Ski Japan 2012 - Snow, Onsen, Sushi - Part 3

Shirakawa-Go to Kanazawa


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Takasu Snow Park

Dynaland and Takasu Snow Park 
Altitude - 950-1550m
Lifts - 10
Runs - 30
Snow Depth - 240cms

A short drive from Shirakawa-Go village are the Gifu Prefecture ski areas of Dynaland (pronounced dai-na-ran-do) and Takasu Snow Park, two large neighbouring resorts that are linked on the one lift pass. Together they are one of the largest ski areas in Japan, and are among the most popular for Japanese from Nagoya and Osaka.

These two snowy places complement each other beautifully. Takasu has long cruisey skyline runs that go on forever. There are also bits of tolerated off-piste through the trees around the higher runs. Great views as well, although it was a bit overcast that day.

Dynaland has shorter runs but some of these are more challenging. It also has lots of other features like parks, including one great area in and around the trees that had lots of jumps, rails and other features amongst the powder.

More pictures from Takasu can be found here and a couple of videos from Dynaland can be found on YouTube here and here.

Lunch - At Dynaland there is a big canteen-style restaurant which had a good selection (no English menu but pictures helped!) of Japanese lunch dishes.

There was a most delicious sake sashimi don: salmon sashimi; salmon ikura (roe), nori (seaweed); wasabi; egg; a big shiso leaf; and rice. Mmmm ... hmmm! And a tasty, more-ish tempura prawn udon noodle soup. Click the picture for some close-up yummy goodness!

Ouka No Yu Onsen

Onsen - When Spring comes along, the snows at Dynaland and Takasu ski resorts will quickly melt into the many streams that run down the mountain into the valley below. Those streams will then join with the Shokawa River, which flows through a narrow gap in the mountain ranges, back past Shirakawa-Go and then into the Sea of Japan at Toyama Bay.

By the side of this wonderful river just a short drive from the skiing at Takasu is the charming Ouka No Yu onsen.

This is a large onsen complex but there are few people around this early in the afternoon. The inside is very good with its high wooden ceilings, but the outside is lovely!

After warming up and soothing ski legs inside, the cold air is so refreshing, and then I settle into the soaking hot water once more. The outside area has a water feature where the onsen water is piped up high, from where it then cascades in a waterfall. You can sit in little caves in the rocks behind the curtain of water.

Kanazawa

Refreshed from our onsen on the banks of the Shokawa River, we have a drive now to the city of Kanazawa that takes just a few hours and delivers us out of the Gifu mountains and on to the Japan Sea coast.

Iox-Arosa Trail Map

Our accommodation in wonderful Kanazawa for three nights is the welcoming Murataya Ryokan, a centrally located inn right in the middle of the action of this larger city. We wander this thriving, cosmopolitan city and find some good Izakaya food and plum wine!

Iox-Arosa
Altitude - 350-850m
Lifts - 6
Runs - 7
Snow Depth - 240cms

Iox-Arosa is a small ski area less than an hour from Kanazawa with brilliant views over the snowy plains to the Sea of Japan.

Iox-Arosa

Snow conditions for our visit were fantastic, but the terrain is fairly limited at this popular ski area for the Kanazawa and Toyama area.

The positives: a gondola to the top of the resort where there are fantastic views over the surrounding countryside, and a massive, wide run all the way down to the bottom of the ski area. Glory GS turns all the way down!

The negatives: well, the main run is really the only skiing - one brilliant run! After that, there's really nothing much more to do. Oh well!

Omicho Market in Kanazawa

Kanazawa

Back in trendy Kanazawa it is lunchtime! In this coastal centre that specialises in seafood straight out of the ocean a visit to the bustling Omicho Market is in order.

Winter is crab season and these catches are highly prized in Japan for their high quality. There is seafood of so many varieties it is mind-boggling.

Kanazawa Castle

The Omicho market has probably the freshest conveyor seafood sushi restaurant going, supplied as it is by incredible delicacies straight into the market from the fishing vessels from the Sea of Japan. We eat our fill in preparation for an afternoon's walking around the sights.

The Kanazawa Castle Park is a mix of old and new. Most of the fortresses here had burned down at some point in their history, but much of the castle has now been reconstructed, surprising recently. However, one gate dates from the 18th century, and much of the 400-year-old castle walls remain.

Kenrokuen

The wonderful Kenrokuen Garden is by far the most famous part of the city of Kanazawa. It is really what the Japanese tourists come here to see.

