Photo: Coronet Peak

25 centimetres of fresh snow at Mt Hutt, 15 at the top of Coronet Peak and 10 at the peak of The Remarkables are among the early results of wintry storm fronts currently dumping snow across the New Zealand’s premier South Island ski areas.

NZSKi ski areas Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt are each welcoming the fresh snow which has fallen to lake level in Queenstown and blanketed the valleys around Methven.

NZSki CEO James Coddington said the timing was fantastic with the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival set to open in Queenstown on Friday (June 27) followed by an official new building opening of the $30million redevelopment at Coronet Peak on Saturday and Sunday (June 28 and 29).

“We have a huge weekend planned and delighted to have Mother Nature join the party with fresh snow. The cold weather is also bringing the right conditions for snowmaking which means our 200+ guns can add to nature’s bounty.”

Skiing and riding at Mt Hutt has been excellent since the high country ski area opened on June 14 but Ski Area Assistant Manager James McKenzie says the top up is very welcome.

“Everyone loves freshies and Mt Hutt is the most awesome place to ski on a powder day. The keen are braving cold and enjoying optimum conditions.”

The storm that hit the ski areas over night and this morning is one of a series expected to bring snow and icy temperatures for the South for the rest of the week.

Great musical line up promised for Coronet Peak base building official opening

Visitors to Coronet Peak this Saturday can chill out to the popular beats of DJ Recloose following the ribbon cutting ceremony which will kick off a weekend’s celebration to declare the brand new base building officially open.

Saturday’s official festivities will be followed by the Party at the Peak from 3pm on Sunday featuring Midge Marsden, the Master Blasters and Goodnight Nurse. Party at the Peak is part of the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival programme which also gets underway this week.

A wintry storm now dumping snow and cold temperatures allowing snowmaking is likely to leave the south blanketed in snow in time for a big party weekend.

Everyone’s invited to the Coronet Peak celebrations which start with the official ribbon cutting ceremony at 1pm on Saturday. Guests will enjoy complimentary tea and coffee on the new deck, followed by entertainment from DJ Recloose for the remainder of the day.

Saturday’s visitors will also be treated to 50% discounts on everything (except season passes, multi-day products, alcohol, private lessons and retail) all day, or while stocks last, to encourage the whole community to come up and celebrate the biggest development since the inception of the ski area.

Sunday’s Party at the Peak will continue into the night with the first night skiing for the season.

NZSki CEO James Coddington says the events of the weekend are designed to bring the local and visiting community together to celebrate the massive $30m development project which is expected to deliver economic benefits across the region.

“This development has been made possible through a huge effort from the Queenstown community. In just seven months we have constructed a world class base area and installed the world’s most sophisticated snowmaking system. Many people and organisations in Queenstown have been part of this effort and we want to thank the entire community for its support over the past months,” says Mr Coddington. “It’s important to us that as many people as possible come and experience what has been created in our backyard.”