Sarah WallockYour local’s guide to skiing in Queenstown, New Zealand on an epic ski trip. Having lived in 3 ski towns internationally and with over 300 days on snow, I’m an experienced snowboarder with 7 ski seasons of experience across 15 resorts in the US and in New Zealand.
As shown in the images below from 2020, I was playing on Coronet Peak above Greengates in my “upgraded” gear from my original retro ski suit.
My Credibility
- Days on snow: 300
- Disciplines: Snowboard, Splitboard, Nordic skiing, Backcountry Ski
- Home mountains: Coronet Peak, then Mammoth Mountain, then Eldora
- Countries skied: US, New Zealand
- Resorts skied: 15
- Seasons skiing: 7
- Current Quiver: Ride Warpig 142, Ride Saturday 148, Jones Dreamweaver Splitboard 152, Rossignol OT Skis 175 cm
What I Look for in Ski Mountains
- Perspective: Experienced snowboarder with both local mountain and destination ski trip experience
- Skiing style: All-mountain explorer, looking for scenic views, powder stashes, and steeps
- Terrain: Expert, advanced, sidecountry, backcountry, groomers, off-piste
- Favorite ski vacations: Mount Hutt, Steamboat, Snowbird
When to Ski in New Zealand
Winter in the Southern Hemisphere is from June through August. My best powder days have been concentrated in Augusts, but of course there’s some risk planning your travel around snow these days. I lived and worked for two seasons in Queenstown and thoroughly enjoyed spending my August birthdays on snow surrounded by friends. With tasty food, manageable terrain, an awesome après scene and accessible slopes, I highly recommend making a bucket-list ski trip to Queenstown a reality.
Coronet Peak is one of my favorite resorts in the world. Of course I’m a little biased as I used to live just down the hill from it and spend my Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights sipping mulled ginger beer and eating sushi at their series of night-riding and aprés concerts. And of course, sliding down the manmade snow, or powder if we were lucky. From an accessible First Timer Package to side-country terrain for confident riders, this relatively small mountain with 3 main lifts is certainly what you make of it.
Remarkables is the sister mountain to Coronet Peak and both are within 30 minutes of one another. As this is the first place I ever stepped on a snowboard, I bought the First Timer package, aptly named “Intro to Snow” in 2020. From there, for a small fee, I upgraded to the 3 Peak Season pass which included Remarkables and Coronet in Queenstown, and Mt Hutt outside of Christchurch in Methvan, a very hilarious and unique farm village/ski town.
Lift Tickets and Transportation
If you’re coming from North American, you can either use extra days on a North American Ikon pass, buy day passes locally at each resort, or get a Superpass with access to all 12 ski areas in New Zealand.
You can get around through booking a rental car or relying on public buses. If you want early or late night laps, taking your car is an easy way to go, but due to traffic, if you like to sleep in, I’d recommend taking public transit or grabbing a bus from one of the local operators from the town center. Book a rental car if you want more freedom to explore beyond the town center and just days on the hill. Or, stick to public transit if you plan to spend most of your time skiing or boarding or exploring most of the main attractions.
Best Ski Runs
I’d love to give you some of my favorite tips for advanced riders, which I’ve described here below. But of course I can’t share all the local secrets! Once you’re on the snow, kiwis are pretty friendly, so be sure to ask around. Chances are, if you’re heading across the world on a ski trip, you’re pretty comfortable on your board or skis.
Coronet Peak
At Coronet, head up the main lift, Coronet Express, to get up to the highest peak on the mountain, Summit View Point. Here and Greengates are the primary riding areas. Sometimes the T-bar is open if there aren’t events and depending on conditions. From the top of Coronet, ride down the Hurdle or Exchange drop for sweeping views of Lake Whakatipu and rolling moguls or smooth groomers, depending on conditions. M1 is a snaking beginner’s path to the bottom, with slow speeds and a family-friendly atmosphere.
While below Coronet Express is nice and particularly fun during night riding, if you veer right down the Chimney to Upper Walkabout you’ll land in a natural canyon that funnels into Greengates. This is the most iconic spot for riding up the walls and ditching the crowds of the main lift. I love the lower half of Greengates on a powder day. Taking Sugar’s to Ego Alley is another fun one, but when conditions are poor, I would stay far away. Concrete Peak earned it’s name for a reason… I’ve had many icy wipeouts down Wall Street and Mid Gully.
Remarkables
When riding at the Remarkables, you have a more runs to choose from and a bigger terrain park. Additionally, opportunities for side-country riding abound for confident boarders via boot-packing or skinning out of bounds.
If you’re anything like me and half in it for the adrenaline, but mostly in it for the views, veer right, ascend via Shadow Basin lift and head straight down Calypso and up to the jaw-dropping lookout over Lake Whakatipu. If conditions are good, hiking up to left from Shadow to Elevator and Escalator and riding around Lake Alta is fun, fulfilling and exciting. If you head out to the right of Shadow, the chutes out of Highway are also epic when there’s fresh snow.
Head up Sugarbowl and traverse past the terrain park. Here, there’s some pretty wild drops, depending on conditions. Between it’s three lifts, Remarks boasts diverse and interesting terrain, but can get pretty packed with visitors.
Stay and Explore
There are plenty of options in Queenstown from hotels to BnBs, to room rentals and beyond. These may fluctuate on your budget and needs. I would plan accommodation based around proximity to the bus stop if you’re relying on public transit. Or if you have a rental car, perhaps don’t choose to stay in Queenstown city center because parking is very difficult. Central has a lot of connectedness and a lively feel, while Frankton has a little more suburban feel and room to breathe.
Depending on if you’d like to stay closer to one mountain or the other, Arthur’s Point or Arrowtown would be near Coronet, and Jack’s Point and Frankton are very close to Remarks.
I’ve never stayed in a hotel in Queenstown, but I’ve liked yoga classes at the Sherwood offered by my friend, Ale. The Hilton in Kelvin Heights near the Remarks seemed nice when I did sales meetings with them. I used to be a gym member at the since-renamed and rebranded, Coronet Ridge Resort, and I’m not sure whether it’s worth the steep price, but the location is very good. There are plenty of affordable hostels, but it is a lively party town so be wary if that’s not your scene and read reviews before booking.
Eat and Drink
I used to work in hospitality in Queenstown, so of course I can keep you well fed. Boatshed coffee will certainly shake you awake. As will Bespoke, with the best breakfast in town, or Yonder, an awesome local spot. Head to my old workplace, Little Blackwood for the tastiest espresso martinis and fun seasonal specials at their sister venue, Margo’s, for margaritas.
Cargo Collective is a relatively new spot at the bottom of Coronet; it’s awesome for après or a late afternoon snack before heading up to night ride. Altitude Brewing, Searchlight and Beech Tree are other bars with an immaculate vibe. And if you want takeaway food, Frankton Pizzeria ALWAYS hits the spot.
Insider Knowledge
I’d schedule my time by getting early morning runs in at Remarkables, head down to town for an afternoon nap. Then, after dinner or early evening, head up to Coronet for night riding. This way, you’ll get the best of both worlds.
If you want to explore beyond just ski fields, head to Mount Cook National Park, hike around Moke Lake or Mt Crichton and be sure to take a dip in the onsen tubs overlooking the Shotover River. And of course in the adventure capital of the world, you can paddle and ski in a day. We did it all the time.