The formal Japanese gardens are set right next door to the Kanazawa Castle Park, and they were originally part of the castle itself, overlooking the city around them.

Kenrokuen is often cited among the top three formal gardens in Japan, spreading over 25 acres.

According to the tourist literature, the Japanese "Kenrokuen" means "having six factors" or six attributes that make up the perfect garden. They are: spaciousness, tranquility, artifice, antiquity, water courses, and magnificent views.

You will notice how the trees often need to be supported as the branches have been twisted and shaped over the years into unnatural positions that need some assistance.

In winter, the weight of the wet snow that often falls here on the coast means even more additional support is required for the tree branches. The arrays of ropes are known as "yukitsuri" and they protect the branches from snapping under the weight of a heavy winter snowfall.

The prettiest parts of the garden are where there is water - in ponds, streams or waterfalls. The reflections are magical, and the old teahouses sit prettily on the banks of two lakes.

Elsewhere there is a cherry tree grove where the trees are now bare but the buds are sitting patiently at the end of the branches waiting for Spring to arrive.

There is even a "mountain" or two to climb - one of the features of Japanese gardens are that they give the impression of larger-scale scenery in miniature. Mosses can be fields, raised ground a mountain, lakes are inland seas, and streams are roaring rivers.

Kenrokuen is truly a wonderful garden, and many more pictures from Kenrokuen, the Kanazawa Castle Park, and the market can be found in this gallery.

Ski Japan 2012 - Snow, Onsen, Sushi - Part 2

There is something about Takayama that immediately made us regret staying in this wonderful place for only two nights.

While this quaint little city was quiet in the winter season - and its not really that big (only around 100,000 inhabitants) - we found it somewhat magical in its tradition and style. Not only that - you could walk everywhere quite easily!

The city of Takayama developed during the 16th century, but its location high in the Japanese Alps ensured it was left to develop its own local quirks and culture. Now, many of the old merchant quarters are still well-preserved and, in other seasons, this is a popular tourist spot for Japanese.

The tradespeople of Takayama were known for their clever skills in carpentry and woodwork, and that is still evident today. The ancient houses in this region have wonderful wooden frontages. A ball of cedar hanging from the eaves denotes the residence is a sake brewery (many of which are still operating today).

Travellers to Japan and Takayama would be well-advised to check out Hida-Takayama's excellent Facebook page for information about local festivals, customs, culture and other activities. Along with free WiFi in the city centre, it all adds up to a very welcoming city for tourists.

Onsen - We had spoiled ourselves a little with the hotel in Takayama. It was a beauty - this hotel couldn't come more highly recommended.

Takayama Ouan Hotel is a stylish blend of old and new. With tatami floors throughout, the snow-dampened wheels of our luggage were towelled down by the concierge to dry them before touching (and damaging) the tatami!

Today's onsen experience was in the hotel itself! Takayama Ouan's five onsen are on the top-floor of the hotel with brilliant views over the city by day or by night. Three private onsen with views can also be reserved. What better way to relax after a day's skiing and sightseeing than to relax in a rooftop spa overlooking a city as its lights come on as the sun sets.

Dinner - We dined out in the Takayama city centre at a tiny tempura restaurant we had read about online. There was probably room for about eight people along the bar of Ebihachi. The husband and wife team delivered us a mouthwatering selection of tempura seafood and vegetables which we enjoyed with cold beer. What can be better than that?

Lots more pictures of Hida-Takayama and the wonderful Takayama Ouan Hotel and Onsen can be found here.

Takayama to Shirakawa-Go

Nagareha Onsen Trail Map

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Hida Nagareha Onsen
Altitude - 750-1400m
Lifts - 7
Runs - 7
Snow Depth - 220cms

After a fond farewell to Takayama and not least our hotel's awesome buffet breakfast, we headed towards our next destination.

Of course, on the way to Shirakawa-Go we stopped off for a morning ski at another of the Hida region's many ski areas.

Nagareha Onsen is a bit off the beaten track in a valley 45 minutes north from Takayama. Also known as "Star Spur", the ski station is based around one main lift.

From the top ski lift you can take a variety of "spurs" down to the base station in the valley. The first spur was a lovely, long cruisey ski run with nice views across the valley. The second was a bit challenging with an extremely steep start ... and the third was closed off because of a landslide ... interesting!

So we decided to go up the last short ski lift and see the summit which, on the piste map, is show as a small area of a few short runs and a restaurant. Well ... no! This was where all the snow was, where all the interesting terrain was, and where the powder was! Great variety of terrain and fall lines, which is sometimes unusual in Japan.

