Great skiing
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small ski area near town, handy access and only place with night ski. nz is a warm inconsistent climate, so very little snow fall and lots of ice. coronet peak is purely relying on snow cannons. man made snow is not enjoyable and as the runs are narrow it gets a lot of traffic. night ski can be dangerous but on a good snow day its great after work. Queenstown is not much of a ski town and same is said for all of New Zealand. lift queues are normally short however on piste can be very busy. no terrain park with limited off piste, not really sure what it has to offer.
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Coronet Peak continues to cater very well to the mainstay of the Queenstown ski market – beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. There were a lot of visitors, but the day lodge coped well and the high speed lifts kept people moving and there weren’t any lift lines. However there weren’t that many main groomed trails for people to spread out on, and at times it felt a little scary skiing down congested trails alongside some riders that were rather out of control.

It had snowed a couple of days prior, so the off-piste snow was fully tracked but in reasonable condition (albeit sparse cover). The snow quality on the groomers was nice, which was rather different to previous experiences at Coronet Peak.

Coronet Peak isn’t really a ski field for powder hounds, but if you’re a beginner or love zooming groomers it really fits the bill.

See our Coronet Peak overview for our thoughts on the pros and cons of the ski resort, and also see our NZ ski resort ratings to see how we compare it to other ski fields.
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This year, 2017, I spent six days in Queenstown for The Winter Festival.
It snowed each night I was there. The days were clear and sunny. It was perfect.

My favourite Ski Resort in Queenstown is Coronet Peak.
I love this place. The breathtakingly beautiful views. The fantastic weather.

It is so much fun. Lunchtime live music on the deck that everyone gets in to.
Good relaxed holiday friendly vibe. It was a great lunch break every day.
The Venison Pies, the coffee and the beers were delicious!

I missed the last bus down the hill. Distracted by the beers..
The staff were super helpful.
The manager said ‘no worries, I’m leaving now, if you’d like I can give you a lift’.
Like everyone you meet in Queenstown, just friendly and generous with their time.
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A good trusty reliable resort half an hour away from Queenstown. Enough snow machines to ensure that even at the start and end of the season the main runs will be covered. There are some nice little spots to be found and a great opportunity for beginners.

The rentals set up is fantastic and runs like a well oiled machine. This is also as good as it gets for larger tour groups- smooth and pain free.

Staff are experienced and friendly. All these factors make for this resort being rated as one on Queenstown's truly old faithfuls.
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The whole snow thing in New Zealand is a bit of a joke:

Pretty much no resort in NZ has on site accommodation. Most of the mountains are just too small to get decent and consistent snow. New Zealand is an island and gets extremely variable weather - this means you can get 20cm of snow, where the resort is closed due to adverse weather and then have all that snow washed away the following day. It's completely hit and miss and while the kiwis may have you believe it's the "best place in the southern hemisphere", take it all with a grain of salt.

Coronet is pretty low elevation, like most ski resorts in new zealand there's a pretty tiny vertical drop and none of the runs are really that long. You'll find yourself spending most of the time waiting in queues or riding lifts, assuming the resorts are actually open. To be fair Coronet gets away with the lack of natural snow because it has lots, and lots, and lots of snow cannons so at least they can make it up for but lets be real - unless it's an extraordinary winter you're not going to see lots of natural snow let alone powder.

Pros:
Sealed road and only 20 minutes drive from Queenstown (beware thou, Queenstown is an all out tourist rip off)
Really good snow making abilities

Cons:
Small resort & number of runs
very limited off-piste
Like most resorts in New Zealand: Lack of Apres Ski (really, driving to Queenstown doesn't count as "apres ski")

I will not be returning to New Zealand to snow.. as I was told by one person - you can't have it all. Yes it's a beautiful country but it's definitely NOT a snow destination, it's a joke.
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Wet, clumpy snow. Better variety for intermediate riders than Remarkables. Poor beginner trails. Worse snow cover compared to Remarkables, better restaurants, lifts better, therefore less crowds/lines.
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Also see our review below from a previous trip.

Pros: nice wide groomers for beginners and intermediates, and some of the runs have really good pitch. The easy drive up from Queenstown is also a major pro for Coronet Peak, and the facilities, and family friendliness.

The addition of the ice bar at the top of the mountain is great too - sipping on mulled wine whilst taking in the amazing views.

When we visited in Aug 2012, the snow conditions weren’t great. There was only decent cover on the trails, so the off-piste areas weren’t accessible and some lifts were closed. The groomed trails had a combination of an icy base with artificial snow on top with the consistency of sand - not the sort of snow a powderhound drools over…

We went night skiing, which was well worth doing (with sharp edges). The area isn’t well illuminated compared to many night skiing areas in the northern hemisphere, which just adds to the surreal experience. Night skiing is often just for kids on a small beginner run, yet the Coronet Peak night skiing includes a steep groomed blue run. The vibe at the base is pretty cool in the evenings, and the pizzas are really really good. Night skiing at Coronet Peak seems like a compulsory Queenstown ski experience!
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Coronet Peak is the closest Ski Field to Queenstown and accordingly gets the crowds. Luckily they have decent lift infrastructure which at least keep the lines moving. Night Skiing is also an added bonus. Low annual snowfall is supplemented by a decent Snowmaking facilities and it is just tussock underneath similar to Treble Cone but at much lower elevation. Coronet doesn't need much of a base to operate.

Coronet is great if you are based in Queenstown as you can catch a bus or easily drive up the sealed road to the Ski Field, and at the end of the day it's a quick little drive back into town and you have so many options for Bars and Restaurants along with Accommodation.

There are a heap of Backpackers and Flashpackers in Town and scattered around the lake front all the way out to the Airport are Hotels and Apartments.

If the weather doesn't play ball and you have some time up your sleeve or just want an adrenaline buzz the Shot Over Jet is located close by along with a Luge and Bungy Jumping or alternatively there is also a private Onsen located near the Ski Field with amazing views and is a great place to relax and enjoy a quiet drink after a hard day on the hill.

Coronet is worth checking out for sure but I do prefer some of the other Ski Fields in the region more.
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Wide groomers...lots of them blue and black make this the ideal place for someone to learn to ski and get good fast. Excellent ski school and transport options for those who can't or can't be bothered driving. The views are superb too and although your chances of scoring fresh lines are not great here due to the lower elevation of the skifield, you can still have plenty of fun on the groomers. Who knows? You may even get lucky and score an awesome day out back in the Back Bowls like myself one day.

All the facilities you could ask for are on mountain...ski hire, repair shop (my mate lost a bit for his binding...$2 later he was back up and running...lifesaver). Fast lifts means lots of runs and that's how you get good fast. Work on your basics here then take your skills and your skis elsewhere to the bigger hills and enjoy.

Downside here besides the often skied out snow is the fact that you will often have to dodge other skiers due to the crowds, esp during school holidays and the likes. Patrol is also quite strict on speed here but play by the rules and you'll have fun.
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