hellyer 216 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I know this is the Snow Japan Forums but I thought I would kick this off to carry us snow-starved readers through the Japan green season. Let us know your southern hemisphere snow plans - when & where you are off to. Ask questions if you need advice on anywhere down south. Send us some pics/ vids and maybe a trip report or two. First report - it's been snowing a bit in Oz over the past few days. Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 In NZ visiting family from 18 Sep for 2 weeks, have booked 5 nights in Ohakune while we are there. Looking forward to riding at Turoa and Whakapapa again. Where are you going SJ? Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Car danchi @ perisher. Looking at exploring some out of bounds areas that I have been thinking about all summer. Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Hi Surfarthur - My son is guiding a schoolgroup at Remarkables in early July so I might hook up with him the week after and slip up to the Ohau fields and Mt Dobson for some uncrowded freshies - very weather dependant of course Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Car danchi @ perisher. Looking at exploring some out of bounds areas that I have been thinking about all summer. Are you thinking of heading over to the main range from Guthega? Link to post Share on other sites
gozaimaas 61 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Nothing that extreme as I dont have a split board yet. I have a few areas that I am interested in over guthega way that are a short hike to and from the lifts, I just need them to open guthega up so I can give them a try. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Is En-Zed the cool way to say New Zealand? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Yiis, it iz how all the cuzzy-bros sey it, but I reckon it is Un-Zed but, hey bru. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 eh dinna hay a dan-doo whit youse ur ah talkin aboot Link to post Share on other sites
blu 3 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Guthega - the parachute trees and the run down farm creek. There's been that many people skiing MtP Out of Bounds in the last few years, they moved the boundary out further. There's also access across to the Paryliser. Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Speaking of snow............not - I am off today to Darwin and Kakadu for a week so will report back then with some pics Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Here is something to get the anticipation up, Turoa, North Island NZ, September 2008, 4.5m base. Lets hope this season is just as good! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Well they've had snow to sea level in NZ in the last few days and up over a metre of snow on some of the southern resorts. Off to a good start! Link to post Share on other sites
norcal 5 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 What would be the best place to snowboard & what is the nearest airport? Has anyone ever tried this trip from Japan? How much did it cost (average) and was it the best place for the money? Just curious...been thinking about it but don't know if I'll convince the wife to visit a place that's in the middle of winter lol! Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 I am not sure how much it would cost, but your best bet would be to base yourself either in Queenstown or Wanaka, in the South Island. There is an airport in Queenstown. Your best bet is to rent a car, as there is no on mountain accommodation at commercial ski fields in NZ. SnowJunky mentioned on another thread that juicy car rentals has deals going where you can get free lift tickets with your rental car. The ski areas are all above the tree line, so far more exposed to the weather than most of the resorts in Japan. Mt Hutt, 2 hours from Christchurch, is nicknamed Mt Shut, as it is often closed due to wind / poor weather. The North Island ski fields are even worse for weather related closures. I could not recommend booking a ski trip to the North Island of N, as there are sometimes periods of entire weeks where the mountain will remain closed due to wind. If you were in the North Island for other reasons and the weather and snow were co-operating, it is definitely worthwhile making a spur of the moment trip. My honest opinion is this: I would not be going to any NZ or AUS resort this year, except that I am going home to visit family. I have booked a chalet for 5 nights, and it will be nice to take my parents on holiday for a change, instead of the other way around. I would much rather go back to Japan, however I will probably not be able to this coming season, so it may have to wait until 2014. It will be nice to ride the mountain where I learnt to snowboard though (assuming that the weather co-operates while we are home). Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherLocklearRocks 1 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Where did you go the season just finished surfarthur? Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Went to Rusutsu and Furano this northern season just been. I haven't had a southern hemisphere snow trip since 2008. I didn't mean to come off sounding too negative about NZ, just that from here (Perth AUS) it would cost me about as much to travel to NZ or the eastern states of Aus for snow as it would to travel to Japan. Given the choice, if money wasn't a factor, I would do both NZ and Japan every year, but as I can only really afford one trip to the snow each year, I would choose to go to Japan hands down. Visiting family this year means that I will only get a few days on the snow. Mt Ruapehu will always be a special place to me, being where I learnt to snowboard, and I am really looking forward to riding there again. Still hoping to squeeze in a trip to Japan in January too, if funds allow. Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Didn't realise Japan would be so cheap compared to NZ. Is that saying how expensive NZ is as much as how "cheap" Japan is? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Didn't realise Japan would be so cheap compared to NZ.Is that saying how expensive NZ is as much as how "cheap" Japan is? It is not saying much about Aus prices that NZ is cheap compared then is it... LOL Japan is definitely a cheap ski destination. I am sure there are many others. My mates Dad is loving Eastern Europe at the moment. But everywhere has its individual charm - like a Pokemon Trainer - I wanna 'catch them all'! Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Didn't realise Japan would be so cheap compared to NZ.Is that saying how expensive NZ is as much as how "cheap" Japan is? It is not saying much about Aus prices that NZ is cheap compared then is it... LOL Japan is definitely a cheap ski destination. I am sure there are many others. My mates Dad is loving Eastern Europe at the moment. But everywhere has its individual charm - like a Pokemon Trainer - I wanna 'catch them all'! Yes, mamabear is right, Japan is a cheap destination, at least from Australia anyway. I reckon a trip to Japan for 2 weeks is about the same cost as a trip to NZ or the NSW or VIC skifields from Perth for 2 weeks, some things are more expensive in NZ, some are more expensive in Japan. One thing with NZ, while you don't "need" a car, you are definitely better off with one, transport options from accommodation to the slopes can leave a bit to be desired, whereas most skijo in Japan are fairly easy to access from the airport by public transport, and accomodation is slopeside, or your accomodation provides transport to the lifts. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Looking at a trip to NSW slopes later in the season (staying in a van at Jindy and driving up to snow each day) but that will depend on work (If I didn't have to work, I couldn't ski at all!) If I was staying "on snow" in say, Perisher, it'd be ... "$1100 per adult and $935 per child in a Triple/Quad Room. Includes 5 nights accommodation, 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners." at the Sundeck Hotel. and that's a "special" package deal! Then add lift tix at $368 for 5 days, and transport to the snow (pay what you like!) and the exercise is getting less than cheap! Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Walk up and down the stairs at home a lot, JA - that exercise is cheap! Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 You are being deliberately obtuse! The "exercise" i was talking about, as you well know, was the exercise of making a trip to Perisher for a 5 day skiing trip staying on-snow. Besides ,.. no stairs at home, Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Not sure I know what being obtuse is, was just joshing. No stairs at home is surely a problem there! Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Looking at a trip to NSW slopes later in the season (staying in a van at Jindy and driving up to snow each day) but that will depend on work (If I didn't have to work, I couldn't ski at all!) If I was staying "on snow" in say, Perisher, it'd be ... "$1100 per adult and $935 per child in a Triple/Quad Room. Includes 5 nights accommodation, 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners." at the Sundeck Hotel. and that's a "special" package deal! Then add lift tix at $368 for 5 days, and transport to the snow (pay what you like!) and the exercise is getting less than cheap! That is just plain ridiculous prices for accommodation. I am paying NZ$240 a night for a 2 bedroom "chalet" with private outdoor spa in Ohakune, which sleeps 4 (plus an extra 2 people for $20 per person) and I thought that that was expensive. Admittedly there is a 20 minute drive to get to Turoa each day, so it definitely is not "on snow", but makes me feel much better about my holiday budget. With a single day lift ticket costing over AU$100, compared to NZ$95 (approx. AU$75), it definitely starts to look like the cost of flights to NZ can easily be offset by the savings you can make with lift ticket prices and accommodation costs. With prices like that I doubt I will ever go to the Australian ski resorts, at least not while I have to foot the bill. Link to post Share on other sites
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