NZSki announces new developments for 2010 ski season
NZSki Ltd, owners of Mt. Hutt ski area outside Christchurch, as well as Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown, have announced new developments for the 2010 ski season, scheduled to begin on 5 June.
Queenstown field, Coronet Peak, leads the charge with the installation of an all-new Leitner-Poma high speed detachable quad express chairlift, which replaces the old Meadows double chair, and is the first of its kind to be installed in the Southern Hemisphere. The existing novice terrain accessed by the lift has also been upgraded with a new trail back to the lift, and an additional beginner area has been created adjacent to the existing Magic Carpet conveyor lift, doubling the size of the beginner area.
The new Meadows Express quad chair incorporates a range of safety features, including an automatic loading carpet that takes skiers and boarders to the loading point, making chair access easier. It also features an automated safety bar which descends over passengers as the chair leaves the lift terminal, and rises prior to disembarking at the top, along with a ‘kid stop’ mechanism designed to ensure very young skiers don’t slip underneath the bar – it comes up between their legs to keep them in place.
The base building at neighbouring mountain, The Remarkables in Queenstown, is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment to allow for better flow in the food and beverage area, including a new bar area and menu, new seating, and tables throughout the cafe and restaurant areas.
Canterbury field, Mt. Hutt, has increased its restaurant capacity by 35% and has also redesigned the ‘flow’ so guests can access food and cashiers more quickly and easily. The mountain will also have its own lift enhancement with the enclosing of the roofing over the existing magic carpet, delivering a quality experience to beginners - even when the weather doesn’t play its part. This initiative is the first of its kind in the world!
From a rental perspective this year, all three ski areas will feature the BYS system, renowned for delivering a faster rental experience. The system is colour coded to size and height, allowing a seamless fitting process without all the necessary measurement of the past. When renting through NZSki, skiers and boarders also receive free overnight storage on the mountain.
CEO James Coddington said NZSki Ltd is all about delivering a world class experience to all visitors, so they want to return each year. In excess of $90 million has been invested in NZSki’s three mountains over the past seven years to deliver a significantly enhanced experience to all guests.
“Our new enhancements for 2010 are part of a long term strategy to achieve this goal. One of our biggest enhancements for 2010 is the introduction of radio frequency (RF) ID ticketing technology, which allows users the convenience of going direct to the lift. It’s a system used very successfully in Europe, and North America, delivering a seamless lift access experience where technology identifies the customer, and what they have purchased to allow for access.
“We are taking the RF technology to all areas of our business including rentals, Snowsports and food and beverage. It has been a two year project with all development of the systems and software in-house. Our overall goal is to greatly enhance our guests experience on our mountains by getting our guests out onto the mountain in far less time; it will also reduce lift lines as the technology itself checks validity of the tickets, not the lift operators.”
For more information on visiting Mt. Hutt, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables see www.nzski.com
Find great deals on Queenstown Hotels Hotels from Expedia