When traveller’s think of the South Island of New Zealand, snow capped mountains, skiing and boarding and extreme sports are activities that spring to mind. The mountains dusted in snow provide snow bunnys’ a great experience to catapult themselves down its steep faces and sharp turns. Queenstown itself draws in nearly 1.9 million guests every year, and its four main ski fields, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone are a haven for those who love the cold. By early July this year the snow wasn’t amazing and the runs were a little icy, but by our 2nd last day there was fresh powder covering the runs.
For beginners skiers, such as myself, Coronet Peak has a fantastic run called Big N Easy which is slow and gentle and allows you to figure out the basic’s of skiing. Don’t let your friends push you down green or blue runs without trying this one first as I duly learnt, and have lovely purple bruises all up and down my legs to prove it. Coronet Peak also has a range of green, blue and black runs open and has more diversity than The Remarkables. The Remarkables is more for intermediate skiers and has a couple of fun runs. I didn’t enjoy this ski field and other more experienced skiers found it quite boring after a day or two. As for Cardrona, we never went there but was told it was the better ski field. And, Treble Cone is about 1.5 hrs away and it’s said to have the best snow but it was just too far.
But Queenstown has more to offer than just snow, its extraordinary beautiful scenery makes it the perfect place for hikes or extreme sports. Bungee jumping and skydiving are hugely popular and I managed to muster up enough confidence to do a baby version of Bungee jumping. The Nevis Swing drops you 80m straight down and then swings you out over a canyon. It is the highest swing in the world, and you can gather upto 120km/hr in speed. It’s about 30 min bus ride from the main centre of Town and next door is the highest Bungee jump in Australasia. The Swing is 160m above sea level and offers awesome yet somewhat terrifying views – not for the faint hearted. You can swing anyway you like, I chose to go upside and face backwards which was incredible. The feeling of absolute weightlessness and sheer adrenalin is something not to be missed.
madeleinecurby 