Why Cardrona Should Be Your New Zealand Ski Destination This Winter

Thinking about skiing or snowboarding in New Zealand this winter? Now’s the time. Cardrona Alpine Resort is expanding in a big way for 2025, opening 150 hectares of new terrain in Soho Basin and introducing a brand-new high-speed 6-seater chair. With value-packed ski passes, family-friendly facilities and free shuttles from Queenstown and Wānaka, Cardrona makes it easy to hit the slopes in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cardrona Alpine Resort is the best place to start your NZ snow experience with 20% of terrain beginner, 25% intermediate and 30% advanced terrain. The exciting news for this well-known snow resort is brand new terrain opening up (150 hectares) called Soho, including a new high speed 6 seater chair.

Kids programs for 2025 include 4 day programs for skiers (age 5 and over), snowboarders (age 7 and over) from $NZ570 – incredible value for Aussies with the same instructor and group all week including lunch.

Multi-day passes for adults start from NZ$390 for 7 days (blackout dates apply). Cardrona has on-mountain childcare for ages 3 months to age 2 and ski kindy from 2 -4 so everyone is up on the mountain at the same time. For more info on passes, accommodation recommendations and more visit cardrona-treblecone.com  

Cardrona has free mountain shuttles and bus transport to and from Queenstown and Wānaka. More info here.

NZ’s Biggest Skiable Area

Things at Cardrona Alpine Resort are getting a whole lot bigger, with 150ha of skiable terrain open in winter 2025.

The resort’s long-held dream of a chairlift in Soho Basin is coming to fruition. 

A new T-bar in Cardrona’s Main Basin between the existing McDougall’s and Whitestar chairlifts provides options for quick laps for skiers and snowboarders utilising the Big Bucks World Cup slopestyle course, Lil’ Bucks terrain park, Gravity Cross course, and Racecourse trail.

As well as this, a brand new modern retail and restaurant building is in the existing retail and admin location, Noodle Bar has been moved to a more accessible location with more seating, and provides a bespoke space to house Cardrona’s exceptional retail offering.

Continued improvements include snowmaking, carparking, roading and other amenities. 

“It’s important to us to make sure we’re able to cater to the increase in skier capacity that Soho brings, and these measures will help improve our guest experience across the mountain,” says Cardrona and Treble Cone GM, Laura Hedley.

Head to the Cardrona website.

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