When the Sun Is Shining and the Powder Is Perfect, There's Nowhere Better for Snow Thrills Than Laid-Back Lake Wanaka

Lake Wanaka QUEENSTOWN

THE POWDER 102 CLAUSE When the sun is shining and the powder is perfect, there’s nowhere better for snow thrills than laid-back Lake Wanaka

WORDS CARRIE MILLER Explore I SKI

he sunlight is slow reaching Helwick Street in the morning. First it has to climb over the snow-capped My only company as I walk past mountains that rise the shops on Helwick Street with with authority from the horizon of their locally quarried stone façades TLake Wanaka, often blurred with is a snowboarder crossing the street steam in the chilly dawn air. in colourful winter garb, board The street looks straight down tucked under one arm, a cup of to the lake in Roys Bay. Wanaka’s coffee in his other hand. This is my four thoroughfares (each running first winter season in Wanaka as a perpendicular to the bay) create a local. Like so many others, I came concentrated square of eateries, real here as a visitor then found my way 103 estate offices, outdoor clothing and back to stay. equipment shops just a street back Wanaka’s 6500 residents are from the lakefront. The residential a mix of big-city retirees, young areas, a mix of 1970s houses and families and sports junkies. The multi-million dollar mansions, fan population swells with tourists and out on either side of Roys Bay, but seasonal workers in winter and not very far. Most of Wanaka is wide summer, and draws a deep breath open land, a vast playground of in the quiet of spring and autumn. water and rock. Wanaka has a small-town feel, but it’s busy: all-year round, people are hiking, biking, boating – anything that will take them outdoors. “Winter here turns into a completely different adventure CARDRONA ALPINE RESORT PHOTOGRAPHY Explore I SKI

playground than other seasons,” says local Suze Kelly, the general manager of Adventure Consultants, a Wanaka-based (big) mountain guiding company. “We start looking forward to bad weather because it brings snow, and the town is simmering with excitement.” As my first winter in Wanaka approached, I felt that excitement. The town started to hum with activity, early-bird passes were snatched up, skis were waxed and Cardrona’s slopes are classified sharpened, and I heard the term advanced/expert, and it has the “powder clause” for the first time. biggest and best terrain park and “A lot of locals joke they have a pipe facilities in the southern powder clause in their contract, hemisphere, playing host to the which means they can ski before Audi Quattro Winter Games every work, come in a little late, stay a second year. Snow Farm is set high on the 104 little late, or they take some time off in the middle of the day to do a Pisa Range, almost directly across few runs,” explains Hamish Acland, the valley from Cardrona, offering founder and director of Mons 55km of cross-country skiing and Royale, a Wanaka-based outdoor snow-shoeing trails, for something clothing company. “People make a little different to downhill. Along a choice about how they want to with fat-biking and dog-sledding live and that’s the cool thing about (through Underdog New Zealand), Wanaka: it attracts people who want Snow Farm also organises overnight to get more out of life, rather than hut stays: visitors can arrange to less. They’ve hacked the lifestyle, cross-country ski or snowshoe and I think that’s inspiring.” out to one of two back-country huts – Meadow Hut (4km) and Bob

Lee Hut (8km); Snow Farm will LEFT TO RIGHT: Perfect peaks A snow-coated transport the gear, so all visitors Wanaka seen Wanaka has three ski areas within need to do is enjoy the journey. from above; find 45 minutes of town: Cardrona, your thrills off the slopes with Treble Cone and Snow Farm. jet boating tours; (Snow Farm often gets overlooked the scenic alps as Big-mountain seen by the snow because it’s a cross-country skiing In the other direction from the set; the historic mountain, the only place in New Cardrona Valley, up the west side Cardrona Hotel. Zealand where Nordic skiing is of the lake, is Wanaka’s other available.) mountain, Treble Cone. TC (as it’s Cardrona, halfway between called in local-speak) is known as a Wanaka and Queenstown in the skier’s mountain: it’s genuine big- Cardrona Valley, is known as a mountain terrain, with seemingly

family mountain, with plenty of endless off-piste skiing and 700m TOURS CREEK NORDIC SNOWSHOE FALLS CAMILLA RUTHERFORD, varied terrain to improve your of vertical. Like Cardrona, the skills. But don’t let its laid-back mountain is more than it seems, CARDRONA ALPINE RESORT CARDRONA HOTEL, TOURISM, LAKE WANAKA

reputation fool you. Half of with plenty of groomed slopes to PHOTO PHOTOGRAPHY Explore I SKI

