Day 1: Arriving in Christchurch
Arriving in Christchurch, if you don't have you
own ski gear, you will need to organise this today (there are
plenty of ski hire options in the city) as there is no ski hire on
mountain.
Tonight discover Tane Mahuta (the Maori God of the Forest) at
the Ko Tane Maori Experience
cultural performance and a people who live in harmony with nature
and whose culture has grown. Then, taste New Zealand cuisine in the
Willowbank Restaurant, with
a huge open fire in the winter and inquisitive deer at the
window.
Day 2: Hitting the Slopes
Start the day off with a hearty cooked breakfast at your
accommodation. Hiring a car or a 4WD is a great way to travel,
so pick up your vehicle and head for the slopes!
The Craigieburn Valley is located in the Craigieburn Range 110km
(1.5hrs) from Christchurch on State Highway 73. Turn off is 500m
after the Broken River turn off. The 6km access road is unsealed
and winds gently through scenic beech forest. From the carpark
there is a 5min walk to the first lift. Please check the snow phone
for road conditions before coming up - its always handy to have
some chains in the car just in case! Snow Reports: +64 3 383
8888 ext. 7
If you're an advanced or expert rider, then Craigieburn is your
holy grail. With this in mind, Craigieburn is not recommended for
beginners. First time rope tow users can have a crack if they are
brave, but the tows are fast and previous experience with rope tow
is recommended. If, however you like intermediate off-piste
conditions, the runs in Siberia Basin and below the day lodge are
perfect.
At lunch time stop off at the Whakamaru Day Lodge beside the top
tow, where you can recharge your batteries at the café and enjoy
the breath-taking 300º views of Middle Basin and Hamilton Face.
For some adventure in the afternoon, get a day pass which allows
you to ski Allan's Basin to Broken River. You must speak to the
snow safety crew and obey all closures before departing. It's
strongly recommended traveling with a partner and carrying a
transceiver, shovel and probe (and know how to use them).
Your mountain top accommodation this evening is at either the
Koroheke Lodge or the separate sleeping module, Matuhi. The lodge
is nestled amongst native beach forest that covers the valley, and
is just 5 minutes walk from the bottom tow and car park. It
contains a Chefs kitchen, licensed bar, showers, toilets, drying
room, lounge area, sleeping facilities and breath-taking views
across the valley.
Day 3: Hitting the Slopes Day Two
Get ready for another day of hard core adventure, exploring all
that Craigieburn Valley Ski Area has to offer! Improve your skills
with some ski or snowboard instruction in the morning from one of
the talented Craigieburn crew. Then put yourself to the test in the
Terrain Park, exploring the natural hits in Middle Basin before
heading back to Christchurch in the afternoon.
Key Links
- Being New Zealand's largest independent car rental company,
Apex Car Rentals offers a large fleet of new and late model car
hire options. Contact Apex for car rental
information and booking.