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Resort Rundown

Cardrona is located a 30 to 40 minute drive from Wanaka, on New Zealand's South Island and has been and still is the home to freestyle snowboarding in New Zealand. This is evidenced by the fact that it hosts the New Zealand Snowboard Nationals each year.  The Title has been far ahead of its competitors in offering the very best in snowboard facilities, such as halfpipes and snowboard parks.

Cardrona is the second largest ski area in the Southern Lakes region with 320 hectares of lift accessed terrain and 390 metres of vertical.

Although Cardrona does not have snowmaking it consistently tends to have better snow than the nearby resorts of Treble Cone and Coronet Peak.  The snow at Cardrona stays drier for longer.  When Treble Cone and Coronet are iced out, Cardrona will usually have good packed powder.  Cardrona also tends to receive more snow than some of its neighboring resorts.

It is able to offer riders, especially freestylers, an extraordinary snowboarding experience. Due to its excellent freestyle facilities, many Japanese riders make Cardrona their home during the Southern Hemisphere winter.  Even if your halfpipe skills are not up to par, Cardrona has some of the best beginner to intermediate terrain in New Zealand.  The runs are wide and open which provides plenty of space when learning.  In fact, Cardrona is probably one of the best places to learn how to snowboard.  Its snowboard school is large with excellent instructors.  Lessons range from beginners to high level halfpipe riding.

The Title has a modern day lodge facility with a cafeteria.   Upstairs there is a bistro and a bar where you can relax and have a quiet beer.   Also the day lodge has a nice sunny court yard which is protected from the wind.  And added bonus is that there is an Internet Terminal in the day lodge.

What really lets the mountain down is its lift system. All lifts are fixed grip and slow. MacDougall's Quad is frequented by a lot of beginners which is fine as it is a great run for beginners, but it tends to slow the lift down.  If MacDougall's was high speed it would certainly avoid this problem.

On your way home from Cardrona, make sure you check out the Cardrona Hotel.  It is a great place to have a quiet ale after a hard day's riding.  When you come out of the Cardrona gates, turn right and you'll find the hotel a few kilometres down the road.

Terrain

Cardrona Trail Map

Freeriding:

The terrain at Cardrona is charaterised by medium gradient, wide open runs.  The majority of easily accessible runs are beginner to intermediate runs. This is good as it means the more advanced runs see less injuries and are left to the more advanced riders.   But to find the more advanced runs you really need to know where you are going as they are kind of tucked away in different parts of the mountain. 

The natural terrain is characterised by rollers and small banks.  On some runs the terrain changes from being of medium gradient to steep.  These changes in gradient provide excellent rollers for some nice floatly backside 180s.  Make sure you check out the Sluice Box Run - it has two of the best rollers in the Southern Lakes Region. Just make sure you spot the landing.

For the freestyler Cardrona offers plenty of small things to jib off - banks, hips and small rollers are all fun to play with.  If you are a freerider and you like steeps and cliffs then you really need to know where you are going.  It may not be immediately apparent when you first look at Cardrona that there is any steep stuff but read on and find out how to find it. In fact, Cardrona offers more in-bounds cliffs and drops than most other New Zealand resorts. Even the best freeriders would be scared at what they can easily find at Cardrona.  The best place for steeps and chutes at Cardrona is an area known as the Arcadia Chutes.  These are accessed by traversing to skier's left from the La Franchi Double Chair.  You will find some very nice chutes here with knarly sharp rocks on either side.

If you are a hard-booter and you like going fast then Cardrona has some nice wide open groomers to put down some Euro turns.

Beginners: Beginners would have plenty of fun at Cardrona with a vast range of groomed runs with non-intimidating gradients to learn and progress on.  It is the best place to learn in New Zealand.  The place to go is the Footrot Flats run, directly under the MacDougall's Chair.

Cliffs and Chutes: The place to go is definitely the Arcadia Chutes.  See above.

