Snow Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snow Farm |
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The main Snow Farm building
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| Location | South Island, New Zealand |
| Nearest city | Wānaka |
| Top elevation | 1965 m (Mt Pisa) 1544 m (trail) |
| Base elevation | 1520 m |
| Snowmaking | No |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | https://snowfarm.nz/ |
Snow Farm is a special place for skiing in New Zealand. It is located near the town of Wānaka. Snow Farm is mostly known for cross-country skiing, which is a type of skiing where you glide across flat or gently rolling snow.
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What is Snow Farm?
Snow Farm has 55 kilometers (about 34 miles) of trails. These trails are perfect for cross-country skiing. The main building, called the Lodge, can host events. It has space for 150 people to sit. There is also a private bar, a restaurant, and a viewing deck. About 60 people can stay overnight at the Lodge.
Activities at Snow Farm
In winter, Snow Farm is busy with many fun activities. You can go cross-country skiing or try snowshoeing. You can also take a tour with husky dogs pulling a sled! For those who like cars, there is a special area for driving on snow and ice.
During the summer, when there is no snow, Snow Farm is still a great place to visit. People come here for altitude training. This means they train at a high elevation. The trails go up to 2,000 meters (about 6,560 feet) high. You can also go mountain biking, hiking, or rock climbing. Some people even come for adventure races.
Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds
Snow Farm is also home to the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds. This is a special place where car companies test their vehicles. They use twelve different test areas to check how cars work on ice and snow. This testing happens during the northern hemisphere's summer. This is because it is winter in New Zealand then, so there is plenty of snow and ice.
How to Get There
Snow Farm is about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Queenstown. It is closer to Wānaka, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) away. The last 13 kilometers (8 miles) of the road to Snow Farm is gravel. This road is famous for a car race called the "Race to the Sky." It is a hillclimb race, where cars race up a steep road.
Merino Muster Ski Race
Every September, Snow Farm hosts a big cross-country skiing event. It is called the Merino Muster. Skiers can choose to race different distances. There are races of 42 kilometers (about 26 miles), 21 kilometers (about 13 miles), and 7 kilometers (about 4 miles). There is also a special 1-kilometer (about 0.6 miles) race just for children!
