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Just 20 minutes out of Queenstown, Coronet Peak is probably the most accessible ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere. It was the first commercial ski field in New Zealand when it opened in 1947 and now more than 75 years later it is still one of the most popular places to ski.
Anyone visiting the mountain immediately comments about how the terrain is a lot like a roller coaster, and that is the way the piste and trails all rise and fall, making it a great place for some snappy laps and a real crowd pleaser on the trails.
Coronet Peak is a great place for learning to ski and they have created a fantastic first timers package that combines gear hire, lift ticket and a lesson on to a single pass and its really great value to help you get the basic skills and start enjoying your time on the mountain.
Getting There
Coronet Peak is only 16kms from Queenstown and while there is plenty of car parking, you might be tempted to catch the ski bus from downtown on Duke street. Buses run regularly from 7.30am til 11.00am and return from 3pm right through to 6pm. Note that like the Remarkables Bus you do need to reserve your departure slot and pick up location.
What is it like to ski?
Being a bit lower altitude than its neighbouring ski resort ‘The Remarkables’ the snow quality at Coronet Peak can fade a little faster. But that is made up for with the vast array of snow making to ensure you are still sliding with big smile on your face.
Your first run on the mountain is likely to be off the Coronet Express which is a big 6 seater chair (with a few gondolas thrown in for good measure) and will zip you up the mountain in record time. At the top the M1 is the warm up run, but consider jumping off and hitting ‘Mid Gully’ and ‘Wall Street’ for some steeper sections. From there head over to Greengate Express (another Sixpack) and take ‘Green Gates’ to ‘Dirty Four’ then follow ‘Sarah Sue’ along the ridge line and through the bends to the bottom.
When you are warmed up and ready for challenge the back bowls and ‘Powder Run’ which Gose from the Rock Gully T-Bar are there to challenge you.
Village Facilities
There is no village or accomodation on the mountain – but there are food outlets and two bars, ski hire and a retail store for those things you might have forgotten. For everything else there is Queenstown.
Where to Stay
There is lots of great accomodation in downtown Queenstown consider QT Queenstown for a bit of lux or consider The Rees Hotel with its fantastic view of the lake. 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.
TERRAIN
Elevation Top | 1649m
Elevation Bottom | 1200m
Vertical Drop | 462m
Highest Lifted Point | 1649m
Skiable Terrain | 280ha
Longest Run | X km
Beginner | 25%
Intermediate | 45%
Advanced | 30%
Total Number Trails | 32
LIFTS
Gondola’s & Trams | 0
High Speed Eight | 0
High Speed Six | 2
High Speed Quad | 1
Quad Chairs | 0
Triple Chairs | 0
Double Chairs | 0
Single Chairs | 0
Surface Lifts | 4
Uphill Capacity | 9,218
SNOW
Avg Annual Snowfall | 2.1m
Avg Snow Depth | 126cm
Snowmaking | 38ha
Total Number Guns | 204
Day Ticket | $159
Season Pass | $1399 &
IKON pass
VILLAGE
Accomodation Beds | 7000
Restaurants | 2
Bars | 2
Cafes | 1
On Mountain Food | 2
LINKS
- https://www.coronetpeak.co.nz
- https://www.therees.co.nz
- https://www.nzski.com
- https://www.instagram.com/coronetpeak/?hl=en
