Ski Goddess settles in for winter

It has been brutally cold in New Zealand this year. After a few years of higher than average temperatures, this year we are getting a classic cold winter. That means I am learning to rug up when I head up the mountain, and rueing that I didn't bring more warm trousers with me.

The best thing about this cold weather is that the snow quality is amazing. Normally New Zealand new snow is a bit wet and heavy, not the dry powder that Japan and North America are renowned for. But with an awesome couple of large snowfalls early in the season, and persistently cold temperatures, the snow has dried out to a beautiful chalky consistency that makes skiing it a dream. This is not normal for New Zealand, and everyone is revelling in it.

After a couple of days freezing in Tekapo, I headed a little further south to Buscot Station, where a retired farmer runs a backpacker hostel out of his house. It's only 6km from the turnoff to Ohau, which allowed me to go for a day skiing up there without staying at the Ohau Lodge which is probably booked solid during school holidays anyway. I'd heard good reports about Tony's place and was pleased to find it lived up to expectations. Tony is quite an interesting character, perhaps a little Asperger like, and has done some great changes to the property to turn it into a sustainable farming operation.

Ohau had some great snow, although only on one side of the mountain. Luckily, the side that hadn't had the snow blown off by winds was well covered, and I managed to ski an entire day at Ohau without pivoting on a rock and needing another P-teks repair to my skis. Ohau doesn't have any tussock, any black objects in the snow will be rocks! I found some great lines down skiers left of the lift line, and even hiked the ridge after lunch and did a run down from there.

The following day was bluebird, and rather than repeat another day skiing the same limited lines up at Ohau I decided to make it a sightseeing and photography day. I popped back out to Lake Ohau for some shots, then headed in to see the Clay Cliffs. Unfortunately the sun wasn't fully on them, the best time to visit would be late afternoon for the full sunlit golden view. I went for a little walk around though, through a small gorge into an amphitheatre of formations, and found myself a small cluster of sheep to feature.

Back to Omarama for lunch, via a detour down to the end of Quailburn Road (not much there afterall), then onwards over the Lindis Pass to Wanaka.

Being back in Wanaka feels like home. After so many years coming here, and returning to the same backpacker hostel, everything is so familiar. It's smack bang in the middle of school holidays so the town is heaving at present, but in a couple of weeks it will quieten down again. However, the snow is so good it's worth braving the crowds up the hill and the long queue lines, for the awesome skiing.

The whole mountain has good cover, meaning I've been skiing places that I haven't skied for years. Matukituki Basin, on the sunny side of the home basin, hasn't been skiable for years, but at present it's great uncrowded terrain, though the bottom is getting a bit dodgy. I haven't been down the Motatupu Chutes yet, but I've pretty well skied most of the mountain in the two days I've been up.

I ran into Phil on Sunday. I skied with Catherine and Phil almost the entire time I was here in 2013, and then Catherine died suddenly in 2014, so it was bittersweet for me to return to Wanaka and remember the awesome lady I'd had the privilege to call my friend. I joined Phil and Belinda (another of Catherine's friends I'd skied with before) for a few runs, though I couldn't convince them to come down Drop Off which was skiing so nicely at the moment. Drop Off goes right underneath the chairlift, so you have lots of spectators whilst you negotiate a steep tight chute. Falling over isn't an option!!

I'm really pleased with my skiing this year. Not only have I overcome almost all of my irrational fear, I am now enjoying skiing more difficult terrain and am no longer intimidated by bumps and moguls. I'm still no expert skier but I'm pretty confident skiing almost anything on the mountain. I've come a long way indeed.

Monday was my first day cleaning rooms at the backpacker hostel. I'm working with a Swedish lass called Anastasia, who had to show me the ropes. Hopefully I'll be a bit faster as I get used to the routine, but it's not difficult work changing bed sheets, vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms. I'm yet to discuss gardening duties, but the severe frosts and cold weather is sure knocking around some of the plants.

The hostel crowd are the usual mix of international guests of various ages, all very nice and friendly. There's a lot of long termers staying here, as rental accommodation in town is very tight at present. And expensive. Things are changing in quiet old Wanaka….

That's all for now folks, looks like a storm heading in so we may get fresh snow...

Ski Goddess leaves Wanaka

After almost 2 months in Wanaka skiing at Treble Cone it was time to leave town. But not before a sneaky day trip to Ohau to ski 20-30cm of fresh powder on a near empty hill.

Ohau is only a 1-2 hour trip from Wanaka, so totally doable as a day trip, or alternatively there's the Lodge at the bottom of the mountain by the lake if you want to stay over. There's also a backpackers on the highway near Omarama for those with a limited budget.