More pictures from Nagareha Onsen are here (including the landslide!), while I also have a short video clip on YouTube.

Source: Nagareha Onsen website

Onsen - With a name like Nagareha Onsen you'd expect there to be an onsen here to soothe sore skiing legs! And there was ...

The onsen here was very different from previous ones so far on this trip. While the onsen visited in previous days have been sedate and picturesque, Nagareha was modern, and with heaps of features. Like the smartphone of onsen! There were jacuzzi and various physiotherapy contraptions in water - none of which I knew how to operate but I felt healthier just being near them!

I shared the jacuzzi for a short time with a family of three generations - a young boy, his dad and grandfather enjoying the bubbles. I suppose this is how families bathed in earlier times. I entertained the child saying konnichi-wa.

Kidoya

Shirakawa-Go

Through winding mountain roads in the more remote wilds of northern Gifu, and then by an expressway the entire journey of which is through a tunnel, we reach our next stop - for just one night!

One night only as this is Shirakawa-Go, a preserved traditional farming village that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The village is nestled here on a rare piece of level land next to a raging river. All around the forested mountains rise up imposingly.

The huge three-storey farmhouses dotted around this village have thatched slanted roofs to keep the pressure from the heavy snow off the wooden beams. There is about a metre of snow in the fields in this area in January.

Our farmhouse and home for the night is called Kidoya and we are the only guests on this snowy winter's night. We are welcomed by an elderly lady who shows us down the central passage to a room separated from other empty rooms by sliding screen doors.

In the centre of our little tatami room is a kotatsu, a low table common in many Japanese rooms, but with a heating source underneath here. You sit at the table to warm yourself, with your legs underneath the covers while you have tea, eat, read or watch TV.

We head out into the snow to explore the historic village and take in the sights. When it becomes dark and the lights in all the farmhouses are switched on, it is very special - a bit like a more realistic (cos its so cold!) snowy fairytale perhaps.

Dinner - Dinner is served in the farmhouse tonight! We eat in the house's single dining room which is a tantalising blend of old and new. There is a traditional iriri, or hearth, but also a huge flat-screen TV!

We are provided with lots of lovely little plates of food, as well as a big hotpot bubbling away on a burner on each table.

There is fire-grilled whole river fish, soft and juicy daikon, warming miso soup, tofu, honey potatoes and various vegetables, crunchy pickles, and more, plus a milky glass of sake!

We sleep remarkably well in this huge, peaceful, old house.

More pictures from Shirakawa-Go can be found here.

Ski Japan 2012 - Snow, Onsen, Sushi - Part 1

Ueda in Nagano Prefecture is not your typical starting point for a ski tour of Japan. This fairly non-descript and functional city is little more than an hour by Shinkansen from Tokyo, and we arrive here straight from Narita Airport with our bags still tagged, tired from the unwanted stop in Cairns.

There is some sense in this madness, however. Here we can pick up a car with snow tyres (more difficult in Tokyo) and it is just the right spot for a sleep after the long flight from Australia and the perfect place to start this tour.

Ueda to Hida Takayama

It is pretty cold in the morning in Ueda, about -9c. All the same it is sunny, but it may seem unusual that there's no snow around. I think this low-lying area, like much of Nagano Prefecture, is in an area of rain shadow and, as a consequence, it is quite dry in winter.

We don't get into the snows until we pass the city of Matsumoto that morning and head from there up into the Japanese Alps.

Norikura Kogen Onsen Trail Map

Norikura Kogen Onsen
Altitude - 1490-2000m
Lifts - 8
Runs - 21
Snow Depth - 145cms

About half an hour's drive from the big provincial city of Matsumoto is Norikura Kogen Onsen, a hot springs (or spa) resort that is very popular amongst Japanese in summer for high country relaxation and hiking up to nearby Mt Norikura.

The steep drive up here from Matsumoto reminds me of the French Alps - the sheer mountainsides, road tunnels, winding roads and hydro power rivers and dams eventually giving way to the plateau with all the little pensions and tourist stores, now closed for the winter.

The Norikura Kogen Onsen ski area benefits from its very high, by Japanese standards, altitude. And it needs this benefit too, as it is unfortunate enough to be stuck in that Nagano rain shadow and so has to utilise the very cold temperatures that go with high altitude to retain whatever snow it can get during the storms that reach it.

