2016 Ski Season Underway Down Under

The 2016 ski season got underway in Australia and New Zealand today.

Fortunes were mixed with cold temperatures and fresh snow in Australia – but not enough to open more than one run in the whole country – whilst New Zealand's Mt Hutt had had to delay its planned opening yesterday due to extremes of weather (strong winds). However snow cover was largely good at the three Kiwi ski areas opening today – Cardona, Coronet Peak (pictured above) and Mt Hutt.

Queenstown's Coronet Peak saw 2,500 people turn out in force to support opening day, around 300 people of them first through the gates at 9am, many fuelled by free breakfast baps, coffee and hot chocolates handed out by ski area staff.

22-year-old Angelique Vinnedge from Canada was among the first on the slopes having arrived at 6am. Describing her first run down the M1 as "splendid", Angelique said the weather had been the deal breaker, adding, "It was definitely worth getting up early to see all the stars out and a great sunrise."



In Australia the ski season traditionally gets underway this weekend, the Queen's Birthday long holiday weekend there, whether or not there's any snow. And though it has been snowing and is cold only the largest resort, Perisher (pictured above), has been able to open any runs so far, and there it's just one from their 130+ trails, pictured below earlier today. So almost all of Australia's ski areas are open, there just isn't any skiing available at most of them, which isn't san unusual scenario for opening weekend there.

Elsewhere in the southern hemisphere Las Lenas in Argentina has opened joining the four ski areas over the border in Chile that have opened earlier than scheduled, in the past week, following huge snowfalls there.

In Southern Africa there are very limited areas of machine made snow open so far at Afriski in Lesotho.

I was fortunate on my visit to Perisher, to experience the best conditions anyone could recall.That includes snow depth and condition. This occurred after only two weeks in Australia, and was organised by folk that had worked in Niederau during the same seasons as me.

I was surprised to realise that my visit to Cardrona, (not Cardona), was some 21 years back. Don't seasons fly????

Whilst it is always nice to get in a few turns, have to say NZ skiing did not really do it for me. Onpiste skiing at least was very mediocre, very average terrain, tiny verticals and at least when I went the snow was so-so.

Now Argentina and Chile have a large appeal for me. Life can't get much better than sampling new world wines whilst ripping it up.

Dave Mac wrote:I was fortunate on my visit to Perisher, to experience the best conditions anyone could recall.That includes snow depth and condition. This occurred after only two weeks in Australia, and was organised by folk that had worked in Niederau during the same seasons as me.

I was surprised to realise that my visit to Cardrona, (not Cardona), was some 21 years back. Don't seasons fly????

I had great snow in Perisher, Thredbo and Mount Blue Cow but, similarly, I just realised how long ago it was - 1989!