Family guide to a snow holiday in Queenstown

With her daredevil children leading the way (kind of), Tracey Spicer braves Queenstown’s snow quartet and discovers that variety is the key to a winter escape.

The surrounding mountains

Coronet Peak

The closest mountain to Queenstown is Coronet Peak, a 25-minute drive on paved roads It is so easy to drive and park there, and you can pre-book your lift tickets, lessons and hire gear online by registering for mypass before you leave home. Get your pass at guest services and then you can top it up online to ski at any of NZSki’s three New Zealand resorts. Coronet’s night skiing is legendary, held on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Tuck into dinner, enjoy the entertainment and hit the slopes under the spotlights.

Here 25 per cent of the terrain is devoted to beginners. The green runs are easy. But it’s also easy to be distracted by the spectacular views of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables: like crumpled lunch bags dusted with icing sugar.

There’s a lovely pizza restaurant, Heidi’s Hut, at the bottom of Rocky Gully. Just make sure the kids know how to ride a T-bar to get back to the top. We almost left one of them down there (and I noticed we weren’t the only forgetful parents). Try the terrific tubing park in between hitting the rollercoaster terrain.

The Remarkables

The last time I drove up to The Remarkables, I thought I was going to die. The car started sliding towards the vertiginous drop. Traffic barriers were few and far between. Well, that’s changed. More barriers have been built, the road is sealed and Ski NZ staff are on hand to put your chains on when necessary. (Make sure you give them a tip. The poor guys are there seven days a week during the ski season.) The resort is also part of the NZSki stable and is a 45-minute drive from town. Or atch the shuttle from the Snow Centre so you don’t have to worry about roads or parking. 

The Remarks is known for its terrain parks and spectacular views, and the kids’ learn-to-ski program is excellent. Almost a third of the runs here are for beginners. You’re surrounded by snow, giving new meaning to the phrase ‘winter wonderland’.

Within the base building, the resort has the best eating areas, with healthy and tasty choices like green chicken curry, chilli beans and noodles. Our visit coincides with a snowstorm, so we spend a lot of time scoffing and not much skiing.

Cardrona

“First one down without a broken leg is the winner!” the kids cry. We’re at the top of a terrain park at Cardrona, a marshmallow mountain 20 mins from Wanaka. The snow looks so soft you could eat it. (Avoiding the yellow patches, of course.) I agree to the race on one condition: no one ends up in hospital. A little bit of confidence can cause a lot of problems.

There’s a huge variety of runs at Cardrona, from wide and gentle greens to fast and fun blues. (I believe there are blacks, but it gives me heart palpitations to think about them.) This relaxed resort is family-friendly, but the main chairlift can be slow; head for the Whitestar or Captain’s Express Quads instead. Tip: the ‘singles’ queues are quicker, if your kids are older than 10. You can load money onto the electronic lift passes to swipe at the register for lunch in the food court. The systems in the hiring area are equally efficient.

My skiing, however, is not so smooth. Taj and I tear down Big Bucks Park towards one of the jumps, but I veer off at the last minute. Grace makes chicken noises: “Buk, buk, bugerk! You’re a big baby, Mum!” I point to Taj, who’s also skidded aside. “Oh, Mum, I SO want to get some air, but it’s a bit scary,” he says.

Making family memories

We end our trip over a local Pinot at The Moorings Restaurant & Bar, at the Heritage Boutique Lake Resort. During dinner, we ask the kids about their favourite part of the holiday. Usually it’s “the pool!”, “the beach!” or “ice-cream!” But, this time, it’s different. “Spending time skiing with Mum and Dad,” Grace says, shyly.

It’s the first trip we’ve all been at the same level: There’s no better feeling than making it from top to bottom as a family. “Yeah, and chickening out on those jumps,” Taj says enthusiastically. “I’m glad we did that together! Made me feel like less of a scaredy-cat.”

This article originally appeared in Ski & Snowboard with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.