Queenstown open for skiing action on Saturday
It is not too shabby for an opening day.
NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson says both The Remarkables and Coronet Peak will open as scheduled from 9am on Saturday, with the latter opening from top to bottom.
At Coronet, all the beginner conveyor lifts, the Meadows Chair and Coronet Express would be in action — Rocky Gully and Green gates would not be open, "but we'll be looking to add those in as soon as we can stitch that together".
At The Remarkables, the learners' conveyors, Alta and Curvey Basin would be open for action, with Sugar Bowl and Shadow Basin still to come, Mr Anderson said.
"Our whole objective in getting both mountains open on the same day is to send a really, really strong signal to the market that ... Queenstown's open for business, and hopefully you see that switch flipped and the town gets busy very quickly."
Mr Anderson said last weekend's perfectly timed snowfall had been supplemented by a huge amount of snowmaking, which he believed had been the longest period of snowmaking in Queenstown for a decade.
"And the new guns we've got up there, they are just incredible."
At The Remarkables, for example, the whales of snow from the guns were higher than the conveyor covers.
"It just gives you an idea of the amount of snow they were belting out."
He estimated Coronet was opening with between 60cm and 120cm on trail, and about 60cm at The Remarkables.
"We're kind of expecting the locals to come out in force once they hear how good the on-trail skiing is ... It'll be nice to get a bit of a dump before school holidays, but with or without it, we're going to have a good school holidays, I can see that."
Cardrona, which along with Treble Cone is owned by Queenstown-based company RealNZ, will also open on Saturday.
Chief mountains officer Laura Hedley said thanks to an "incredible effort" from the snowmaking team, and some help from Mother Nature, the McDougall's Chondola and the learner conveyors would be spinning.
Skiers and boarders would be able to access McDougalls' trail and the beginners' area from Saturday, while the North Face Cardrona parks crew would also put in a few features in McPark, the temporary early-season terrain park under McDougalls.
"Our new base area building is nearing completion, and we are aiming to get our new Cardrona Corner retail shop open on Saturday, too," Ms Hedley said.
To reflect the early season offering, Cardies day passes will be at early season rates until Whitestar Express opens.
Treble Cone is scheduled to open on June 28.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
6 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Paddon revved up for triple-header
Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have a busy schedule ahead. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Life is flat-tack for New Zealand rally star Hayden Paddon. The Cromwell-based ace is about to contest three very different rallies over three consecutive weekends in three countries with three different co-drivers. Rally Queensland, running July 4-6 near Gympie, north of Brisbane, has been booked in all year. Paddon is set to continue his bid to win his first Australian Rally Championship title with longtime co-driver John Kennard alongside in the PRG-run Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car. Paddon and Kennard took the lead of their respective drivers' and co-drivers' championships at the previous ARC round in Western Australia and know they face a challenge in Queensland as most of the frontrunners have considerable experience on the rally's gravel, forestry plantation roads. Two more dates unexpectedly popped up on the calendar. Paddon received an invitation to compete in the Ypres Rally in Belgium, June 28-29, an event he contested in 2013 at the start of his international career. One of the longest-running rallies in Europe, Ypres is a high-speed, all-tarmac rally that regularly attracts top international drivers. Paddon will be joined by New Zealand co-driver Jared Hudson in a Hyundai i20N Rally2 car prepared by last year's Belgian champions, BMA. Finally, just this week, a late change in the entry list for Ireland's most competitive motorsport rally, the Donegal Rally, provided Paddon with the opportunity to drive another Hyundai i20N Rally2 with co-driver Dave Moynihan. The car will be run by C&M Motorsport and the event takes place on June 20-22. Described as the ultimate three-day tarmac rally, Donegal attracts over 70,000 spectators and close to 400,000 viewers on television and online. Being the only three-day tarmac rally in Ireland and the United Kingdom, it attracts the best Irish, British and international drivers from around the globe every year. Paddon is understandably excited. "It's fantastic to be heading back to Europe for some rally action again during what will be one of the busiest three-week windows of my life," he said. "There's certainly a challenge ahead with three different cars, three different co-drivers and teams across the three events that span halfway round the globe. "Donegal and Ypres are very famous events where the locals are extremely fast on demanding stages. "Then, on our return to Australia, we are going into a rally where most of the ARC competitors are familiar with the stages from last year. "We are going to have to prepare and push hard at all three events. It's a challenge I'm definitely up for. "The dream is to try and challenge for victories across all three events, but the challenge to do that is huge. "Together with my three co-drivers and teams, I know we'll give it everything we have and try our best to keep up with the locals. "It's a unique and exciting privilege, to get outside your comfort zone and try new challenges, and for me, that is motivation to push us to try even harder." — APL
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Remarkables Park villas in high demand
An artist's impression of Queenstown's Kawarau Villas. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A two-level apartment development in Queenstown's Remarkables Park appears to be hitting the sweet spot with the market. Launched last September, the first 39-unit stage of Kawarau Villas is already under construction at 7 Juniper Pl, right below the Remarkables Park shopping centre. The second stage, comprising 38 units, officially launched last month, and already nearly half of the 77 released homes are under contract, Bayleys' residential projects GM Gavin Lloyd says. "We believe this is the fast-selling project in Queenstown." Prices in this stage range from $850,000 to $1.05million — they're mostly three-bedders with just one two-bedder left to sell. Lloyd says the development — which will be 120 units all up — has attracted a wide range of buyers, from owner-occupiers, including first-home buyers, to investors who are particularly attracted by the 365-days-a-year visitor accommodation consent. Described as "contemporary living with alpine charm", Kawarau Villas is said to have "a sleek and minimalist Nordic-inspired design" that combines luxury with functionality. Each terrace home comes with a private backyard and a carpark. There are four typologies — the sole two-bed option is 67sqm and the three-bed options range from 82-86sqm. The developer's Auckland-based Tony Gapes' Redwood Group, which also developed Frankton's Five Mile shopping centre, central Queenstown's The Alex Apartments and Arthurs Point's Coronet Peak Alpine Villas.