Avoiding Crowds:  The chair to avoid in the morning and at lunchtime is the MacDougall's Chair.  This is easily avoided by dropping down to the La Franchi Double Chair.

Intermediates and Advanced: Head out to Captain's Basin for some more advanced  riding.

Freestyle:

Halfpipes: Cardrona is arguably the home to halfpipe riding in New Zealand with at least two halfpipes (sometimes there are up to four pipes) available for most of the season. In addition, all of Cardrona's pipes are dug out of the earth and they are all shaped by a Pipe Master. The major benefit of the Pipe Master is that it is able to provide prefect transitions in low snow conditions. Unlike most resorts, which place a high priority in providing groomed trails for the mass market, Cardrona places an equally high priority on providing halfpipes and snowboard parks. Each pipe caters for people of different abilities, ranging from beginner to pro. The Rookie and International Pipes are for the beginners and intermediates and the Johnny Holms (yes that's right, named after the man himself as the pipe is super long) and the Monster Pipes are for the more advanced riders.

Just be aware that when there are less than three pipes open, they tend to get very very crowded and you have to be a master at snaking if you want to get a ride.

One problem with the pipes is that they all run east-west, which means their right hand walls get sun all day.  So by the middle of the day, the right hand wall usually acquires a kink in it whereas the left hand wall has good shape but is super hard.  To combat this problem Cardrona has a rotation system whereby each pipe is open for two to three hours.  After this time the pipe is closed and another pipe is open.  This system works well.  It is kind of funny to see all the riders migrate from one pipe to the next.  Rather like ants, in search of their next feed (or should that be their next halfpipe fix).

The great thing about the Cardrona pipes is their maintenance.  They are cut every night with the Pipe Magician and often racked during the day.

Halfpipe rating: 8 out of 10 (they earn extra points for having four in-ground pipes instead of just one).   By having the Pipe Master, Cardrona are better equipped to efficiently shape their pipes on a more regular basis than resorts which rely on man-power and a shaping blade such as at Mt Hutt and Treble Cone.  However, their positioning in relation to the sun does detract from their quality.

Snowboard Parks: Not only does Cardrona make excellent pipes, they also invest time into their snowboard parks. The park generally consists of an array of tabletops and spines, varying in size.  The park tends to suit the beginner to immediate rider rather than the advanced rider.  The major attraction of the Cardrona terrain park is the permanent boardercross track which is super fun to ride.  The boardercross track winds its way down the mountain, beside the MacDougall's Quad.  The banks are good and there are some great whoopie dee dos and rollers to finish.  The course hosts the Primo Boardercross Series which is a series of boardercross races held on a regular basis throughout the season.  The series is one of the best boardercross series run in New Zealand.

Not only does Cardrona make excellent pipes, they also invest time into their snowboard parks. The park generally consists of an array of tabletops and spines, varying in size.  The park tends to suit the beginner to immediate rider rather than the advanced rider.  The major attraction of the Cardrona terrain park is the permanent boardercross track which is super fun to ride.  The boardercross track winds its way down the mountain, beside the MacDougall's Quad.  The banks are good and there are some great whoopie dee dos and rollers to finish.  The course hosts the Primo Boardercross Series which is a series of boardercross races held on a regular basis throughout the season.  The series is one of the best boardercross series run in New Zealand.

Cardrona Backcountry:  The Cardrona backcountry is located on the back side of Captain's Basin.   There are plenty of rollers out here on which to build kickers.  On any day you will see numerous riders building kickers. Also if you are willing to hike the mountain peaks in the Cardrona backcountry you can usually find some good powder turns.  Alternatively, if you have a few dollars to spare you could just get the Cardrona Heli service to take you out here.

The Cardrona backcountry is located on the back side of Captain's Basin.   There are plenty of rollers out here on which to build kickers.  On any day you will see numerous riders building kickers. Also if you are willing to hike the mountain peaks in the Cardrona backcountry you can usually find some good powder turns.  Alternatively, if you have a few dollars to spare you could just get the Cardrona Heli service to take you out here.

