Days 1 & 2: Cardrona Alpine Resort
By car from Wanaka: 35 mins | 34 km
The wide, gentle slopes of Cardrona are an ideal place to find your ski legs at the beginning of your holiday.
- Take a lesson to refresh your skills
- Check out the world-class terrain park and half pipes
- Apres-ski drinks at the iconic Cardrona Hotel are a must-do or call into the Cardrona Distillery for taste of their award winning gin.
Day 3: Treble Cone Ski Area
By car from Wanaka: 22 mins | 21.5 km
Treble Cone is famous for its long un-crowded groomed runs, legendary off-piste terrain and unrivalled views over Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps.
- Hike to the summit for fresh tracks
- Lunch at the café for great views, but watch out for the cheeky kea!
- Take a lesson to fine tune your off-piste skills
- For beginner skiers and snowboarders, Treble Cone provides FREE lift access to the ‘Nice n’ Easy’ surface lifts
Day 4 – Rest Day / Non Ski Day
An opportunity to give the legs a rest and a chance to experience some of the other great activities in Wanaka, either on or off the mountain.
- Visit Snow Farm for more on-snow activities: cross-country skiing, tubing, toboggining, fat tyre biking, husky sled dog rides, or snowshoe into a back-country hut.
- Go for a scenic flight from Wānaka over the glaciers to Milford Sound
- Take the kids to Puzzling World or visit the iconic Cinema Paradiso – don’t miss the freshly baked cookies.
- Take them fishing at Hook which is also a great spot to enjoy a bit of apres ski action
- Check out all the things you can do around Wānaka
Day 5 - Heli-skiing
Heli-skiing is not just for the pros! Any confident, intermediate skier can heli-ski. Spend the day lapping untracked powder with a helicopter picking you up at the end of each run!
FAQ's:
When’s the best time to visit?
The winter season starts in mid-June and continues to early October. August usually offers the most consistent snow conditions and September typically provides the most stable weather with great spring skiing conditions.
What should I wear?
On the mountain, layers of clothes work best with an outer shell of ski jacket & pants, hat / helmet, gloves and goggles or sunglasses. Around town ski-wear is usual for après-ski drinks at the end of the day. Wanaka is a relaxed, laid back town where casual attire is the norm – no need to get dressed up for dinner, unless you want to!
How long should I stay?
With a vast ski area there’s more than enough terrain to keep the most avid skiers & snowboarders happy for a two-week holiday, as well as plenty of off-mountain activities for non-ski days.
How do I get around?
Treble Cone & Cardrona are both 35-40 mins drive from Wanaka and there are regular door to door shuttle bus services to the mountains. The ski area access roads are maintained / cleared daily, but if you plan to drive yourself you will need to carry snow chains and know how to fit them, although there is a chain fitting service at Cardrona. There are shuttle buses from the base car park at both Cardrona and Treble Cone if you don't want to drive up the mountains.
