The mountainbiking season on Skyline Hill was due to open last Saturday, but the 30 trails criss-crossing more than 30km of Bob’s Peak, accessed by Skyline’s gondola, have been closed by Queenstown council indefinitely.
"The exit points of the trails above the cemetery have been damaged and we have not yet conducted a safety assessment of the bike park," a council spokesman said.
Walkers are also out of luck, with the Tiki Trail closed, while the Ben Lomond track is open, with access from the top of the gondola.
Queenstown Mountain Bike Club president Pete McInally believed much of the trail network was not too badly damaged, but there were issues with the Hammy’s Track that all riders access to get off the hill.
The track has been inundated with slash, rocks and silt.
And with more rain forecast, Mr McInally is still concerned.
"[The] problem’s not so much what’s come down, it’s what’s sitting on the hill [felled logs] that might come down again.
"We’ve had no-one complaining, everyone understands that health and safety is foremost, especially with those trees sitting up above.
"When you get a tree rolling down a hill there’s no stopping it."
Season pass holders — who had paid up to $999 this year — would be "itching" to get up the hill, Mr McInally said.
"They’ll be like skiers with a season pass but no snow on the mountain."
Mountain Scene asked if there would be discounts for season pass holders if the park remained closed — a response was not provided by deadline.