Oden and Miso Noodle Soup

Having driven straight to the mountain resort from Ueda, we only spend an afternoon at Norikura Kogen Onsen, but it proves to be a very good ski warm-up coming just the next day after our flight to Japan from Australia.

There are a good variety of gentle, easy ski runs that help us find our ski legs again, as well as a nice long cruiser that runs down a spur served by a single lift, and some short powder runs at the top of the ski area.

The snow cover for our visit, although pretty good, was surprisingly not enough for some of the lower ski runs to be open. But the black runs that were open provided some short, technical fun near the car park. It was a weekday so there was nobody there apart from some Japanese high school groups.

Lunch - The ski area restaurant we visited was a nice, big place with good views, high up in the ski area and provides bargain lunches. No English of course, so selection of meal was by picture. We opted for a traditional Oden and a miso noodle soup, with many free pickles!

Source: Hirayu-No-Mori Website

Onsen - It may not appear immediately obvious to the reader with so much descriptive and photographic variety in this most interesting part of the world, but there are patterns of routine to this tour.

Generally speaking, if you look carefully, you may observe this pattern. Here it is: Ski ... then lunch ... then ski ... then onsen ... then dinner.

Don't underestimate the bathing in the onsen. The bathing is very important! And this article is as much about the onsen as the skiing.

Just another thirty minutes from Norikura Kogen Onsen is the pass over the mountains and a famous hot springs town called Hirayu Onsen. After our first ski, it is bathing time and the onsen here is called Hirayu-No-Mori, a top spa for weary travellers and skiers.

The snow falls as I soak in the rocky outdoor pools. Each pool is a different temperature ranging from warm to scorching! It is a beautiful setting with the forested mountains all around and the snowflakes cooling the hot spring's heat. Suitably soaked, soothed and relaxed, we drive the 40 minutes to our  next destination - Hida Takayama.


Dinner - Hida Takayama is across the border from Nagano Prefecture in neighbouring Gifu Prefecture. This tradition-filled historic town sits high up in the Hida mountain country, surrounded by peaks and it is snowbound in winter - snow tyres required.

More on Takayama later, but this evening after a long day driving and skiing and bathing we need to eat. It has been a long first day of the tour and we deserve a night out after all!

A short stroll from the hotel takes us past traditional Takayama buildings all lit up around a bridge over the town's main river. It is magical, quiet and peaceful as we search along the river for a local restaurant.

We find Agura Izakaya and it is a top place to eat and drink, Izakaya-style. We drink plum wine (sweet with ice!) and chu-hai (a Japanese cocktail of clear spirit with soda and fruit juice) and order many goodies - small plates and wotnot - and the staff are lovely and not freaked out by us gaijin and the food is extremely yummy.

Hida Takayama

After a well-earned rest in our very comfortable Takayama hotel we awoke to a lovely little city blanketed in white with clearing morning skies. Looking like a very fine day for skiing, we headed up to nearby Honouki Daira Winter Resort.

Honoki Daira Trail Map

Honoki Daira

Altitude - 1250-1550m
Lifts - 7
Runs - 16
Snow Depth - 125cms

Little Honoki is just a short drive from Takayama back up into the mountains in the direction of Matsumoto. On paper, its not that interesting as ski areas go: not a lot of vertical, smallish and the base area - while modelled on European ski resorts with its line up of chalet buildings - feels very geared to school trips.

But taking the first lift up, a vast ungroomed run of knee-deep powder reveals itself ... and its on!

Its short and sweet here compared to many Japanese ski areas where they truly love their really long cruisey runs.

But in good conditions the options open up at Honoki: a big wide ungroomed red run here; areas to the side of the groomed runs there; and steeps with tree skiing. In a country where off-piste is limited and often fenced off, Honoki seems to be relaxed enough to allow a bit more freedom.

Its quite a pretty place as well when the clouds lift and the conifer-forested hills reveal themselves. And then from the summit, a surprise - a view to a frozen waterfall where tens of meters of ice are suspended frozen above the trees.

More ski and snow pictures from Honoki here.

In the afternoon we visit the Hida Folk Village (Hida No Sato), a lovingly preserved reserve - or museum even - of traditional rural Japanese farmhouses set in a gorgeous cluster around a big lake a few kilometres from Takayama.

The ancient farmhouses scattered here have been collected and moved here from locations around the Prefecture. They date across five centuries and you can wander around inside them and see how the mountain farmers from around this region lived and worked in these huge, intricately thatched buildings.

