Getting on a plain to New Zealand the end of May

U

Upper

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So I am leaving the end of may for New Zealand in search of epic pow lines and what every else may be there. I was just wondering if anyone has something to say about it that may be helpful. We are going to/ heading towards Queenstown. When we get there we hope to find a place to set up camp for the 3 months we are going to be there. Other then that we are winging this thing. Only the baer essentials are getting put in the backpack and the skis in the bag.

Any thought would be good
 
I feel like you would be better off staying around Wanaka, I find it to be way more legit. PLus Wanaka is closer to Treble Cone, which probably has the best terrain in the area.
 
End of may is gunna be way early. Season doesnt start till end of june, well cardrona anyway.. So hopefully you are staying for a while..
 
make sure you get on a plane!!!! not a plain or you wont go anywhere you might get stuck in kansas or something! :P
 
may is pretty early, I know coronet advertises themselves as opening on the 9th or whatever redik date it is this year but there will be fuck all snow around then, only manmade snow on the 3 main trails.

remarks wont open until the end of june, and snow cover is usually pretty limited at the start of the season.

not trying to be a debbie downer, but the season doesn't really get into full swing until july.

is setting up base in a tents or are you looking for accommodation? check out trademe.co.nz and scene.co.nz for people looking for flatmates. staying in a tent would be cold.

despite what people say, there is good skiing in queenstown. remarks has a good mix of big mtn and park. coronet is mellow and fun, but don't think you'll be able to ski park there because it's so shit.

cardies will probably have the best park this year, but the rest of the hill is reasonabley mellow, though there are some sweet parts.

treble is all freeride, don't bother going for park

if you need more info about queenstown pm me
 
the conditions at the start of the season vary dramatically, you can never predict....

if your looking for pow and bc, come treble cone/wanaka... tc has the best back country, you can do a ton of hiking and sniffing out big untracked faces...

wanaka also has the best vibe imo, not the touristy shit thats in qtown... i live in qtown, but base in wanaka in the winter
 
think im gonna be heading down there beginning of july until mid august. staying in queenstown and now theres snow park passes so thats dope. id rather stay in wanaka for location but im going with friends and apparently queenstown is a bit more fun.
 
true.. but there is never much skiing to be had at the start of june. temps were still in the 20's mid june last season. that was the gayest warm patch ever.

wanakas changing too bro, there are so many affluent people there just to be seen. they seem to either be driving their porsche or bmw 4wds or be driving a beat up landy. i hope wanaka doesn't become as touristcentric as queenstown is though. the development in queenstown is stupid. saying that I don't think the vibes that bad. but i hang out in arrowtown for the most part
 
yeah word, mid june the hills arnt open anyway, but what i meant was when the season starts at the end of june, snow condish vary.... but coronets idea of opening super early is way dumb imo.

yeah wanakas still changing, went there today and it was the most quiet i ever seen it, kinda weird....but i know what you mean, and the funny thing about all the porches and range rover vogues, they just aucklanders and their holiday cars ahah!

and word to atown, i go into to qtown once a week, atown everyday pretty much
 
Queenstown and wanaka really don't get that much snow. Treble cone is awesome but you'll be lucky to score good pow. The real snow is up in Caterbury out in the alps. Arthurs pass is where you want to be for pow. The Club fields are the best in the country for uncrowded sick lines and snow. Check out Craigieburn, broken river, temple basin, Mt. olympus, etc. Watch your fingers on the Nutcrackers!

Also check out the Heli's if you have the cash. It's cheap in american money and Methven Heli has some of the sickest terrain.

Canterbury had one of the best years in 15-20 last year and the Queenstown resorts opened late and closed early. The southern mountains have good parks but the snow SUCKS.
 
Wanaka is a much better scene IMO then Queenstown. Queenstown is very Aspen-esque while Wanaka is very Breck-esque.
In Wanaka there is a Holiday Park campground a few minutes walk from the skatepark and lake where people set up campers for the shred season. That might be your cheapest bet, you'll be living very very meagerly though. There is also a hitching spot right outside the campground that will allow you to get rides to either treble cone or cardrona relatively easily if you get there bright and early. I suggest investing in a car though.
Enjoy yourself, I'd do criminal things to spend another season in NZ.
 
I'm heading to wanaka early july til mid august or so this year. Pretty EFing stoked. I've heard queenstown has a pretty sweet party scene, but I think i'm gonna go for a weekend instead of just staying there. Wanaka apparently is quite a bit like banff in winter, so that's right up my alley.
 
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