Early opening for Mt Hutt skifield
14 May 2009
Queen's Birthday weekend could see New Zealand’s first major skifield open for the 2009 ski season - Mt Hutt, in the South Island, is gearing up to launch two weeks ahead of schedule, for the first time in 10 years.
The popular skifield in New Zealand's Southern Alps has received more than 170cm of snow over the past 12 days resulting in a 110cm snow base, and is now working towards a Queen’s Birthday weekend opening on Saturday 30 May - conditions permitting.
Awesome snow conditions
Mt Hutt manager Dave Wilson said the ski area had experienced the best early snow in decades.
"We’ve got awesome snow conditions so have decided to open early for some May skiing," Wilson said.
"But it’s been a big call to make. There are huge logistics involved in opening a ski area ahead of schedule."
The mountain crew would be working around the clock to bring their original schedule forward, he said.
Meeting deadlines
"We need to ensure the suppliers can meet our deadlines, go through all of our health and safety checks and ensure we have enough staff to provide the best possible snow experience from opening day," Wilson said.
"A lot of staff have changed their plans to get here early which is humbling. We’re also bringing in staff from our sister mountains, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown, to help us out."
Lifts operating
Mt Hutt’s summit six chairlift, quad chair and magic carpet will be operating for the early opening. The triple chair will open a little later in the season.
"Our outlook for a 30 May opening is positive, as long as conditions remain favourable and the weather permits on the day," said Wilson.
Good for business
Paul Creswick, from the Mt Hutt Marketing Group and owner of Brinkley Resort in Methven, said the news was fantastic.
"This is spectacular news for every tourism operator in town. The early opening and reports of lots of snow, coupled with the soft New Zealand dollar and some great airline deals, bodes well for everyone in Methven and the surrounding area this season," he said.
"Many operators are already reporting a significant increase in domestic and international enquiries from last year," he said.
More information:
2009 New Zealand ski season
Early snow has New Zealand ski industry buzzing
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