Fires are kept burning to provide atmosphere and realism and many contain historical artifacts and interesting descriptions of life in the winter snows, silk making (silk worms were kept in the top part of the buildings; and in winter, cattle in the lower) and handicrafts in era before electricity.

A closer look at Hida No Sato and the fascinating farmhouses can be found here.

Northern Ski Season Glitters into Life

It was all looking a little touch-and-go for snow at the beginning of December 2011, but in the past few weeks the Northern Hemisphere ski season has flurried and (in some cases) blizzarded into life.

Gala Yuzawa, Niigata, Japan [Source: Gala website]

Japan


Lets talk about Japan first, as that's where we are off to in a few weeks. The snow was very thin on the ground until a few days before christmas. Most areas were grass, save for some of the high-altitude snow resorts.

And then a storm brought snow over three days, with some dumps of epic proportions in western Japan. Once again, Niigata shone as a bright and strong powder magnet. Some of the ski areas around Myoko, Yuzawa and Nozawa Onsen suddenly went from no snow to 200cms. A local snow reporter talked about "waist-deep"!

Hakuba eventually got its share as well and only the Shiga Kogen resorts appeared to miss out on the heavy dumps.

Most of the big ski areas are now sitting on 150-250cms, with the smaller, lower resorts already close to a metre. A very fine situation for the end of December and full of promise for another stunning winter season.

Formigal, Spain [Source: Formigal on Facebook]

France

The European resorts also spluttered into action before christmas. In the Alps there are around 2 metres up high, but much less snow cover at lower altitudes. Val D'Isere has as much as 200cms up high.

However, Isola and Val D'Allos in the Southern Alps, and the Pyrenees ski resorts in France, Spain and Andorra have struggled, but at least they now have some snow. Most of these resorts have about 50cms of snow on the ground, which is fairly patchy for returning to the villages.

There is a good forecast for snow in the French Alps in the next few days, and more snowfalls for Japan over the next week. Happy New Year!

Ski Touring in New Zealand 2011 - West Coast, Southern Lakes and Canterbury

11 days skiing
7 mountains (3 first-time mountains)
6kms vertical descent per day
77kms vertical descent over the trip
2 whales
13 seals
1 glacier
4 Kea

Franz Josef Glacier

Sadly, departing the wonderful Nelson Lakes via the dramatic white-water Murchison River gorges the journey was tinged with a little regret at not staying in the area a little longer. But we must get going and make our way down the West Coast of the South Island over the next two days.

We reach the Tasman Sea at the town of Greymouth, then speed (no tickets) down the coast through Hokitika to arrive - after a long and uneventful drive - to spend the night at the lush rainforest town of Franz Josef Glacier.

It is a fine and - wow - remarkable sight, this slow-moving river of ice tumbling out of the majesty of the Southern Alps down into a narrow strip of rainforest between the mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean. The millennia that these natural processes have been at work beyond human influence is evident.

And what better way to consider glacial dymamics, the weathering of rock formations, the power of H2O, the richness of rainforest flora, clear evidence for global warming, and the sheer uniqueness of this amazing island ... than ...

... on the back of a kick-arse, noisy quad bike!

These chunky little mechanical beasties are lots of fun - especially when powering through the narrow, extremely muddy rainforest trails, and when careening and splashing within the deep, fast-flowing river! Yee-bloody-ha baby!

From Franz Josef Glacier and the Glacier Country the West Coast drive proceeds to lonely Haast at the end of Middle Earth. The only road winds through more rainforest and along the coast and the absence of human population is noticeable. But somehow they still manage to have cheap bananas for sale.

Haast Highway

This twisting road for a time seems familiar - we get a sense of deja vu. We haven't been here before? The ways it switches back, the closeness of the ocean ...

Ah, that's right - it is similar to the beautiful Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia, cavorting and swivelling above the cliffs with the ocean far below, waves crashing against stubborn rocks.

At one roadside visitor lookout the ocean swell creates white-water on pointy rock stacks. In this picture, if you look very closely, you can see the curvature of the Earth on the horizon.

What? Yeah! Bit of science comin' at ya! 

More pictures of the Franz Josef Glacier, the Haast Highway and Lake Paringa in this album.

Wanaka and Mt Iron

The West Coast town of Haast marks an important point in our trip since it began a week earlier - wow, that seems a long time ago - in Christchurch.

We have been to this place, seen this town before in previous years and are now, once again, in familiar territory as we head inland to cross the Southern Alps through the winding mountain passes.

