SKI > The Remarkables just out of Queenstown in NZ's South Isle

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Situated 37 minutes drive up above Queenstown, ‘Remarks’ is one of the three resorts included on the SkiNZ Superpass – you can ski at The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt all on the same pass which makes for great value.

Once you have parked your car or alighted from the bus at ‘Remarks’ you look up at three sun-drenched, north-facing bowls that have a range of terrain to suit every skiers ability. And for those looking to bounce off something there are up to seven terrain parks (dependent on snow cover).

Queenstown is such a stunning location to visit and the views from The Remarkables back across to Arrowtown, Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu are brilliant. The terrain varies from off-piste black runs and daring chutes to wide-open learner slopes and everything in between.

Getting There

It is a 37 minute drive up the scenic 24km from central Queenstown to The Remarkables home base and you can either drive it yourself of go up in the Remarkables Ski Bus – there is a fleet of 4WD Ski Buses that depart from Central Queenstown on Duke Street from 7.30am until 9am. Please note that it is important to reserve your set on the bus and purchase a bus ticket prior as they do fill up and can sell out in peak periods.

What is it like to ski?

In a word FUN you are in one of the most beautiful places in the world with the backdrop of beautiful Queenstown, you have a range of terrain that will keep everyone happy and the vibe of the place is always positive – people smile when they get to Remarks because its fun. No matter if you are riding the black ‘Shady Lady’ or lapping the green ‘Castaway’ its a great day on the snow.

Most people start on the Sugar Bowl Express, its a six pack chairlift on your left as you look up the valley, it takes you up to 1870m and immediately you can choose between green (beginner), blue (intermediate) and red (advanced) trails. Personally I like to start my day with a couple of laps ‘Serpentine’ and sometime a quick one down ‘Fall Line’ before heading to the middle chair. The Curvey Basin Chair is another six person chairlift and it takes you up to the Curvey Basin which sits in the middle of the resort and rises to 1900 m. There is some fun carving to be had here, try the ‘Double Back’ to the ‘Drop Out’ trails. The third lift across is Alta Quad Chair, this is a great place for beginners because there are a bunch of green trails that head out from the top of this lift. The last Chair is another quad and it takes up to the top of Shadow Basin at 1943m. It’s actually a bowl at the top and then a crest and then another face down into the home base. From the top of Shadow Basin take ‘The Highway’ out to ‘Shady Lady’ or “Rainbow Warrior’ and then over ‘The Waterfalls’ back to the bottom.

For those looking for adventure there is the ‘Homeward Run’ and ‘Outward Bound’ take note that these runs take you away from home base and while there is some excellent advanced and extreme skiing out there you will need to organise to get a lift back, so this is much better done with a guide!

Village Facilities

There is no village or accomodation on the mountain – there are food outlets and a bar, ski hire and a retail store for those things you might have forgotten. For everything else there is Queenstown.

https://almanak.com.au/archives/2023/explore/travel/nz/the-incredible-magic-of-queenstown/

Where to Stay

There is lots of great accomodation in downtown Queenstown consider QT Queenstown for a bit of lux and Y. But if you are looking for something different consider staying in picturesque and historic Arrow Town. If you just want to get up the hill fast there is accomodation in Frankton near the airport and much closer to the Mountain. Consider Wyndham Garden Queenstown or the Queenstown Village Apartments.