The town simmers with an energy keep beginners entertained and jaw-dropping views over the lake that’s contented rather than from its snowy summit. Powder clauses aren’t just for anticipatory snow sports: in Wanaka, since there’s rarely snow on the ground, people simply rug up and get outside, mountain biking the 750km of local tracks, ice-skating on Diamond Lake, walking up Mount Iron, and paddle-boarding or jet-boating on Lake Wanaka.

Après ski At the end of the day, everyone returns to Wanaka. The town simmers with an energy that’s contented rather than anticipatory. At the iconic Cardrona Hotel, people queue patiently for the famous mulled wine, watching kids 105 toast marshmallows over the beer garden’s outdoor fire. Others enjoy a quiet drink at Pembroke Wines and Spirits, or grab takeaways from Red Star Burger Bar and head down to the lake for dinner with an unbeatable view. Bistro Gentil and White House serve exquisite meals, while many head to Francesca’s pizza trailer before walking across the road to Cinema Paradiso for a movie (and to rest tired legs). Explore I SKI

Winter warmth Visitors and locals trade stories Back on Helwick Street, I’m off and drink cold craft beer, wrapped to café and bar Kai Whakapai (rough translation: “putting love up warm in colourful jackets and into whatever you make”). The knitted hats communal tables are crowded and loud with laughter. Visitors and locals trade stories and drink cold craft beer, wrapped up warm in colourful jackets and knitted hats. “We don’t manufacture the hype, it just happens,” shrugs Kai’s owner Roger North. “This is an actual ‘reality café’: turn off your phone, join one of the tables, and before GET THERE you know it, you’ve made a friend Shuttle transport information for the next few days. Kai is a local to/from the mountains can hangout, but it’s the first place When to go be found on Treble Cone and locals invite visitors to share a table. Cardrona’s websites, and HIGH SEASON both also have offices Introductions sometimes start with The Wanaka ski season runs in Wanaka. a stiff handshake, but they usually from the middle of June Check out the three and five- end with a hug.” through to early October, with Snow Farm opening in July. day Flexi Pass which allows 106 I love Wanaka for that: it made Each mountain has lift passes, skiers and snowboarders a me feel like a local when I was a gear rental and lessons flexible lift pass to visit both visitor; now that I’m a local, I’m still available for purchase on TC and Cardrona. It can be their websites: used on consecutive or non- a giddy tourist. ABOVE: Treble Cone. cardrona.com consecutive days, and also “Wanaka is like Hotel California: BELOW: The main drag offers additional discounts on leading down to Lake treblecone.com you can check out, but you can Wanaka. snowfarmnz.com activities in town. never leave,” Roger laughs. “I lakewanaka.co.nz/new- GEAR UP zealand/Flexi-Pass came here in 2001 to paraglide For gear rental in town, and never left. Nearly everybody Racers Edge has a large GO OFF-PISTE variety and offers multi-day For something special: has incredible stories of the things check out Adventure they’ve done with their day. That’s discounts. racersedge.co.nz Consultants’ back-country the usual. Wanaka attracts ordinary ski courses and take your people who dream big. Almost WISE UP skiing skills to the next Accommodation, activities level in the stunning remote everyone here was a visitor once. and restaurant information terrain around Wanaka. Some of us just stayed, is all.” can be found on Lake adventureconsultants.com Wanaka Tourism’s website or stop by the Wanaka i-SITE Visitor Information Centre on Ardmore Street. lakewanaka.co.nz

Travel info

Jetstar has great low fares to

Queenstown from Melbourne, HUET THIERRY WOODS, ANDY Gold Coast, Sydney and Auckland. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM PHOTOGRAPHY Promotion I SKI

2 Ski Areas 1 Flexi Pass