Arriving finally in the ski tourist town of Wanaka it even feels a little like home after the wildness of the unfamiliar West.

But while we without fail visit Wanaka every year, this is actually the first time we have stayed in this town for more than a few nights in a row. In previous years we have instead chosen to stay in sparkling Queenstown or in cute, historic Arrowtown.

But hold up ... first things first, its time to start skiing again after a couple of days travelling. Too much driving through rainforests and ocean roads and not enough sliding!

There are four ... yep, four ... commercial ski areas within reach of our gorgeous Mt Iron accommodation in Wanaka - there are skifields at Treble Cone, Cardrona, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.

To enable a thorough exploration of the best of them we settle in, get comfortable, do a big shop at the supermarket (check the cheese and wine aisles first) and spend a great five days in this fantastic value luxury cottage just out of town at the base of Mt Iron in Wanaka.

Treble Cone

First up - its Cardrona - and wow Cardrona was warm this year! How seasons differ. Last year we were challenged by gale force winds and temperatures of -11c.

This year it was calm, warm and sunny at lovely Cardies. To give you an idea, in the evening afterwards I was flipping burgers at the BBQ outside with only a T-shirt on.

The two days at Cardrona were a lot of fun as us seasoned skiers now know this cruisey mountain so well that we can pretty much command the whole field! In a nice way ... we are very careful not to scare newbies with our hooning!

As the sun softened the off-piste areas we could cruise around the Captains area and link the runs nicely while enjoying the comfort of a chair lift for the first time this trip!

And then ... there was marvellous Treble Cone and the conditions were similar: Sun, sun, sun!

A lot of effort was required changing gear to try and keep cool - sunscreen and water (far too warm for hot chocolates in these conditions!).

What is great about Wanaka is that you can actually see the front basin of the massive Treble Cone ski area from town ... as you can see the town of Wanaka from Treble Cone!

This skifield certainly has some of the most inpsiring, picturesque views over the lakes and valleys of the Southern Lakes of New Zealand. The skiing was fantastic with Spring conditions, softening very quickly and there was almost nobody there.

More pictures of Wanaka, Cardrona and Treble Cone in this album.

Over the Crown Range Road

Despite the fantastic scenery, and great forgiving and soft Spring skiing conditions, there had been one something missing a little this year ...

... fresh snow and lovely powder!

Thankfully we were fortunate to finally get some ... but not at Wanaka, which the storm inexplicably missed entirely, but at Coronet Peak near Queenstown.

When I read the snow reports at dawn I knew it was on, and this meant a slightly longer early morning drive past Cardrona and up over the brilliant and snowy Crown Range Road.

Coronet Peak

As we came round the bends right at the top of the pass, the valley was suddenly spread out before us, snow blanketing everywhere save for the wheat-green valley floors.

And then there was Coronet Peak, looking splendid with inviting new snow!

Coronet Peak is the most commercial of the New Zealand skifields, on account of it being an easy, convenient 20-minute drive from the bright lights of Queenstown and its international visitors.

It is also one of the lowest-altitude ski areas and prone to ice at this time of year, most years. But 2011 is Coronet's year to shine and 10cms of fresh snow awaits and there are not many people around and plenty of space for us to enjoy the mountain.

View to The Remarkables and Queenstown

It is a brilliant day's skiing - definitely one of the best in visiting CP over the many years. There are some fantastic runs through soft powder and great views to The Remarkables and Queenstown itself.

More pictures of Coronet Peak in this album.

We decide to stay an extra day in Wanaka, skiing two days each at Cardrona and Treble Cone again as we get very settled in our lovely unit.

But we must be on the road and head northeast again, up towards the city of Christchurch. This final sector will complete our round trip of the South Island of New Zealand.

Mt Hutt and Canterbury Plains

In previous years visiting we have stopped off in the Mackenzie Country where there is skiing at Lake Ohau, Mt Dobson and Roundhill ... but sadly none this year.

The lack of rainfall has not been kind to these parts and we speed (no tickets!) through on our way back to Canterbury and Christchurch. Not so quick that we can't stop for a soak in the hot pools at Lake Tekapo, however!

When we arrive in the town of Methven we are only one hour away from Christchurch Airport, yet we still have four days of our trip to go and there is plenty of skiing around here, with Mt Hutt above us and the mountains deep within the Craigieburn Range.

Lyndon Road to Castle Hill

In Methven we stay in a lovely apartment attached yet separate to a new property owned by local artists, their works tastefully decorating the walls of our new home.

