Winter 2020 in Queenstown and Wanaka

30th June 2020

Which mountains are open and when?

Queenstown Ski Fields

Coronet Peak

Opening Date: Friday 26th June

Closing Date: Sunday 27 September

Open: 7 days a week 9am-4pm

First Tracks from 8-9am available daily from 6 July – 13 September

Night Ski 4-9pm on Wednesday & Friday nights from 1 July – 28 August

Half-day passes: 12.30 -4pm afternoon

Daily Snow Report: here

Terrain: Beginner 20%, intermediate 40%, advanced 40% (approximate)

Non-skiers: Enjoy a scenic gondola ride up to the viewing platform at the top of Coronet Express between 9am-3pm (subject to daily conditions), or take the kids tobogganing in the dedicated “snow play” area. The base building is spacious and overlooks the bottom of Coronet Express chair lift – enjoy a drink from the licenced bar or a bite from the café.

The Remarkables

Opening Date: Saturday 4th July

Closing Date: Sunday 11 October

Open: 7 days a week 9am-4pm during July school holidays 4 – 19 July

Then open Saturday & Sunday, with potential for extra days to be added during the season

Open daily for the October school holidays

New Sugar Bowl Chairlift on track for late July opening

Half day passes: 12.30 -4pm afternoon

Daily Snow Report: here

Terrain: Beginner 30%, intermediate 40%, advanced 30% (approximate)

Non-skiers: A great base building where you can sit next to the open fireplace in the café for a cosy cup of hot chocolate or a refreshing beer. Sightseeing is available up Shadow basin chairlift between 12-2:30pm (subject to daily conditions). A short, but uphill on-snow hike (10-15 mins) from the top of the chairlift takes you to a lookout with views back towards Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.

Multi-day discounts apply- lift passes for The Remarkables and Coronet Peak are interchangeable, and can be used at either mountain, giving you the flexibility to choose which mountain you will visit on the day.

Wanaka Ski Fields

Cardrona

Opening Date: Friday 26th June

Closing Date: Sunday 18 October

Open: 7 days a week 8:30am-4pm

Half day passes: 8.30am – 12.30pm morning, 12.30 -4pm afternoon

Daily Snow Report: here

Terrain: Beginner 25%, intermediate 40%, advanced 35% (approximate)

Non-skiers: Cardrona offers a great selection of dining options at the base building, including a casual grab-and-go café, an a la carte restaurant with table service, an Asian inspired noodle and sushi bar, a bar with healthy menu options catering to many dietary requirements and “The Lounge” which offers a sophisticated slopeside bar and après ski spot. Sight seers can take McDougalls ‘Chondolla’ (subject to daily conditions) up to the vista bar for a little indulgent glass of bubbles overlooking the Wakatipu Basin. If you are taking the family up the mountain, tubing is great fun for a non-ski activity on the mountain – normally available in Spring between 12-3pm.

Treble Cone

Opening Date: Saturday 27th June

Closing Date: Sunday 6th September

Open: 7 days a week 8:30am-4pm

Half-day passes: 8.30am – 12.30pm morning, 12.30 -4pm afternoon

Daily Snow Report: here

Terrain: Beginner 10%, intermediate 40%, advanced 50% (approximate)

Non-skiers: A nice base building with an outdoor fireplace and daily BBQ lunch is great for non-skiers. If you’re not a BBQ lover, enjoy soups, noodles, burgers or salads, and wash it down with a drink from the licenced bar. There are no sightseeing options available at Treble Cone.

Multi-day discounts apply- lift passes for Cardrona and Treble Cone are interchangeable, and can be used at either mountain giving you the flexibility to choose which mountain you will visit on the day.\

Local tips for keeping up to date with information on the ski fields…

Social Media

Whilst the daily snow reports (found on each mountain’s website) are great for checking snow levels and weather forecasts, we suggest following each mountain on social media to get up to the minute updates on lift status’ and car park capacities which can really have an impact on your experience on the mountain.

@coronetpeak (Coronet Peak)

@theremarks (The Remarkables)

@CardronaAlpineResort (Cardrona)

@treblecone (Treble Cone)

Weather forecasts

We love yr.no for accurate weather forecasting – you’ll find that there are many different forecasts across many different websites, but we find this one to be (usually) reasonably accurate…

Handy hints to make the most of your day….

Be sure to check the snow reports, weather forecasts and social media pages BEFORE setting off for the day – there is nothing worse than arriving to discover there are blustery winds have closed half of the lifts at one mountain and it’s a blue sky day across the valley at the other mountain!
Save yourself the hassle and stress of arranging rental gear on the mountain and skip the queues in town by having the rental company come and fit your gear at your villa the night before. It makes the day much more enjoyable!
Set yourself a meeting point when you arrive on the mountain – it’s easy to lose your crew when whizzing down the slopes, and the cold air can make your phone battery drain quicker. Pick an easy spot near the base building at the start of the day in case you all get separated so there is no confusion where to meet.
If you have scheduled lessons or ski school, allow plenty of time to get parked up and find the meeting point, particularly during school holidays. You can sometimes have to wait for a car park shuttle to take you from the car park to the base building, and things can get busy.
Whilst we’re on the subject of ski schools and lessons, it’s definitely easiest to pre-book these to avoid disappointment!

With some planning, a ski holiday can be a fantastic choice, and great fun! If you need any more info on any of the ski fields in Queenstown or Wanaka, our Sales and Concierge Team are on hand to help, and love sharing details of their favourite runs and more insider tips with guests – get in touch!

Please note: Dates and days of operation are subject to change throughout the season. Opening times relate to main lifts and can be subject to weather disruptions and safety control work, so some areas of the mountain may take a little longer to open up.

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