Cardrona Ski Resort New Zealand

Cardrona Ski Resort is a favourite amongst many visitors staying in Queenstown or Wanaka. Whilst many powder hounds and experts prefer nearby Treble Cone, Cardrona New Zealand is popular with most others for its terrain parks, beginner terrain and wide open groomers for intermediates. The Cardrona Ski Resort is so well-liked that it has the most skier visits per season of all the New Zealand ski fields. 

Pros and Cons of Cardrona New Zealand

Pros

• The on-mountain accommodation at Cardrona Ski Resort, albeit limited, is a major drawcard because this is quite rare for a commercial NZ ski resort.
• Cardrona New Zealand is very family friendly. The licensed child care facilities are impressive and the ski school programs are very well set up for the wee ones.
• The beginner terrain is very good, as are the lifts that service it.
• The terrain parks and half pipes are fantastic.
• The Cardrona Alpine Resort continues to invest heavily in lift and infrastructure upgrades. Cardrona has a chondola as well as 2 high speed quad chair lifts, which for NZ is quite remarkable.
• Views across the mountains and down into the South Lake Valley are beautiful. 
• Some types of multi-day lift passes can also be used at the nearby Treble Cone Ski Field.

Cons

• Cardrona Ski Resort is usually very busy and lift queues can be horrendous and car parks full. For the 2023 season, lift pass prices have increased significantly and sales are capped, which means you have to pre-book your visit. If lift pass sales are sold out for the day, bad luck. The upside is that Cardrona will just be crowded and not over-crowded.
• Many of the cons of Cardrona are the same as most other NZ ski resorts: limited snowfall and inconsistent snow conditions; treeless terrain so visibility can be an issue in foggy weather; and a challenging access road.
• The ski field doesn’t have a lot of expert terrain and most steeps are short lived.

Cardrona Ski and Snowboard Terrain

As is typical for New Zealand skiing, the terrain at Cardrona is above the tree line. The ski area is spread across a handful of bowls, and much of the 465 hectares of terrain consists of groomed slopes suitable for beginners (25%) and intermediates (25%).

Cardrona undeservedly has a reputation for being a mountain just for beginners and intermediates because it’s compared to its neighbour, the gnarly Treble Cone. Whilst there are very few areas for experts at Cardrona relative to Treble Cone, Cardrona has lots on offer for advanced riders and it’s an off-piste playground when the snow’s on. What sets Cardrona NZ apart from its neighbours is that it has the best of all worlds – it’s a very good all-rounder.

The Cardrona lift system is pretty good by New Zealand standards, which includes a chondola (a cross between a gondola & a 6-pack chair lift) and two high speed quad chairlifts.

Cardrona Snow

Powder hounds have to be really lucky to ski or board in knee deep powder at Cardrona considering that the mountain only receives an average of 2.7 metres of snowfall annually. However the powder that does fall is generally quite dry (by NZ standards) and the south to southeast facing aspect assists with snow retention. Snowmaking is used in main traffic areas to supplement the natural snow cover.

Where is Cardrona New Zealand?

Cardrona Alpine Resort is nestled amongst the spectacular mountains between Wanaka (34km – 35 minutes away) and Queenstown (58km – 60 minutes away) on the South Island of New Zealand. Major gateway airports are either Queenstown (50 minute drive) or Christchurch (5 hour drive). The Cardrona ski resort is approximately 12km from the village of Cardrona which is down in the Cardrona Valley.

Shuttles to Cardrona ski field are available from the towns of Queenstown and Wanaka, although hiring a car will provide more flexibility to get around. The access road from the valley up to the ski area is unsealed and it’s a fraction friendlier than the scary goat-track access roads evident at some other NZ ski fields.

Cardrona Accommodation

Many visitors to the Cardrona ski field stay in either Queenstown accommodation or Wanaka accommodation, but it’s also possible to stay in Cardrona Valley near the turn off to the ski area. There is also on-mountain accommodation within 15 apartments (2-4 bedrooms), only one minute walk away from the lifts. Those staying on-mountain will need to BYO supplies and nightlife.

See our Cardrona accommodation page for more information.

Ski Resort Facilities

The on-mountain facilities at the Cardrona ski resort are of a high standard and include eateries, fabulous child care services, ski school, equipment rental and a retail shop. As is typical in NZ, the facilities are limited for choice, but there are multiple cafes on the mountain so knock yourself out!

Cardrona Activities

Whilst the activities at Cardrona Alpine Resort are pretty much limited to the skiing and snowboarding, the proximity of Cardrona to Queenstown, Wanaka and Snowfarm means that there is a plethora of activities on offer for families, adventure seekers, or those just wanting a break from the slopes. See our Cardrona activities page for more information.