5 days | 182km
Route: Wanaka local
Highlights: Cardrona, Treble Cone, Snow Farm, The Cardrona Distillery, Cardrona Hotel, great restaurants and cafes
Best time of year: June 10 - Oct 15
Car 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
Car 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 Altitude 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 the Snow Farm for more on-snow activities: cross country skiing, tubing, toboggining, fat tyre biking, husky sled dog rides, or snow shoe into a back-country hut.
- Take a spin at the Snow & Ice Driving Experience.
- Go for a scenic flight from Wanaka 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.
Day 5 - Heli-skiing
Heli-skiing is not just for the pros in the movies! Any confident, intermediate skier can heliski. 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 2-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.