Our first day on the ski slopes was spent at The Remarkables which was a good way to start off – most of the resort was beginner (green) or intermediate (blue) runs. The drive to the resort was just amazing – the bus drivers (most of whom look about 18 years old!) do a great job and are very skilled at maneuvering the buses amongst the tight turns and bends up and down the mountain.
The first day was a bit of a hair-raising drive for me though as I did not realize that the bus drives right to pretty much the top of the mountain on an unsealed road with no guard rails. It was a bit scary at first until I just decided to concentrate on the view outside the window instead of the fact that we could quite literally plummet off the side of the mountain at any point in time.
Once we got to the top I was so excited to see why it’s so popular to ski in NZ. The runs are longer and there were not as nearly as many rocks to dodge as going to Thredbo (NSW) although there were a number of trees to dodge instead. Still, the mountain and water views are certainly pretty special.
After the cloud and fog lifts, the view becomes pretty breathtaking. After having missed a ski season last year, I was a bit worried that it would take me a bit of time to find my ski legs, but thankfully it was just like riding a bike and it all came back to me in no time. That was until I got a bit too cocky and had a serious face plant about an hour later.
Never mind, the first one is always the hardest blow to your ego and confidence, and there was so much powder about it was actually good fun. As usual, the hours seem to literally fly by when you are zooming up and down the slopes and before you know it you are on your way back on the bus back to town to rest your weary bones or drink up with tales of your misadventures for the day.
Must admit, after a long day of skiing, it’s always nice to come back to a nice place to hang your ski boots, to just chill out, have your schnapps, hot chocolate, comfort food of all descriptions, watch your DVDs, read your book etc. So whilst at the time of booking accommodation, you may hesitate and try and choose the more economical option, I would certainly encourage you to think about enjoying the comforts of as nice a place as you can budget for versus the basic standard accommodation.
Particularly if you’ve had one of those awful days on the slopes where you were totally un-co, your skis had a mind of their own, or the conditions on the mountains were reminiscent of a mini snow storm or any combination of the above – remember how crappy you will be feeling and how much you will be looking forward to returning to the comforts of your adopted temporary NZ home.
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Article Source: My First Ski Trip To New Zealand – Who Knew Skiing Was So Popular Around Here!