Art inside, sheep and llama grazing on the paddocks outside!

Once again it is very warm again up on the mountains ... more sun ... great views ... sunscreen ... fluids!

A hidden gem in this area is the back road that links Methven to Castle Hill - I can't think of a short drive that is better for the range of vistas, countryside and views in Canterbury.

At Mt Cheeseman one day if felt more like lying on a beach doing a bit of surfing than skiing!

From Methven you could do both in the same day ... ski in the morning and 24c in the afternoon at the beach.

Whether you're on the beach or on top of the mountain, it doesn't really matter ... this place is real and magical at the same time. A wonderful, natural and amazing part of the Earth that is in tune with the adventurous at heart.

More pictures of Methven, Mt Hutt, Mt Cheeseman and Wakanui Beach in this album.

Ski Touring in New Zealand 2011 - Kaikouras and Nelson Lakes

11 days skiing
7 mountains (3 first-time mountains)
6kms vertical descent per day
77kms vertical descent over the trip
2 whales
13 seals
1 glacier
4 Kea

OK, the super-cool official trip stats are out of the way...

The morning after arriving in Christchurch the first job is to pick up new sets of snow skis from Snowride, a great Christchurch ski shop that sadly lost its original store in the earthquake.

After getting into the Forrester 4WD from our trusty local provider and suitably armed with new skis, we did something few international ski visitors to the South Island do - pointed the car Northeast and headed up Highway 1.

Within the Hurunui District a few hours from Christchurch is Mt Lyford, a family-owned, commercial ski area that gets a big heap of snow every few weeks and then loses it all in between snowfalls due to the area's warm weather.

It was damn warm when we got there and the recent snow loss had been significant - they were closing for the season and it was their last day for 2011. Lucky we made it to ski there in time!

The Pacific from Mt Lyford

On this ski trip, friendly Mt Lyford was a highlight for a few very good reasons: it was the first time we've ever visited the skifield in years of travelling to the South Island; it has stunning panoramic views of the local mountain ranges and across to the Pacific Ocean; and it was the first time we have tried the famous "nutcracker" - a New Zealand rope tow that requires you to don a belt with a clamp you then secure to a moving rope to take you back up the hill.

More photos of Mt Lyford in this album. 

This area of rolling hills and mountain ranges near to the Pacific Ocean is peaceful, remote and beautiful, and in mid-winter you can stay in a village of log cabins on the snowline. I'd like to do that one year!

The mountains in the area are known as the Kaikouras (Inland and Seaward) and we drove on to the region's coastal centre to stay the night in a delightful motel of modern standalone units near to the Pacific Ocean beaches.

From the units as the sun set: the ocean lapping on the beach to one side and the snow-capped mountains on the other.

Kaikoura itself sits on a promontory near where a range of 2,600-metre mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. Kaikoura may have remained a little-known town if it wasn't for the breadth and accessibility of its maritime wildlife. Some of it literally lounges around the streets and boardwalks like this New Zealand Fur Seal.

Of course, if you want to see the undoubted stars of the show then you have to either take to the seas in a boat or get airborne.

We chose air, a decision that took some hours of deliberation, debate, discussion ... and ... UP ...flyyyying now ... ! That was easy, hey?

The snow-capped mountains on one side, the Pacific on another, what better backdrop, and then ... 15 minutes offshore the Cessna pilot reckons we're in the vicinity of a pair of 12-metre-long Sperm Whales.

The area is unusually home to whales all the year round, whereas I understand most places you go to see whales you may see them visiting as they migrate up the coast.


These young groups of male Sperm Whales stick around the Kaikoura area even in winter. Apparently, in spring and autumn there are many more species of whale and dolphin in these rich waters.

The young Kiwi pilot banks around sharply in the plane as we spot the telltale signs of spray from a blowhole. There are only three of us in the plane and he points because of the noise. I nod when I see them too.

The unique and distinctive mammals come into view, their tails and strangely blockish heads visible as we circle them from above.

After ten minutes of watching the creatures taking in air on the surface, eventually the holy grail of whale-watching: one fusses ... and then gracefully leaves its tail above water to announce its dive to the depths to feast on .... well, giant squid I'm told. And who doesn't like a bit of calamari!

It is a highly successful trip despite the perceived smallness and wobbliness of the little plane and we all nod smiling at each other with our earphones on as we fly back to the airfield.

More photos of Kaikoura, seals and whales in this album. 


