Cardrona Alpine Resort
Encyclopedia
Cardrona Alpine Resort is a ski resort
in New Zealand
's South Island
. The skifield ranges from 1,260m to 1,894m. The distribution of slopes is 25% beginner, 50% intermediate and 25% advanced. There are 2 detachable quad chairlifts and 2 fixed-grip quad chairlift, 2 "magic carpet" learner lifts and 1 platter lift
for beginners. Some snowmaking equipment is present. Snowboarding
is well catered for with 2 half pipes and 4 terrain parks. There is also a "High performance centre" which trains more advanced skiers and snowboarders.
The resort is located near Wanaka
, 5 hours drive from Christchurch
, and a 1 hour drive from Queenstown
. On-mountain accommodation is provided in the form of 15 self-contained apartments.
There was a tradition that at the bottom of the mountain women leave their old bra on the Cardrona Bra Fence
before leaving town.
The old Captains chairlift (replaced by the Captains Express) was reinstalled as the Valley View quad below the existing WhiteStar Express prior to the 2010 winter. The main purpose of this lift was to allow construction of a competition grade downhill run by increasing the lifted vertical available to the resort. General trails are available though. Due to insufficient snow cover this lift did not open for the 2010 season. Stage 2 of the plan was set for the 2011 and added snowmaking. However as of mid July 2011, the lift remains closed due to the slow start to 2011 winter and snowmaking efforts have been focussed on the upper mountain.
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. The skifield ranges from 1,260m to 1,894m. The distribution of slopes is 25% beginner, 50% intermediate and 25% advanced. There are 2 detachable quad chairlifts and 2 fixed-grip quad chairlift, 2 "magic carpet" learner lifts and 1 platter lift
Platter lift
A platter lift , platter pull or button lift is a surface lift, a mechanized system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope. In Europe they are also known as Poma lifts...
for beginners. Some snowmaking equipment is present. Snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
is well catered for with 2 half pipes and 4 terrain parks. There is also a "High performance centre" which trains more advanced skiers and snowboarders.
The resort is located near Wanaka
Wanaka
Wanaka is a town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, adjacent to the outflow of the lake to the Clutha River. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is primarily a resort town but has both summer and winter...
, 5 hours drive from Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, and a 1 hour drive from Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
. On-mountain accommodation is provided in the form of 15 self-contained apartments.
There was a tradition that at the bottom of the mountain women leave their old bra on the Cardrona Bra Fence
Cardrona Bra Fence
The Cardrona Bra Fence was a controversial tourist attraction in Central Otago, New Zealand, where passers-by started to add bras to a rural fence, with the fence eventually growing into a famous tourists attraction with hundreds of individual bras...
before leaving town.
The old Captains chairlift (replaced by the Captains Express) was reinstalled as the Valley View quad below the existing WhiteStar Express prior to the 2010 winter. The main purpose of this lift was to allow construction of a competition grade downhill run by increasing the lifted vertical available to the resort. General trails are available though. Due to insufficient snow cover this lift did not open for the 2010 season. Stage 2 of the plan was set for the 2011 and added snowmaking. However as of mid July 2011, the lift remains closed due to the slow start to 2011 winter and snowmaking efforts have been focussed on the upper mountain.
- Cardrona Alpine Resort website
- OnTheSnow.com snow report for Cardrona
- http://www.powderhounds.com/NewZealand/Cardrona.aspxPowderhounds.com reviews of Cardrona