia
Thredbo, NSW
Thredbo is celebrating 60 years in 2017 with a series of concert events, DJs and live music. But first, strike the commemorative ‘2037’ installed bell at the highest lifted point in Australia, the top of Karel’s T-Bar. The village will also be lit throughout the winter with extra tree lighting for a wonderland feel.
Expect new Kids Only adventure zones at Cruiser and Friday Flats, themed around Thredboland’s ‘animals’ – Syd the Koala, Pygmy Possum and Wally Wombat.
New this season is a Max3 Snowboard session for advanced and intermediate boarders. Join a small group class (you and two others) for an afternoon park session from 1pm.
Families will also love the new Winter Disc Golf Park with 9 baskets and flying discs.
Perisher, NSW
The biggest ‘new news’ out of Perisher is the addition of Whistler to the Epic Australia Pass. The two new snow cats for their winter fleet pales in comparison. Though new snow cats means better grooming for 2017.
The SkiTube has an AU$2.1million upgrade to electronic control and brake units making the ride to Perisher and Blue Cow smoother.
Hotham, Victoria
Hotham has invested AU$4.4million in snowmaking over the past two summers. The final stage ensures coverage for the beginner terrain will be complete in time for the 2017 season. Snowmaking expansion also covers more trails on Heavenly Valley and intermediate terrain on Roadrunner lift.
Group lessons have been extended by half an hour to 2.5 hours and maxed at 7 guests (for 15 years +) to ensure an improved lesson experience. The good news is the price remains the same as 2016.
Falls Creek, VIC
Disabled Wintersports Australia, in partnership with the YMCA has built a purpose built facility at Howmans Gap over the summer months. The state-of-the-art centre has 36 beds, so that participants of all abilities can get out and challenge themselves on Victoria’s ski fields. This is Australia’s first fully accessible alpine accommodation
Also new this season is the Parent Pass. Parent number two can now purchase a three hour pass for $69* along with either a full day or half day lift pass (lift passes must be purchased and used on the same day). This allows parent number 2 some ski time for the duration of a kids’ snowsports school program or lesson without buying a full day pass.
Good news for kids, the Kids Street party with Pete the Dragon will be held in the Village Bowl every Tuesday evening during July and August for great kids fun with the resort’s popular mascot.
Mt Buller, VIC
The big news at Mt Buller is of course the $1.6m Snowfactory which is already producing stockpiles of snow in readiness to guarantee skiing and boarding on Bourke Street from opening weekend. The other key ‘new’ offering is Twilight Sessions mid-season with more skiing, boarding, snowplay and an Australian first with beginner ski lessons – all under lights. Mt Buller has installed new light towers right along Bourke Street and the Village Snowplay park will also be lit up on weekends in mid-winter.
The Bourke Street lifts will run continuously until 8.30pm and the Ski & Snowboard School offers Twilight lessons for beginners including Discover and Private lesson options. Available from 15 July – 27 August, 2017.
Also under lights, the Village Snowplay Park is open on these Saturdays and Sundays for night tobogganing extending the window for snowplay fun well into the evening. Live entertainment in the village square including music and lms keeps the Twilight vibe buzzing. Reduced resort entry is available from 3pm and the car park shuttles will run until 9.30pm.
To support a busy race and training program on Little Buller Spur a race hut has been built at the top of the run. It will be home to gates and timing equipment for the Victorian and National Interschools events as well as the many other race events held over the winter.
New Zealand
The Remarkables, Queenstown
The Remarkables ski field in Queenstown will enclose its existing double conveyor lift on the learner’s slope with a Slinky-style transparent tube enhancing the learner experience over the magic carpet area. Guests that are travelling up to the top of slope will be sheltered from the weather.
Even better news is that with return transport provided for Outward Bound skiers/riders, and the base building removed, The Remarkables accessible terrain has gone up from 265.5 to 385 hectares. Plus additional snowmaking guns have been installed at The Remarkables’ Curvey Basin Trail, covering extensive runs accessed by the new chairlift installed last season.
Coronet Peak, Queenstown
During the month of July, Coronet Peak is adding an extra night of the week to its Friday and Saturday night skiing experience with the addition of Wednesday evenings. Night skiers will also be able to enjoy two new additions to the floodlit trails. Running off the side of the M1 trail Duncan’s Dance, a rolling terraced run, and the Pro Am run alongside the lower Coronet Express will now also be lit up for 2017 night skiing.
The ever-popular on mountain Ice Bar is moving from the Greengates trail to beside the pump house steeps on the M1, making it more accessible for all levels of skiers and giving guests awesome photo opportunities of their Queenstown ski experience.
New terrain near The Meadows Express Chair will keep the kids happy with a new kids fun zone complete with tunnel and bank turns. Add extensive grooming and remodeling under the Coronet Express lift and the widening of the steepest part of the M1, making it more intermediate-friendly. Duncan’s will now also have a short terrain park with intermediate hard features.
Further down, the Pro Am run is being groomed into a more enjoyable intermediate run that holds snow coverage better. Both Duncan’s and Pro Am will be lit at night.
Mt Hutt, Methven
Mt Hutt has added 21 hectares of skiable terrain on the South West face this season. They’ve also installed new automated guns on the upper mountain and a listen bully winch groomer.
Cardrona, Wanaka
The existing Childcare Centre building has been extended, catering for 44 under 5yo children per day. The kids’ Snow Sports School (including Kids’ Club, Skiwees & Lowriders) has been brought into the same building, providing a centralised, ski-in/ski-out learning centre for children from 3 months to 14 years old.
New for Winter 2017 is The Lounge, found slope-side in the Base area. The Lounge offers barista made coffee, fresh food made with local ingredients, with an extensive wine list & a selection of craft beer. It has a heated slope-side deck for the best views during après ski. Also expect a new coffee cart for more options across the mountain.
Guests also now have the online ability to build their own ski packages & be rewarded with a customisable, individualised ticketing system.
WIN confirmed seats for 2 in the first public gondola cabin at the launch of the new chondola, plus four nights luxury accommodation, heli transfers and flights from Australia. Enter here.
Treble Cone, Wanaka
Treble Cone will extra snowmaking facilities for the 2017 season, in addition to the new SMI snowmaking system recently commissioned on Upper East Rider. The new snow guns will be added to the fleet as an investment by TCRA (Treble Cone Racing Academy) to support the snowmaking production on all of Treble Cone’s accessible snowmaking terrain and for the training venues Big Skite and Sinclair’s runs.
Mt Ruapehu, North Island NZ
Mt Ruapehu are committing $100million into a ski area reinvention. This season sees the results of $21million of that investment so far. A new Techno Alpine SF210 All Weather Snowmaking system guarantees snow for opening weekend. The technology can create snow even in temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius.
A new high speed twin 26 person Schindler Elevator will transport guest to Happy Valley beginners area. Add three magic carpet lifts (two with dome enclosures for weather protection) and a ‘snow play’ area with toboggans and toys.
Both Whakapapa and Turoa will boast new snow guns this season and Whakapapa will have a new quad chairlift.
All pretty average “upgrades/investments”! And how much has the price gone up this year per day?!