Snow and Weather conditions at Cardrona

Cardrona tends to get a bit more snow than a lot of the other resorts in the south of the "South Island". So powder days here are quite regular.  However, Cardrona tends to be a little more exposed to wind than other resorts so check the weather report each day before heading up.

Current snow and weather conditions at Cardrona

Snow and weather in New Zealand in general

Although known as the land of the long white cloud, you'll find that most of the days you ride in NZ will be sunny because the clouds often stick to the taller peaks which surround the resorts.

The temperature in the South Island of NZ is relatively temperate, meaning there aren't any real extremes in temperature as can be experienced in Europe and the USA. However, the wind seems to be a real issue at NZ mountains. This may explain why many of the resorts like TC and Mt Hutt only have T-Bars that access the summit, or don't have any summit lifts at all, like the Remarkable's. Nonetheless, the terrain can be worth the pain in most circumstances.

Also, don't expect the regular two foot dumps that you often get in Europe and USA. Often you will wake up to find a fresh half to one foot of powder but overall the best powder is found with a Heli. Compared to Australia or summer camps on the glaciers in the northern hemisphere, NZ is awesome and the powder is plentiful, and drier.

Accommodation.

There is a small amount of accomodation at Cardrona but it is hard to get into so your best bet is to head to Wanaka.

There is a day lodge which has a bar and eatery which offers food ranging from pizza to pies and pasties as well as sandwiches etc. As you would expect, the prices aren't so great, so for those who are into cheap eats, bring along your own. However, as far as Title eating goes, the value is pretty good and worth the buy if you are too lazy to bring a cut lunch.

The nearest town to Cardrona which offers accommodation is Wanaka. Click below for all the information you need on accommodation and eating in Wanaka:

Wanaka - Accommodation etc

Night Life.

There is no night life up at Cardona.  See Wanaka.

Snowboard Shops.

For snowboard shops, go to Wanaka.  There is however, a full rental fleet at Cardrona.

Getting There.

From Wanaka: Take the Crown Range Road south to the toll gate of the Title and simply turn right up the Title road.  For bus services, see Wanaka
From Queenstown:  Take the Crown Range road North through the mountain pass until you reach the toll gate.  Be aware that this route is subject to ice and snow during the season and can be very dangerous.  If this route is closed, drive from Queenstown to Wanaka via Highway 6 and then head south along the Crown Range road. 

The best way to organise a snowboard  trip to New Zealand is use a reputable travel agent who knows the mountains in NZ.  We use and recommend travel.com.au for all your snowboard travel needs.  They offer an efficient, knowledgeable service with super competitive prices.  Contact them by email on board@travel.com.au or by phone on  1 800 556.

Thanks.

Many thanks go to Nigel Kerr and all of the staff at Cardrona for making our stay a welcome one.

Last updated on 26 July 2008.

Snow Report

Cardrona
Base	12-48 in  |  30-122 cm
24 Hour Snowfall	No new snow
Last Snowfall	Jul 04 - 6 in | 15 cm
Previous Snowfall	Jul 03 - 6 in | 15 cm
Surface	Packed Powder
Lifts Open	1 of 1
Nearby Ski Areas	Broken River, Cardrona, Castle Hill, Christchurch, Coronet Peak, Craigieburn, Fox Peak, Helipark, Methven, Mt Cheeseman, Mt Hutt, Mt Lyford, Mt Olympus, Ohau, Porter Heights, Queenstown, Rainbow Ski Area, Snow Park, Temple Basin, The Remarkables, Treble Cone, Wanaka
Report Time	7/23/08 6:55 AM NZST

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Cardrona

Date	Name	Comments
17 Nov 2007	Anonymous	haw much is it for tree 11 year old kids.

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