Snow has fallen on the ski areas of New Zealand’s South Island, with less than two weeks to go until the first of the slopes officially opens.
Around 40cm of snow has covered Queenstown's Coronet Peak, which is scheduled to start welcoming skiers on June 7. The area’s 215 snow guns have also been hard at work preparing for the start of the season.
“It’s impeccable timing from Mother Nature, right on cue,” Coronet Peak ski area manager Ross Copland said.
“Well over 100 people have made their way up to the ski area this morning.”
Heavy snowfall of around 50cm has also blanketed The Remarkables, slated to open on June 21, while other ski areas in the region have been seeing regular snowfall since March.
Canterbury’s Mount Hutt will also open for the season on June 7 with snowmaking “well underway” in addition to the natural snow that has been falling consistently since the start of April.
