Coronet Peak NZ – Ski Resort Review
Coronet Peak is one of the most popular ski resorts on the South Island of New Zealand, in part due to its proximity to Queenstown. This Queenstown ski resort is pretty good for beginners, but intermediates will want to put on their coronet and act like a king or queen! Coronet Peak NZ has various blue trails, the fall line is perfect in parts, and considering the high quality grooming, the Powderhounds have given Coronet Peak a “
best skiing in New Zealand” award for the intermediate terrain.
Pros and Cons of Coronet Peak New Zealand
Pros
- The Coronet Peak Ski Field is ideal for intermediates who love to cruise or zoom on groomers.
- Whilst there are only a few chair lifts at Coronet Peak New Zealand, they are super speedy and provide great lifting capacity.
- NZSki continues to invest mega dollars into ongoing improvements to the ski field and facilities.
- Also impressive are the spectacular views from the resort across Lake Wakatipu, Lake Hayes, and The Remarkables.
- The access road is sealed, which is very rare for a New Zealand ski field. It is also the closest Queenstown ski resort to the downtown area.
- Its proximity to the vibrant Queenstown with its abundant activities and restaurants and bars is a huge plus.
Cons
- Coronet Peak NZ doesn’t receive much natural snowfall and has relatively low elevation, and relies on hundreds of snow guns to provide much of the cover.
- Off-piste opportunities are often very limited due to inadequate base, and terrain for expert riders is negligible.
- Queenstown holiday makers flock to Coronet Peak, and whilst the lift infrastructure copes well with the crowds, the groomed runs can often feel congested.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- The weather is much finer at Coronet Peak than NZ ski resorts further north, and is subject to fewer closures.
Coronet Peak Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Like many other
New Zealand ski resorts, the Peak is not particularly large at only 280 hectares and 462 metres of vertical drop (1,187 – 1,649m). Most of the terrain is serviced by 2 high speed 6-seater chair lifts and an express quad chair. A T-bar and 4 surface conveyor lifts make up the rest of the fleet.
Coronet Peak Ski Resort is an excellent mountain for beginners and intermediates, and there are various groomed trails of varying pitch, including some relatively steep runs. Coronet Peak also has a little fun for advanced riders, pending adequate snow cover. In addition to the official trails there are various off-piste runs around the fringes of the resort and a few chutes. And if you love moguls you’ll be spoiled for choice. Pack the Glucosamine and Ibuprofen, because the cartilage in your knees may need it!
If you can’t get enough of the Coronet Peak Ski Field during daylight hours, you can also go night skiing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights during July and August.
Coronet Peak Snow & Weather
The average annual snowfall at Coronet Peak is a measly 2 metres, so the chances of fighting over freshies are not high.
The minimal snowfall is not an issue for most punters. Thankfully this Queenstown ski resort can operate on a very small base because there are only grassy tussocks under the snow. Combined with quality grooming, a good aspect, lots of fences for snow farming, and very extensive snow making, the Coronet Peak snow cover on the trails is generally fine.
The terrain is treeless, so the ski field and the snow are exposed to the elements. A lack of trees usually poses problems with visibility on poor weather days, but thankfully there are lots of yellow snow guns to guide the way, and weather at Coronet Peak is relatively stable compared to ski resorts further north such as
Mt Hutt aka Mt Shut.
Where is Coronet Peak New Zealand?
Coronet Peak is located on the outskirts of
Queenstown, 16 kilometres to the northeast of the centre of town, and 21 kilometres west of Arrowtown. From Queenstown it is an easy 20 minute drive to Coronet Peak on a fully sealed road.
If you don’t want to drive, there are regular shuttles to Coronet Peak from various locations around Queenstown. See the
bus to Coronet Peak page for more information.
The Remarkables is another Queenstown ski resort, and
Cardrona Ski Resort is also close by.
Coronet Peak Accommodation
On-mountain accommodation at Coronet Peak New Zealand consists of the small Joel Lodge which is located a little down from the slopes. It offers basic dormitory style accommodation run by the Otago Ski Club.
Most people stay in Queenstown which provides the flexibility to ski at other resorts and partake in other famous
Queenstown activities.
Queenstown accommodation options are prolific and range from deluxe hotels to inexpensive motels, and there’s also a huge range of Queenstown backpackers. If you don’t need to stay in the busy CBD of Queenstown, Arthur’s Point is very close to the Coronet Peak access road.
Activities
Coronet Peak Tandem Paragliding offers paragliding or hang-gliding, or both if you’re super keen. Otherwise if you want a rest from skiing, or the weather is not to your liking, you certainly won’t be bored. See our
Queenstown activities for more information on activities and things to do around the region.