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Living the High Life
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By: Hilary Doling, Issue 35 – Winter 2008
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(Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardona and Treble Cone – South Island, New Zealand)
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NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTH ISLAND OFFERS SOME OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’S MOST SOPHISTICATED SKIING EXPERIENCES.
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The big bath at the Sofitel Queenstown Resort & Spa is full to the brim; I relax back into the hot water and watch the in-wall TV as steam curls towards the ceiling. There is a glass of Central Otago red wine balanced on the side of the tub. This has to be the perfect way to end a ski day. The hot water and the bath oil ease aching muscles and restore warmth to cold limbs.
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To help you enjoy the extra-deep designer tub the hotel will also a supply a Bathologist to draw your bath and mix your oils. The package comes complete with bath pillow, after-bath robe and fluffy slippers.
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The indulgent bath isn’t the only thing that makes the Sofitel a perfect ski stay. There’s also the luxury of downy doonas and white pillows piled snow-drift high on the signature Sofitel Mybed in rooms with warm carpets, coffee and cream décor and in-room hot chocolate and complimentary glove warmers that thoughtfully await you at the end of the day. There’s also Le Spa with steam rooms, saunas and muscle-releasing massages. But most of all there is the Ski Concierge, just what you need to make your stay near the slopes as hassle free as possible.
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With the Soski program the Ski Concierge will assist with all things snow-related. Lift passes and equipment hire are organized for you, and you get your skis, board and boots fitted while sipping on a glass of pinot. Soski also gives you door-to-slope transfers. Ski conditions and weather reports are available to guests via cell phone text messaging, and the in-room 'snowfone' button and on your LCD TV. The Soski après hour in the Nue lounge gives guests a chance to swap slope stories over mulled wine and canapés. This is definitely the Luxury Travel Magazine approach the skiing.
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Those who want to make their skiing or boarding even more luxurious can opt for a Premium Ski Day with fully escorted VIP transport and a personal full- or half-day with one of New Zealand's top instructors. Tailor-made Ski Days can also be organized for everyone from complete beginners to hardcore heli-skier and powder hounds.
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Queenstown, as avid skiers already know, is a great base for a trip to the New Zealand snow and Sofitel Queenstown is in the heart of the action with balcony views of Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and the rooftops of the town.
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Coronet Peak
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These may not be the most expansive peaks around, but at only short 25-minute (18km) drive along a fully sealed road from Queenstown, they make up for this with ease of access. So on day one, we’re straight off the plane at Queenstown airport and straight up on the slopes before you can say ‘slalom’.
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Luxury Loves: This much-loved mountain has had a serious facelift for 2008. There is a brand new multimillion-dollar building at the base area with slick gourmet cafes, and a huge sundeck for those who are more interested in their ski tans than their turns.
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New this Season: Anyone who hates manoeuvering ski equipment through the crowds will be thrilled to know that the new building also includes enlarged spaces for ticketing, storage, and rental. The kids on skids are better catered for too, with a doubling of the child-care capacity and expanded kid club facilities. Automated snowmaking capacity has tripled for 2008.
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Coolest Moment: Night Skiing and First Tracks mean both ends of the day offer magic moments on snow.
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Favourite Fuel Stop: The European style Heidi’s Hut at Rocky Gully for gourmet pizzas, pasta, seriously good coffee, and mulled wine at the bar.
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The Remarkables
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‘Where attitude meets altitude’ is what they say about The Remarkables and it’s true. There are shades of the European Alps here with 220 skiable hectares with narrow chutes, rock drops and off-piste powder for the brave, and wide sunny bowls accessed by three quad chairs for the rest of us.
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Luxury Loves: The Remarkables’ brand new 4x4 coaches and transport system which mean you can leave the car at home and travel the 45 minutes from Queenstown (and up the unsealed road mountain road ) stress free.
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New this Season: ‘The Stash’ project – The first Burton signature terrain park in the Southern Hemisphere, adds a kilometre-long back-country park experience. Two new conveyor belts double the capacity of the learners’ area, which has the added plus of being in full view of the café sun deck; a great place for families to watch learner children or friends. Snow making capacity has improved too.
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Coolest Moment: Adrenalin junkies like the Lake Alta area with its off-piste steeps and shoots.
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Favourite Fuel Stop: If weather permits sit outside on the café deck and watch the antics of the NZ ski slopes most curious bird, the grey-feathered kea birds, that are prone to sit on the top of the 4WDs and chew the plastic off ski racks. Live music helps the cafe atmosphere.
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Cardrona
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It’s 58 kilometres from Queenstown (serious Cardrona fans tend to stay in Wanaka) but worth the drive because Cardrona has great natural snow due to its higher elevation and the fact it mainly faces south. Its runs are wide and forgiving. It also gets a huge gold star for having the best kids club in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Luxury Loves: Getting to the top quickly courtesy of a new high-speed detachable quad chairlift at Captain’s Basin. The new Captain’s Express chairlift is two and a half times quicker than the old quad with the journey now only taking three and a half minutes versus nine minutes in the past.
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New this Season: The popular Captain’s Basin pizzeria has been expanded with double the number of seats and great views of the valley. New ovens mean more pizzas cooked more quickly – hungry skiers like that idea. $1.4million has been spent on eleven new snow guns.
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Coolest Moment: Has to be stopping for a photo–op on the Skyline run with a panoramic backdrop of the snowy peaks and the emerald green lake below: stunning.
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Favourite Fuel Stop: Love that noodle bar! Gourmet noodles with views down to the beginners’ area for anyone who wants to spy on the kids. Great hot chocolate too, served with New Zealand’s favourite marshmallow chocolate fish.
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Treble Cone
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Nearer Wanaka than Queenstown, Treble Cone used to be only a serious-skiers hangout; light on facilities, and heavy on serious slopes. TC, as it is affectionately called by aficionados, still attracts rugged outdoor-types but these days a substantial upgrading of facilities means it’s a great mountain for skiers who love cappuccino-sipping as much a chute-skiing. If you’re happy to go off-piste TC offers the largest skiable terrain in the south Island.
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Luxury Loves: The winding roads up to the NZ slopes are notorious, so in a spectacular first for NZ a gondola will transport skiers from the valley floor to the skifield base.
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New this Season: Paying homage to its wild reputation TC launches a free ride program for boarders who want to explore the natural terrain. There is also a new Burton Learn to Ride program for beginners, as well as more snowguns this year.
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Coolest Moment: TC has invested heavily to create new runs and widen existing ones over the last four years, transforming the mountain into a much slicker place to ski. The widening of the south Ridge in the saddle basin means more skiers will get to enjoy the beautiful basin.
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Favourite Fuel Stop: Under head chef Richard Bullock the Treble Cone Bar & Café offers the best mountain food around. None of your ‘chips with everything’ approach here. There’s great sushi, salads and very gourmet burgers. Sour dough bread and homemade muffins come fresh from the oven daily. There is decent coffee too.
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Details:
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Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa
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