Big lift for novices

Coronet Peak is today's port-of-call in the second of a three-part series on a road trip down the South Island.

It's time to strap the skis back on the roof and head down to Queenstown for the second leg of my snow road trip.

I am trying to outrun a southerly that threatens to rob me of a day's skiing, but despite making good time into the tourist town, I, somewhat predictably, fail.

Never mind. Every snow storm has a silver lining, and I head into Queenstown for dinner. Despite the bitterly cold night it's hard to find a car park downtown. Tucked down a precinct I discover Roaring Megs, an award winner for its beef and lamb, and decide to dine there while I plan the next day - a trip to Coronet Peak.

The last time I visited Coronet the day was brought to an end by strong winds. Not so this time, for the benefit of losing a day's skiing was repaid with a fresh dump of up to 45cm. The only drawback - it also lands on a weekend and chains are compulsory, which means everyone piles down to catch the bus. Result: A wait of up to two hours.

But the choice to take the bus proves wise; we hear of cars getting caught on the access road all morning.

Once we arrive at the field, the enormity of the near-new base building strikes me. It's huge, with everything from gear hire to the largest cafe- restaurant I've seen up a New Zealand mountain. The amount of glass alone is something else.

The other thing Coronet is rightly proud of this season is its new Meadows Express chairlift. It's believed to be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere and is capable of moving 2000 people up the hill an hour.

Ski area manager Hamish McCrostie says it's been a huge boost for novice skiers and riders, and I would have to agree. It services the "Big Easy" area of the field to the right, and it was the first lift I tried. After you pass through the "mypass" barriers, an automatic loading carpet takes you to the chair pickup. As the quad chair takes off an automatic safety bar drops down to keep you in with a "kid stop" bar to keep young skiers safe.

As for the skiing on the day, the snow was hard to fault. Coronet is still famous, and obviously popular, for its varied terrain, including lots of moguls, although access to the tops was restricted by poor visibility. Mike Deacon stayed in Queenstown courtesy of Mantra Marina apartments.

Next week: The Remarkables

Contact michael.deacon@press.co.nz with your news on skiing and snowboarding.

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