"Snow in May never stays, snow in June is a welcome boon, but on snow in July you can rely" is the message from long-time Queenstown resident Vance Boyd, who says the fuss over the resort's snow drought is a byproduct of expectations raised by snowmaking technology.
A record-breaking warm start to winter means none of the country's major fields are open yet. This is leaving ski-area bosses on edge waiting for a decent natural fall and consistent below-zero temperatures cold enough to begin snowmaking.
Mr Boyd is the managing director of ski tourism company Kiwi Discoveries and has lived in the resort for 24 years.
"I think the investment in snowmaking has raised people's expectations of skiing in June above realistic levels. Skiing in June is a welcome bonus rather than a sure thing."
Despite many tourists - particularly Australians - coming to the resort especially to ski, Mr Boyd said visitors had still decided to come to Queenstown and had "gone away happy".
"I've been to a number of industry functions over the past week and people are generally positive. And some have commented that they actually have been doing better when snow conditions have not been so good because visitors spend more widely on activities they otherwise may not have done."
Mr Boyd said below-zero forecasts were expected for the majority of the Southern Lakes skifields and predicted there would be skiing within a week.
