Winter sports enthusiasts might obsess over downhill but, at one small ski club in central Canterbury, there is an unusual ski lift that is raising the bar.
The Tyndall Tramway is New Zealand’s shortest, steepest public railway and the only funicular ski tram in the country. According to SkiResorts.com Broken River has the only one in the Southern Hemisphere.
With two cabs capable of lifting up to six skiers at a time, they are operated by the press of a button. The self-service approach adds further novelty to the experience.
Arriving late on Saturday to test out the Tramway, as the car park empties of day visitors, it’s an exhilarating ride. Not only because the tram has been out of action for so long.
It takes just four minutes to reach the top station and ticketing office - even with added time to work out the operations. This is far quicker than the alternative.
Having suffered technical issues since 2018 and pandemic delays, the only reliable way up to the ski field has been a 20 minute walk. Closer to 30 minutes, when fully laden with ski gear and supplies for the weekend.
Visiting writer for the Lonely Planet Huw Kingston recently noted his disappointment that the “funky” tramway was out of order during a visit last year, resulting in a “20-minute trudge”.
This is something that locals have said has hurt operations and the bottom line of the club.
Club members say they have been running at a loss for the past few years. In 2020 The Press reported the bill for fixing the tram had topped $140,000, at a time when visitor numbers were down by a third.
The dwindling visitor numbers have not dampened the enthusiasm for skiing.
After a literal uphill struggle to get the tramway going, the newly certified lift and has been back in operation since opening day on July 25. And there was plenty of pent-up demand.
“All the clubs offer something slightly different, but are always welcoming to day visitors,” says Claire Newell, Broken River marketing co-ordinator.
The tram is definitely a unique selling point of Broken River, but it’s not the quirkiest way of accessing the snow. The bottom of the snowline is connected to the huts by 100-metres of wooden slats, the locals have dubbed the “Stairway to Heaven”.
Her advice to any would-be skiers visiting the Selwyn club fields is to “get up to speed with the ‘nutcracker tows’.”
The belt-tow ski lifts are a uniquely New Zealand invention, which define much of the character of the smaller club fields. They’re not particularly intuitive, and require a bit of practice. Especially if you are using a snowboard.
However, staff are on hand to help visitors get the knack of the nutcracker. There’s even a ‘go-slow’ button to help visitors get to the top of the 1,820m elevation.
Designed and built by Broken River Ski Club members, The Tramway is fully certified to carry ski guests and runs 8.30am-10.30am and 3.30pm-5.30pm daily during the winter. brokenriver.co.nz
By Thomas Bywater
