NZSki tackles 'uncertain season'

A digger works on improvements to the Waterfalls Trail in Shadow Basin at the Remarkables...
A digger works on improvements to the Waterfalls Trail in Shadow Basin at the Remarkables skifield area over summer. Photos supplied.
NZSki unveiled a raft of improvements at the Coronet Peak and Remarkables ski areas to the Queenstown business community this week, but could not predict how the Christchurch earthquake and the Australian market would affect the winter season."We are facing, like you guys, a very uncertain season," chief executive James Coddington told about 150 members of the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce in a pre-season presentation at the Crowne Plaza hotel.

Sales and marketing general manager Craig Douglas said the Australian market was looking more positive than before he went to Australia earlier this month.

NZSki had from now until the end of April or early May to make the most of the Australian market, he said.

"The success we will have out of the Australian market is going to be about what we, as NZSki, and the ski and travel industry does in Australia in these next few weeks.

A snow gun stands near the base of the new novice trail at Coronet Peak.
A snow gun stands near the base of the new novice trail at Coronet Peak.
"We're going to be working very closely with Destination Queenstown, the Queenstown Airport Corporation, Air New Zealand and a whole lot of other partners in the region and we'll be doing our own initiatives on top of that."

Mr Douglas said the United States and Australian exchange rate made skiing in North America more affordable for Australians.

However, some Australians were booking for both northern and southern seasons.

The New Zealand dollar made skiing more affordable for a new segment of the Australian market, as customers were "at least 35% better off skiing in New Zealand than you are skiing in Australia this season," Mr Douglas said.

"I don't know if there's a big down side for losing long-haul skiers to North America. We may lose a few, but I think the upside of picking up others is probably greater, on the currency alone."

Mr Coddington said he had heard Australian ski areas were more than 50% down in season pass sales, due to season pass price increases.

Mr Douglas said Australian skifield operators had been more co-ordinated in their promotion in their domestic market before the season and had spent $A3.5 million ($NZ4.7 million) to date.

There would be 32 direct flights a week into Queenstown Airport, up from 22 last winter, Mr Coddington said.

Mr Douglas said NZSki would look at targeting rugby fans in New Zealand for the World Cup to promote skiing between games.

Coronet Peak Ski Area manager Hamish McCrostie described two areas of development, a new trail called "3B", revegetation work with the Department of Conservation, a new magic carpet from the base to the beginners' areas and five additional snow-making machines at $75,000 each.

Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence described major earthworks in five areas to improve the experience of low- and intermediate-ability snow sports enthusiasts and families.

Kiwi Discovery managing director Vance Boyd said a large part of his business came from ski sales.

In the first two to three weeks of March, wholesalers typically booked in as much as business as they did until that period, but it had gone "completely flat" this month after a busy start.

"After trying to judge how the season's going to be for 24 years, this year I find the hardest to read. There's just so many different things going on out there which have the potential to distort the market."

Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chairman Alastair Porter told the audience that while everyone personally appreciated skiing for less, what NZSki meant for the resort was more important than season pass prices.

"If it's going to cost us a bit more to ski, think about it in terms of your businesses, because we can't really afford to do without this company and the magnificent contribution they make to this town."


Coronet Peak improvements

 

• New novice trail from the top of the Meadows chairlift takes skiers and boarders away from the busy lower M1.
• Running parallel to the new trail is an area designated as a "Kids Fun Zone", with flags, berms and other features.
• Three of the five new snow guns were set up on the Lower Big Easy.
• A 102m carpet conveyor lift installed from below the base of Meadows Express chairlift to the learners area.
• Trail widened on Lower Big Easy for a more consistent gradient and to split the trail close to the base of the Meadows Express chairlift.
• Radio frequency gates fitted to the Rocky Gully tow rope.
• Secondary wastewater treatment plant upgraded to meet new nitrogen discharge standards.

Remarkables improvements

• About 15,000cu m of rock blasted in Sugar Bowl and Shadow Basin.
• A dozen new snow guns installed.
• Areas around all three chairlifts have more access for snow groomers.
• The early intermediate Turquoise Trail doubled in width.
• A better downhill gradient on the novice Casterway Trail in Sugar Bowl.
• Intermediate trails widened below Sunrise Face.
• Earthworks done and four snow guns installed at the advanced Waterfalls run, which will be groomed for the first time.
• Radio frequency gates fitted to the Sugar Bowl chairlift.
• A total of 3.4km of extra guardrailing installed in two sections on the access road.
• Four new purpose-built 4WD buses for the access road, taking the fleet to 10 buses, all under three years old.


 

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