No Kids, No Husbands, It’s a Week Just for US LADIES - yeah!!!

What happens when two busy Aussie keen skiing mums take a little break from the weekend kids sports, school whatsapp chat groups and lunchboxes repacks and prioritise a girls ski getaway to New Zealand?

Let’s be crude for a minute, women aren’t just travelling more, they’re becoming an increasingly important travel market, particularly in solo, adventure and experience-led travel and for good reason. Gone are the days of the men having all the fun, (stuff that!!) we’re just not going to let that happen.

The two of us are used to running busy households and work schedules so we stayed  in accommodation that placed a delicious cooked breakfast in front of us and took the plate away, no washing up, cooking or thinking at TeWanaka . 

We chose to do a week of  Rookies All Mountain Camp, a 4 day training adventure where each trainer is hand -picked by the Rookie founder to be an exceptional standard of teaching. Ordinarily these trainers are hard to catch, they run their winter business in their northern heli winters but join on Rookie Academy Weeks in their off-season. We recognise the better we can ski, the safer we’ll be. The better our ski technique and body awareness, the easier skiing becomes in all terrain. 

Ski Equipment

For this life-upgrading ski experience it’s best to have shaped skis, to get the full effect of the amazing training. If you don’t have shaped skis, just bring ski boots and advise renting top quality demo skis for the week. Do this at Racer Edge so you can change the skis if you want, through the week as your skiing is transformed.

What are Rookies?

Rookies’ advanced weekly ski camps cover a bit of everything, it would have been absolutely fine to turn up solo, there is an(opt in) Brew Bar drinks and Sal’s pizza night, great if you’re looking for things to do at night. Otherwise your off-snow time is your own but the week goes FAST. The first morning at Treble Cone consisted of hot laps so the team could gauge our ability and split the group and hone in on making skiing easy.. 

Wednesdays tend to be an off-snow snow day to yourself. We fully intended to free ski on Wednesday, but could barely walk from sore thighs (this is a good thing), so we hit the two Secret Sauna locations, one after the other in the local area.

What are the Secret Saunas Like?

Both Secret Saunas barrel sauna locations are quite different to each other, and spoiler alert I can’t choose a favourite. Sitting inside a timber barrel sauna staring out across the lake to the Alps beyond was the highlight of our week and it’s a great choice for non-skiers as well as post-skiing relaxation. 

The Secret Sauna on stunning Lake Hāwea is a short drive out of Wanaka, you can book online and choose either private or public experience of sauna’ing. You will need swimmers /cozzies and you can hire a towel or buy a sauna hat. The recommended Sauna’ing method is to spend 15 minutes in the sauna, followed by a plunge into the quartz-rich waters of Lake Hawea, and repeat the process three times. The result is a feeling of bodily relaxation coupled with mental alertness, the perfect way to enjoy a day off-snow. More extensive write up on Secret Sauna is here (linked write up will go here)

The Cardrona Secret Sauna is the full experience from start to finish in a rural setting. Once you park your vehicle in the allocated parking zone, you’re picked up in an old troupie and taken up a dusty track to a dam setting, where several barrel saunas and a Mongolian yurt sit up on the hillside. The process is similar to the Lake experience, dipping three times into a plunge pool or ice cold shower from a tipping bucket shower. Views are elevated and from the sauna, you look straight up the snow covered mountains. We felt all alone in the world and free and wild. It was just what these two mamas needed.

Staying in town in Wanaka allows for decent poking around the shops. Wanaka is chock full of boutiques, ski shops, cool gifts and bookshops so there was plenty to do. You could also holiday here for three weeks straight and not dine in the same place twice. The walk around the lake is stunning and we enjoyed walking through town along the babbling creek and checking out the food trucks.Don’t miss the unassuming little Pembroke Wine and Spirits store to sample a tasting paddle of the Otago region’s delicious wines. 

Why New Zealand?

The Land of the Long White Cloud is Australia’s closest international ski destination with a flying time of around 2.5 hours, it’s super close. With stunning scenery, a great reputation for top quality food and wines, it’s an easy holiday for Aussie mums. Not having to think too much during a week off is a key ingredient so having identical electrical plugs, no language barriers,and being able to drive on the ‘proper’ side of the road’ , these things count towards making an easy choice. And Kiwis and Aussies just ‘get each other’..eh, cuz.. It’s stress-free for us and we’re not looking for more stress, we’re craving less. 

Why it’s important for mums to get away?

It’s my firm belief that a mentally and physically healthy mum is an asset to the family. Little getaways, when we can one – give us a spring to our step. We have more fuel in the tank for necessary tasks that fire the engines of a family. 

Be prepared for

The unbelievable beauty of this region. Lake views, orange and pink sunsets and misty mountain ranges. Endless food options that mean you can hop from restaurant to restaurant for week-long holidays and never eat at the same place twice. Prepare for weather that can go from mild and sunny to misty and freezing in a single day.  

Coming Solo?

Rookies have two great Women’s Camps, which are great for getting to know people and sharing the driving or having someone to go out for dinner with, if that’s your jam. They look after you if you need help with buying lift tickets, rental gear or getting up the mountain. 

We finished the week with a spectacular night at the Coronet Ridge Resort, in Queenstown before flying back to Australia, an incredible way to finish an amazing week and we’d totally recommend a one or two night visit here.

Things to Note

Insurance
Check you have this and check it includes car hire and cover for whatever sport you’re doing, either snow sports or heli-skiing. Some insurance policies require extra cover.

Snow Chains
If you’re skiing Cardrona or Treble Cone and plan to self-drive, there are two routes to Wanaka and one of them, Crown Ridge Road in particular, can be affected by snow and ice. You will need to carry snow chains, because if conditions require it and you don’t have them, there are hefty fines.

Car hire
You will need your physical Australian drivers licence, not just your digital one. And if you’re sharing the driving, there’s a small extra charge for each driver. It’s good to cover two drivers in case one is unwell or fatigued. There’s also the shuttle bus from Queenstown Airport to Wanaka and back if you’d rather not drive. If you’re doing a Rookies course, there’s a transport option too for a small charge. 

Parking at Resorts If you’re driving up to the resort parking lot, it feels like a safe drive, just take it slowly. Leave plenty of time for driving and parking. The same snow resort rules apply in these destinations, get here early to get a good parking spot, leave later and you’ll be parking further down the hill and walking up to the main building. 

Allow time for…

De-icing your vehicle’s windscreen, especially if you have a lesson to get to. It can take 10-15 minutes, which can affect traffic time. If you’re not confident to drive up the hill, leave plenty of time to park at the base of the resorts, it’s free to park and catch the shuttle bus up. At Cardrona buses depart every 30 minutes, it’s free to catch the bus but people line up 10 to 15 minutes early so be prepared for the wait and dress warmly. We did this one morning and it’s absolutely fine, no big deal and you get to relax on the bus.

Images by Emma Wilson