After no snow top ups for almost a month, the gods began to produce the treasured white stuff mid August in small but significant amounts. But the weather remained warm and the trees started producing leaves and blossoms and it looked like Spring was on its way. Then in the second week of September a huge cold front came through and we were entertained by an impressive all day lightning and thunder storm. Further north destructive winds tore down trees and disrupted electricity supplies for almost a week. And the road to Haast and the West Coast got knocked out by a massive rock slide which closed the road completely for nine days, and claimed the lives of a Canadian couple driving through the storm on Tuesday night.

After my Sofa Ski School this year I continued to improve my off piste skiing technique by skiing a lot with local friends Catherine and Philip Jay who not only introduced me to every gnarly run on the mountain, but also took me down the Motatapu Chutes, Hollywood Bowl and Sunset Boulevard, all the way to the bottom creek and the inevitable walk back out. Then another day I joined "no hat, no poles" Rachel down Hollywood Bowl before taking the precarious traverse back out. I bottled at some point (traverses actually freak me out a lot more than skiing down a steep narrow chute), bailed from the traverse and took one of the chutes (10 I think) down a little further then traversed and walked out. Can't quite see the point in traversing when the snow is so good that you're missing out on some awesome skiing just to avoid a bit of a walk. Mmmm... I think I'm ready for backcountry touring.

Suffice to say, I can now confidently and safely ski the entire mountain, including the Motatapu chutes. This is a massive achievement for me, but it's taken alot of hard work, money and time to get to this point. So on my last couple of days I took the GoPro out and did some filming. Including my final afternoon when I went skiing for 2 hours with ski instructor and friend Heidi Kynoch and she filmed me as we skiied the stashes of soft spring snow. Stay tuned for the edited footage but it may be a few weeks coming.

This time I'm driving a Mazda Demio, a much classier vehicle than the Nissan Sunny, and with better fuel economy. I had to schlepp over to Queenstown to pick it up, and took the opportunity to feed a massive hangover with a Fergburger for breakfast! Of course I had a Red Star burger for dinner!! Two burgers in one day is the perfect way to categorically state that Red Star is DEFINITELY BETTER!! So there...

Last Monday I left Wanaka and headed up the Lindis Pass. On a road trip with travel companions. That's the next adventure...

Ski Goddess Continues South

After the awesome day on Tasman Glacier, the next day was likely to be a bit of an anticlimax. It was time to move on south to the next ski field, this one not being on the Chill Pass, but still worthy of inclusion on the Ski Goddess' guide to the South Island.

Ohau ski field sits in a valley high up above the eponymous Lake, and had begun the season with a stonkingly huge snow fall which was now melting rapidly by the day. Warm days and cold nights was creating typical spring conditions, making early morning skiing more like ice skating. But once the sun softened the hard pack, it was a pleasant enough day, although avoiding rocks wasn't always possible. First task on arriving in Wanaka is to put the skis in for a little patching up!

Having heard so much about the Ohau Lodge I'd booked a night there, but in the less salubrious rooms where you need to provide your own sleeping bag. The view, the company, the delicious dinner and huge breakfast are well worth it. There's hot tubs as well. But what totally takes the cake is, ahem, the soap cake!

Due to the ski field conditions being pretty ordinary I decided not to spend a second day skiing, but headed off on a roundabout way of getting to Wanaka. Rather than head straight over the Lindis Pass to Tarras, I turned left at Omarama and headed for the coast.

The road skirts a couple more lakes before making its way down through farmland to Oamaru. This is a town known for its beautiful stone buildings, famous cheese factory and a penguin community. Somehow I missed the town completely, taking a more scenic approach road which joined the main highway just south of town. But my main object was to see the Moeraki Boulders, a bunch of large round pebbles on a beach nearby. Not really worth the detour unless low tide and the right light for a great photo, but nice to see a little ocean again after 2 weeks in the mountains.

At Palmerston I headed north again along the strangely named "Pigroot". This ascends into a tussock covered plateau surrounded by more snow covered peaks and scattered with small villages and pubs which service the Otago Central Rail Trail and possibly a few sheep farmers as well.

The Pigroot joins the main Queenstown to Dunedin road at Alexandra, where the road skirts yet another hydro lake or two before crossing the bridge at Cromwell and joining the Wanaka road. Half an hour later I am at my home away from home for the next 2 months: Wanaka Bakpaka. It's great to be back.

The skis get taken in for a full tune and I prepare for braving the school holiday crowds in the morning.....