Ski Season 2012 - What's Open

AUSTRALIA

At this time of year, early snow as reported in my previous post needs a follow-up or it doesn't stay. A storm between 2-5 June provided a lot of rain but thankfully it eventually turned to snow. Apart from Mt Buller and Selwyn Snowfields, which sadly missed out, all Victorian and New South Wales ski resorts got a good snowfall from the storm, enough to open a few lifts and runs this coming long weekend.

Mt Hotham

Lifts - Big D, Summit Trainer and Upper Playground.
Runs - One learners run, two beginners runs, and an easy intermediate run (Sun Run).

Falls Creek

Lifts - Falls Express Chairlift, Towers Chairlift and Mousetrap Poma.
Runs - One learners run, one beginners run, and one intermediate run (Main Street).

Mt Buller

No announcements of openings yet, but not enough snow.


Perisher

Lifts - Village Eight Express, Perisher Express Quad to Mid Station, Happy Valley T-bar, Mitchell T-Bar, Tom Thumb J-bar, Scott J-bar.

Thredbo

Lifts - Friday Flat and Cruiser areas for riding. Easy Does It, Snow Runners, Cruiser Chairlift for riding. Gunbarrel and Merritts for access to Cruiser.

NEW ZEALAND

Mt Hutt [Source: Mt Hutt Facebook page]

New Zealand South Island skifields missed out on the first storm that Australia received at the end of May, but to some extent caught up with the second one earlier this week. The skifields in Canterbury and further north fared best, several scoring more than half a metre in the storm. New Zealand skifields usually open a little later, but here are this weekend's openings and the scheduled later openings.


Coronet Peak - OPEN - Didn't get so much in the storm, but topped up enough to open this weekend thanks to its massive snowmaking system.

The Remarkables - CLOSED (Opening 16th June) - Needs a bit more snow than Coronet Peak to open because of the rocky terrain.

Porters [Source: Porters website]

Cardrona - CLOSED (Opening 22nd June) - Queenstown and Wanaka didn't score as much snow as the centre and north of the South Island in the recent storm.

Treble Cone - CLOSED (Opening 28th June)

Ohau - CLOSED (Opening 23rd June) - Ohau received 25cms in the storm earlier this week.

Mt Hutt - OPEN - Received 60-70cms of new snow over Tuesday and Wednesday.

Porters - CLOSED (Opening 22nd June) - The closest skifield to Christchurch also received 70cms of snow in the storm.

Mt Lyford - CLOSED (Opening 22nd June) - received a whopping 75cms of snow in the storm.