Cardona Expanding To Become Largest Ski Resort In New Zealand
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Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
New Zealand's Cardrona Alpine Resort is set to become the country's largest ski area with the opening of its new Soho Basin chairlift in the winter of 2025. This summer, construction will begin on a high-speed six-seater chairlift that will provide access to 150 hectares of new terrain. This expansion has been eagerly awaited since 2018 when Cardrona's owners, RealNZ, and Soho Basin leaseholder John Darby formed a partnership.In 2021, the Willow's quad chairlift was launched, marking the first step in accessing the new Soho Ski Area. However, the upcoming chairlift will offer access to more than double this area, increasing the resort's total lift-accessed skiable terrain by 24%. This expansion will enlarge the resort from 465 hectares to 615 hectares, surpassing Whakapapa ski area's 550 hectares to become New Zealand's largest commercial ski area.