Elated at the experience and back on the road heading out from Kaikoura we pick up a German hitchhiker desperate to get a lift north to the Interislander ferry at the northern tip of the South Island at Picton. She's missed a train and bus and is running late for an international flight back to Berlin.

The Interislander

We make the Picton ferry just as it prepares to leave New Zealand's South Island for the journey through the maze of islands in the Marlborough Sound to the national capital Wellington.

Heading back to our original route at nearby Blenheim we notice we are in the heart of the Marlborough region. I say notice - the area positively bleeds Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

The vineyards surround the city and continue to dominate the countryside as we change direction and head inland .... back into the mountains, away from the warm, balmy coast and, hopefully, in search of the snows.

Moss and Lichen on a tree

That is what we're here for, after all!

As we drive up the valley from Blenheim the mountain ranges progressively close in on the road and the vineyards become less frequent until the road is winding and we're out of the Marlborough region and into the Nelson Lakes National Park.

This northern mountainous area is unlike the landscapes of the south of this island - it is rich rainforest, thickly forested, and somewhat lusher.

The small Alpine village of Saint Arnaud is our next home for two nights and as we are shown to our cosy log cabin, it is snowing on the surrounding mountains. A good sign!

The next day's drive up to Rainbow skifield has to be one of the best of the bunch for sheer beauty and fun.

The first half of the drive is a fast, straight road along a narrow valley, pausing to ford the various full creeks that run the snow melt down from the snow-capped mountains.

The second half is a tiny, winding gravel road straight up through forest and then into the snow-covered mountains until the skifield appears.

Rainbow is a club skifield, run for and by the members of the regional ski club.

Rainbow was having a cracker of a snow season this year after a dreadfully disappointing one in 2010. This year it took out the award for my favourite skifield in 2011.

The new snow that fell during the previous day made the base area look white and beautiful from the Gift Shop as the icicles began to melt in the rapidly warming sunshine.

Rainbow has just one long T-bar that drags you from the base area to a ridge that encloses half of the Main bowl. From there, there are a host of options for getting back down - a few easy groomed runs or a big variety of off-piste steeper areas.

Rainbow Main and West Bowls

But it doesn't end there - by holding on tight to a short rope tow from one part of the ridge you can pull yourself over into a whole new wide bowl and from there even further to other peaks.

Once you enter the West Bowl there is just a single, narrow track that leads halfway around the top of the bowl. And thats it! No signs, no trails ... just freedom to do what you want (as long as you can work out how to get back to the base area!).
 

It is a fantastic, adventurous feeling given even more impact by the stunning mountain panoramas and the complete lack of people. The few people that are here are back in the Main Bowl!

Just to top it off, there is an absolutely brilliant view from the top of the West Bowl down to the village of Saint Arnaud and lovely Lake Rotoiti. You can just sit here and look out over the world.

The Nelson Lakes motel came with a great facility - a huge bubbling jacuzzi in a large wooden outbuilding. Opening up the roller door revealed a top view across lawns to the forests and up to snow-capped mountains above. Now that is the kind of view that complements a soaking of those tired muscles in a hot tub!

On the second day at Rainbow the snow was taking its time to soften in the sun, but the West Bowl provided some great skiing ... particularly if you were prepared to hike a bit up those peaks. That was a first for us, the hiking I mean, but wow it produced great rewards!

The snow here was all untouched and soft for smooth turns all the way back down. Nobody around ... no ski lifts ... no people ...

From the Saint Arnaud log cabins we could wander for a walk down a path by the side of a mountain stream that feeds into Lake Rotoiti.

The area here is known as the Rotoiti Mainland Island, an ambitious project to eliminate introduced pests entirely and reintroduce native wildlife - like Kiwi - into the beech forest around the beautiful lake. 

More photos of Saint Arnaud and Rainbow in this album.

Game over ... or one last ski hurrah?

A record August run of dry 20c+ days in Melbourne has been pleasant for city folk but has effectively killed off the Australian ski season in 2011. The pictures from the resorts have been very ugly.

Or has it? A forecast 20-50cms of snow with the cooler change this week could keep the Victorian mountains doing business for a few weeks yet. If you're a beginner, this might mean some bargains if it comes off as nobody is really interested right now. Hot tip - Falls Creek is definitely the go in these conditions.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's reasonably good season is set to get a typical Spring boost with a heap of snow over the next two weeks. Perhaps there is a little bias in that prediction, what with the author's trip planned and ready to put into action!