Queenstown snow holiday for a noob

[sshazam]

Hey guys

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong section and if it seems very noob

My friend and I have always wanted to go to the snow and we've decided upon Queenstown in NZ since it seems to offer both snow and non snow activities and we'd get too travel over seas .
Since both of us have never been skiing or Snowboarding we weren't exactly sure which ski places to visit or how many days we would need?
We were wondering if there are any places which offer both ski and snowboarding classes so we can try our hand at both ? or if anyone has been on the Contiki snow trip if they could shed some insight on whether or not its worth going on.
We also looked at doing the Helicopter glacier tour, are there any other activities worth doing in Queenstown in July ?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Febs]

We also looked at doing the Helicopter glacier tour, are there any other activities worth doing in Queenstown in July ?

I'll let someone else reply about the snow activities as it's been 14 years since I was there in Winter, but you have to do The Nevis Bungy (or at least one bungy)!
What to Do In Queenstown - Nevis Bungy

I did it when I was there as a teenager, and again in January this year (twice ) - amazing fun. I've done higher bungy jumps (Macau), but this was by far the most exciting.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[samh004]

There are 4 mountains around the Queenstown area. The 2 in Queenstown are Coronet Peak (lots of man made snow but excellent facilities) and The Remarkables (more natural snow but also more challenging terrain). Both of these mountains are easy to get to from Queenstown and offer something for all skill levels.

Slightly further away is Cardrona, which offers a lot and I find similar to Coronet Peak. Finally, furthest away is Treble Cone (2 hour drive) and this is comparable to The Remarkables.

All mountains offer facilities for both skiers and snowboarders.

For a beginner, my pick would be Coronet (about 40 minutes from town) or Cardrona (about 1.5 hours from Queenstown). I'd say 5 days would be ideal but longer is fun too. You'll want some days off to explore town and do other adventurous things

 

[here2go]

The Snow in Queenstown is not great - it has similar "aridity" issues to Australia caused by the mountains and rain shadow. That said, it is a great party town and is beautiful. The two closest slopes are Remarkables (beginner and Intermediate) and Coronet Peak, which has slightly less beginner and is easier to access, which has been referred to as Concrete Peak due its low altitude and resultant freezing and defrosting issues. Allocate an hour travel to Remarks (45m bus ride - and you can watch planes landing from above) and Coronet 30m. If you've never skied before, these should be fine. Regardless where you go, look at your feet. The only purchase I tell people to invest in is boots tailored to your feet. Do this at the boot makers in town, so they can adjust for free the boots. If your feet hurt, you will loathe it. If you can get by with hire boots, then lucky for you.

 

[Andyc]

Cadrona would be my pick for starting off but do make sure you get around to Coronet and the Remarkables too. I'd say to avoid Treble Cone this trip as its the longest drive and the more advanced slope. Also, the best skiing is in the morning so try to get to the slopes early.

Lastly, if you can, try to avoid being there at the same time as Sydney Uni make their annual "Subski" trip.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Cadrona would be my pick for starting off but do make sure you get around to Coronet and the Remarkables too. I'd say to avoid Treble Cone this trip as its the longest drive and the more advanced slope. Also, the best skiing is in the morning so try to get to the slopes early.

I'd be thinking Cardona would turn people off skiing. Not because of the slopes (great for beginners and my eldest daughter had her first ski there, aged two), but simply because the drive from a Queenstown base is too far. Leave Cardrona and Treble Cone for some time when you can base yourselves in Wanaka. There's nothing worse than being wet and freezing and facing a 1.5 hour drive back to the hotel with a 15 minute roll in the slush taking off chains.

For new skiers, forget heliskiing. Learn to walk before you run a marathon.

Talk of ice has got me all excited. I learnt in AU so ice is normal......all the NZ powder cough is plain annoying, give me some nice early morning shadow ice and I'm as happy as a pig in mud!

 

[aupirate]

I lived in QT for 10 years before heading to the Sunshine Coast, I agree with all the previous advice. Coronet Peak the easiest to get to, there are all inclusive gear hire and lessons on the mountain so no need to hire gear in town if you don`t want to. If the weather is bad or you need a day off, yes you will have a sore Bum on day 1, there is lots to do in the area, Bungy, Canyon Swing, wine tours, breathtaking scenery you name it it`s there.