The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
The North Face Frontier, a Freeride World Tour Qualifier event, is returning to The Remarkables in Queenstown from 28 August to 3 September. The event pairs a two-star qualifier at Shadow Basin for newcomers with a four-star event on the Alta Chutes, one step below the professional level. Now in its 21st year, the competition has produced past FWT champions including New Zealanders Jess Hotter and Ben Richards, and comes as freeriding heads toward its Olympic debut at the 2030 Alps Games.
Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone have launched a new app that includes New Zealand's first phone-based lift pass - no RFID card required. Skiers can now walk from the car park to the lift gates with just their phone. The Mountains App also brings live snow reports, trail maps, webcams, run tracking, and seasonal leaderboard challenges.
NZSki has formally applied to expand The Remarkables into the Doolans Basin - a NZD 150 million-plus (USD 88.5 million) proposal that would grow the resort from 449 to 711 hectares and make it the largest single ski area in New Zealand. A 2.7km gondola, doubled visitor capacity, and four summers of construction. Here's what's on the table.
Coronet Peak has opened for the 2026 ski season on 29 May, making it the first major ski resort to come online in the Southern Hemisphere this year. The early start is powered by the resort's Snow Factory snowmaking system, with limited terrain and beginner-focused operations running through to 12 June before full mountain hours begin.
Whoosh, a New Zealand-based company, has presented plans for an innovative transportation system in Queenstown, featuring self-driving cabins on an elevated cable network.
Cardrona Alpine Resort postpones the opening of its new Soho Basin expansion due to unseasonable weather. The 150-hectare addition promises new terrain for intermediate and advanced skiers.
South Island ski areas are set for a significant snowfall, with up to 15 inches expected in some regions. The weather system will bring varying amounts of snow across different resorts, impacting skiing conditions throughout New Zealand.
Discover New Zealand's best ski resorts for the upcoming 2025 season. From family-friendly slopes to challenging terrain for experts, find the perfect destination for your next ski holiday.
Several New Zealand ski resorts have received their first snowfall of the season in mid-autumn, signalling the approaching winter and building anticipation for the upcoming ski season.
Cardrona Alpine Resort is set to enhance its offerings with a new 6-seater detachable chairlift in Soho Basin and a T-bar for the terrain park, both scheduled to open for the 2025 winter season.
New Zealand's largest ski resort, Cardrona Alpine Resort, has signed a collaboration agreement with China's Chongli District Ice and Snow Association, aiming to enhance ski tourism and winter sports participation worldwide.
NZ Ski introduces Superpass, offering skiers and riders access to 10 mountains across New Zealand. This flexible pass allows for customised ski trips and includes perks at 60 off-slope venues.
