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Kiwi Snow Reports, New ZealandMay 27, 2000 - Free and IndependentKia Ora Well I got a flood of emails from people worried that I was still in my shorts and I am sorry to say but yesterday I was wandering around in a t-shirt as well! Invercargill had 18 deg and that was only 1 deg below New Zealand's high for the day. Now that doesn't happen too often! Especially not in late May. Several readers from OZ have contacted me and said the big dump is imminent ( as in probably happening now ) with the optimists calling for 50cm of snow or more on the ranges and maybe even snow in downtown Melbourne! They kindly added that they may leave some for us over here ... but you know ... I don't think so. Don't despair. There isn't anything we can do about it. Just pull on your shorts and get about it. Evan " I've got my snow tyres on " Bloomfield Click here to go back to our snow reports home page. >== This Issue ** QANTAS packs it's bags >== QANTAS packs its bags Lack of forward bookings and feet that aren't quite cold enough have convinced QANTAS to cancel it's direct flights in to Queenstown for June. Seems that the snow enthusiasts on the kangaroo side of the ditch are being cautious and delaying their snow holidays until they have a bit more certainty. Got to admit that makes sense but I can't help thinking that if the pricing and promotions had been right you could have filled a plane with enough people prepared to take the punt on a bit of early season snow. And so what if it isn't champagne powder? Just do half a day on the mountain then do some golf, or a bungy or maybe even an ice skate session to work on your edge control and fitness ....... And then you have the New Zealand dollar. What a basket case. It is on a 15 year low and weaker than the Fijian dollar and they are having a coup. Now that's bizarre. And good value for the overseas visitor. Did I ever tell you about the 1996 season? 6th of June and some of the finest powder snow Coronet has ever seen and you guessed it not many people around. Am I gloating? Nope. I was in Cairns at the time :-( >== Snow tyre time 4 wheel drive. Who needs them? Well when we get a big snow fall here in Queeners I can't get out of the drive without a bit of extra traction. That's why I have just been in to Queenstown Tyres and put two snow tyres on the front. These are 2nd hand but look near brand new imports from Japan and at NZ$70 each fitted it's got to be the option. Over the last few years I have been constantly impressed with their performance but a word of caution. Momentum is the key. Driving in the snow is an art and while the consequences of a bad call are usually and thankfully minor the frustration factor is often sky high. Hands up those who have had to stop on a slick steep spot behind a stuck chainless campervan only to find you couldn't start again either. Usually it's the day after the mega dump, the sun is shining, you are late and there are 153 cars behind you. Got to laugh. And take a deep mountain air breath as you drag out the chains and roll up the sleeves ..... So what's the message? Manage your momentum and maybe that 4WD isn't such a bad idea after all. >== Win a free weekend in Queenstown That's right, your chance to WIN two nights in a luxury lake front apartment less than a minute walk from Queenstown with SKY TV and a spa bath. Too much!
>== Queenstown's weather expert does a big downer I am sure every town or city or country has one. A local weather man that is probably a bit eccentric, often an entertainer and most of all passionate about the weather. Australia has Monty. Now Monty has copped a bit of flack in the newsgroup aus.snow lately for his vague snow forecasting - "snow in the mountains". This is about as helpful, although a little more encouraging, as "rain in the ranges" when you are trying to decide whether you should duck down to Thredbo for the weekend or clear the back log on the desk New Zealand has Jim Hicky. Being a passionate chap from Taranaki Jim is often telling us of the snow and surf conditions with a bit of good humour and a twinkle in his eye. And Queenstown has David Crowe. Perched high on a hill David checks out his satellite downloads and every morning on the local radio at 9.35am he gives a 5 - 10 minute in depth weather synopsis. It's the kind of report where at the end of it all you can't remember whether it is going to rain or shine so you look out the window! So anyway David's pick for this winter is not a stunner. Here's the headlines " Big Rain, No Snow". Now we do have to remember this is the Mountain Scene, Queenstown's infamous local rag, with it's even more infamous editor "Scoop" or as he is affectionately known locally, "Snoop". But I digress. David is predicting that local snow areas won't get a big fall until late June or early July as we are still in a westerly flow for a while yet. "I think the days of those great big dumps, for the time being anyway, are more or less finished." says David. Nnnnnoooooooooo. It can't be trrrrrrrrrrrrrrue! Wash your mouth out David! >== Wot's the snow report then? Oh OK. I suppose we can get around to what is happening in the local Queenstown snow areas. All closed. Easy. How about this snow report form John Armstrong in Mammoth Mountain, USA - "thanks for the update. Here in Mammoth we still have two meters of base at the lodge and three to four meters on the upper mountain. It is snowing today. Received six inches of fresh winter snow and tracks abounded all morning". And that was on the 18th of May!