Techday NZ
18 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Evergreen acquires REDD, celebrates $1 billion revenue milestone
Evergreen has reached its 100th managed IT services provider acquisition milestone with the addition of REDD, an Australia-based business, to its Lyra Technology Group portfolio. REDD, headquartered in Brisbane, will continue to operate independently as part of Lyra Technology Group, Evergreen's collection of managed IT services providers. The company was established in 2016 by Nigel Heyn, and under the leadership of Heyn and Chief Executive Officer Brad Ferris, REDD has grown through a focus on technical expertise and business management. Brad Ferris will remain CEO, and the business will retain its existing operations, following the model Evergreen applies in its portfolio which prioritises decentralisation. Global expansion Evergreen currently operates in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The company is exploring expansion into Ireland as well as the Nordic and Benelux regions. Details of the acquisition were not disclosed by either party. Craig Fulton, M&A Advisor at Evergreen, commented: "Nigel and Brad's leadership and values align closely with Evergreen's long-term vision. In becoming part of the Evergreen network, REDD is positioning itself for continued success while contributing valuable insights to peers across the portfolio." Ferris provided his perspective on the development, saying, "REDD has always been built on a commitment to exceptional service, strong relationships, and a culture that puts people first. That doesn't change. What excites us about joining Evergreen and Lyra is the opportunity to stay true to who we are while being bolstered by a global network of like-minded businesses. This partnership enhances our ability to deliver for our clients, share best practices, and tap into a deep pool of expertise — all while preserving the team, culture, and values that make REDD unique." Financial milestone and recognition Evergreen has also been recognised as the first Pax8 partner to generate over $1 billion in IT services revenue. In addition, last month Evergreen Vice President Sydney Hockett was named to CRN's Women of the Channel list. The company recently hosted its first Evergreen Elevate event, designed as a free opportunity for managed service providers to obtain strategic insights relating to exit strategies. Ramsey Sahyoun, Co-Founder and M&A Partner at Evergreen, said, "When we started this company seven years ago, we hoped to replicate the Berkshire Hathaway model and build the best home for MSPs. I'm proud that we've stayed committed to that vision, to our decentralized operating model, and to our permanent hold strategy. It's been a rewarding journey, and we are grateful for the MSP business owners that have trusted us with their companies." Stakeholder and partner perspectives Lloyd Wolf, Founder and former CEO of Wolf Consulting, which was the first managed IT services provider acquired by Evergreen in December 2017, commented on his experience: "Selling the ownership of my business was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I first met Jeff Totten, CEO of Evergreen, in the fall of 2017. He shared with me his vision of building the best home for businesses and their leaders, retaining our employees and taking care of them, and investing in continued future growth – all while operating in a decentralized model that would allow the business to maintain its culture and independence. This approach and model were very different from any other buyer I had met. I was excited that I had found the permanent home for my business and employees. Since then, Evergreen and Lyra Technology Group have truly executed the vision Jeff originally shared with me. From Wolf Consulting to REDD, I couldn't be more proud of Evergreen's and Lyra's growth and success." Lane Brannan, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Americas, at Pax8, also congratulated the business: "It's been impressive to witness the growth and revenue milestones Evergreen and Lyra have achieved over the last few years. While obtaining a billion dollars of revenue is an impressive achievement alone, it also signals the critical role and impact MSPs have in driving technology adoption within the SMB market. We look forward to fueling our strong partnership with Lyra and congratulate them on this significant milestone." Evergreen continues to emphasise its practice of a permanent hold strategy and a decentralised operating model in the managed IT services sector, as it further expands its international presence and portfolio. Follow us on: Share on:
