Coronet Peak facts for kids
Coronet Peak is a super popular place for skiing and snowboarding in Queenstown, New Zealand. It's located about seven kilometres west of a town called Arrowtown. The skifield is on the side of a mountain that's 1,649 metres tall, and it's also called Coronet Peak!
This ski resort is famous in the Southern Hemisphere. It has a long snow season, great slopes for skiing and snowboarding, and awesome lift systems to get you up the mountain.
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Why Coronet Peak is Awesome
Coronet Peak is one of New Zealand's most popular ski resorts. It's really close to Queenstown, which makes it easy to get to. The mountain also has lots of different types of slopes and excellent facilities.
Amazing Views and Lifts
From the skifield, you can see amazing views looking south across Lake Wakatipu. You can also spot the smaller Lake Hayes nearby. These beautiful views make skiing here even more special.
Coronet Peak has two super-fast six-seater chairlifts. There's also a fast chairlift just for beginners. This helps everyone get up the mountain quickly to enjoy the slopes.
Cool Things to Do at Coronet Peak
Coronet Peak has lots of snowmaking machines. This means they can make sure there's enough snow, even if nature doesn't provide a lot. The ski season usually runs from early June to early October.
Night Skiing and First Tracks
Coronet Peak is one of the only ski areas in New Zealand that offers night skiing! You can ski under the stars on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. This usually happens from July to mid-September.
They also have something called "First Tracks." This lets you ski between 8 AM and 9 AM. It's a quieter time before most people arrive, so you get the slopes almost to yourself!
Great for School Trips
Coronet Peak is a popular spot for school trips, especially for students from New Zealand and Australia. This is because it has so many great facilities. Kids aged 6 and younger even get free day lift passes!
Skiing and Snowboarding Slopes
Coronet Peak has many famous runs for all skill levels.
Slopes for Everyone
- Big Easy is perfect for beginners who are just learning.
- M1, Greengates, and Shirtfront are great for intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
- If you're an expert, you'll love Exchange Drop and the Back Bowls.
Coronet Peak has well-developed "piste" skiing. This means the slopes are groomed and maintained, much like what you'd find at ski resorts in Europe.
Events and Training
Coronet Peak often hosts international ski races. It's also a training ground for many world-class athletes. This means you might even see some professional skiers practicing here!
Who Runs Coronet Peak?
The skifield is managed by a company called NZSki Ltd. They also run The Remarkables skifield, which is just across the valley. Plus, they manage Mount Hutt in Canterbury, near Christchurch.
History of Coronet Peak
Coronet Peak has a special place in New Zealand's history.
New Zealand's First Commercial Skifield
It was New Zealand's very first commercial skifield, opening way back in 1947. Back then, it only had one simple rope tow to pull skiers up the hill. A tourism pioneer named Harry Wigley asked Bill Hamilton to design and build this first lift.
Growing and Improving
As more and more visitors came, Coronet Peak kept adding new lifts. It was the first in New Zealand to get a double chairlift, then a triple chairlift. In 1994, they added their second high-speed quad chairlift.
In 2002, the company that owned Coronet Peak and The Remarkables sold them. A group of businesspeople from Queenstown bought them, forming NZSki Ltd. They also bought Mount Hutt at the same time.
Recent Upgrades
NZSki Ltd has invested a lot to make Coronet Peak even better.
- For the 2008 season, they spent over $30 million on a new main building and 141 new snow cannons.
- In 2009, they added more snowmaking equipment, new machines to groom the slopes, and a special lift just for children.
- The 2010 season saw the old Meadows double chairlift replaced. It was upgraded to a modern quad chairlift with safety bars that lower themselves and special child-friendly restraints.