Coronet Peak just needs one good snow fall and she will be all go. The white line laid down by the snow makers has receded a bit in the last five days but we all know that Coronet can spin on a dime when it comes to opening. With sheep shorn slopes and soft tussock and schist base you can have a real nice time on 20cm! I can only see the back side of Cardrona, which is reasonably bare. I gave Sam Lee a ring at the Waiorau Snow Farm which is just across the valley from Cardrona. He reported that the half pipe looks full with some good snow on Captains and the double - a "sugar coated topping". Waiorau has 2 -4 cm of snow on some of its trails and they have had a few good frosts - setting up well for a good cross country season. Unfortunately Cardrona Cam isn't up and running but my target is June 1 so watch this space. Of Treble Cone I have no knowledge. What kind of snow report is that you say? Honest :-) Am I going to get a Snow Cam over their this year? Well I would love to but sorry it's not looking good. Mt Hutt is looking nicest of them all ( yes they have their snowcam operating ) with a reasonable snow cover and history would suggest that it will be the first to open .... and often the last to close. ------------------------------------------------------------ I Caught You Reading An Ezine Ad! Find out what thousands of savvy Internet marketers already know: Ezine Advertising Works! (You're reading one now, aren't you?) Three thousand five hundred other snow enthusiasts in Australia and New Zealand have also read this Snow Report. Find out how to get YOUR sponsorship ad in this ezine! Email <evan@KiwiNewZ.com> now. ------------------------------------------------------------ >== 1st World Artificial Ski Championships Here is a cute little email from Sandy about the 1st World Artificial Ski Championships on Sunday 28th May 2000 - Wycombe Summit "Evan, Next Sunday at Wycombe Summit in the county of Buckinghamshire, UK there will be a gathering of skiers from all over the England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland a few European countries and New Zealand. (Oh and one Russian). The event is the World Artificial Slope Championships." "We are trying to put together a New Zealand Team for the dual parallel slalom event. If you know of any New Zealanders who are resident in the UK and want to ski for a NZ team next Sunday on a "dry slope" please, can you tell them to contact me pronto. Regards, Sandy" And if you fit the bill here's Sandys email address; >== Harry Keys gives us a Ruapehu update "I thought I'd take the chance to comment on your report on Ruapehu which was factually correct but might be misread by some." "Ruapehu has been quietening down for a while now. Its been on Alert level 1 for over 2 years now and the activity is a lot less than White Island. That one additional step in the alert numbering system means heaps. The Crater Lake has finally started cooling significantly - it was 39 degrees in January and March down from the 53-65 of last year - indicating that volcanic heat flow has decreased. Weather permitting I hope to be on the job up there tomorrow checking lake temperature and level again." "Ruapehu is normally a quite active volcano seismically even without eruptions and there has been nothing unusual since last September when there were a few gentle, low energy steam puffs seen. Before the eruption Ruapehu used to have 1 or 2 heating cycles with steam eruptions (higher energy puffs) every year or so and no-one noticed or cared. So we do have some idea of what's going on in the volcano even if we cant predict its behaviour exactly - but then neither can the economic forecasters or the weather forecasters. Harry Keys." Thanks Harry! For those of you that missed our volcanic report see last weeks issue. >== In the Last Issue >== Do you like our SnowReports? To subscribe to our Kiwi Snow Reports click here. Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. |
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>================ Contact Details Evan Bloomfield |
