Yesterday afternoon The Remarkables ski area shut down its lifts for the final time in the 2024 season — after receiving another little top-up of snow earlier in the day.
New ski area manager Steve Hall said yesterday’s weather — which also delivered early cold temperatures and then sunshine — felt like an accurate representation of the season.
"Everyone heard us talk about dry July, but we still had good snow on-piste and we had very good weather and then we got that period of very unsettled, very disturbed weather that went from late August through into September, which brought wind and we had [six] closed days through that period, more than are characteristic for Remarks.
"But that did bring snow and it set us up really well ... Then we’ve had this very wintry spring — the snow’s kept coming and the skiing’s been amazing.
"I rode the chairlift [yesterday] morning with some folks from Australia and they’d come over this last week because they just knew how much snow we had, and how good the skiing was, so they’ve had a fantastic time."
While there had been some "very big days" at The Remarkables, there was not a single record-breaker this year. However, visitation remained consistent with last year’s numbers.
Looking ahead, NZSki had successfully applied for its Remarkables upgrade and expansion into Doolans Basin to be included in the new Fast-track Approvals Bill schedule 2A, meaning it could start the fast-track consenting process as soon as the new Bill had been passed into law. However, the immediate focus would be on installing the final snowguns in Shadow Basin, to complement the new chairlift, which opened in June, and add some additional snowmaking capacity into the cat-track.
Mr Hall, who was principal of Wakatipu High School for a decade before joining NZSki after a gap year, said while his new job represented a huge change of pace, it was one he had thoroughly enjoyed.
"I love being up the mountain; I love skiing; I love this place.
"It’s been a big season for me because I’ve had a lot to learn — and I still do have plenty to learn — but I’m glad we’ve got through the season safely and well."
One of the biggest lessons was the complexity of the operations on the mountain, and how many people were required to ensure the ski area ran safely.
"It takes some doing — there’s a lot of pedalling goes on behind the scenes, but our staff have been amazing ... and they’re really cool people.
"It’s been fun to work with them; I’ve really enjoyed that side of it."
