Learn to Ski at Cardrona Alpine Resort

Cardrona is perfect for first timers with easy learner lifts and wide open beginner trails with beautiful views. This package includes rental equipment, a learner’s area ski lift pass, and two group lessons with a professional instructor. Your 2-hour morning lesson teaches the basics, including how to master sliding, stopping, and turning safely and effectively on gentle slopes. The 2-hour afternoon lesson is to further develop your skills and to support you as you explore more terrain.

Feel like a relaxing night, take yourself to the movies, Cinema Paradiso is not your average cinema. A classic movie theatre with comfy old sofas, an old Morris Minor car, and a cafe & bar serving delicious meals before, during, or after the movie. A great option for days when the weather is not so great up the ski field, especially for families! Paradiso provides a novel experience - they even have a half-time intermission where you can get homemade ice cream, a hot chocolate, or a freshly baked cookie! Tickets can be purchased at your own expense at the cinema prior to the session or up to a few days before the movie you wish to see. The seating is unallocated, so if you arrive early you get the pick of the couches, chairs, and cinema seating.

If you have skied or snowboarded for more than one day, can’stop and change direction' and enjoy the support of lessons or want to improve as quickly as possible then this is the package is for you. You’ll have 2 days' access to the entire mountain with an all mountain lift pass, rental equipment included and the benefit of 2 x two hour group lessons each day. This package is coordinated to build a solid foundation so that you can make progress quickly. And rest assured you’ll soon remember the movements even if you only ever skied once, many years ago.

If you feel like spoiling yourself and learning about the area’s history we recommend taking yourself out for lunch or dinner at The Cardrona Hotel, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic hotels which sits between Queenstown and Wānaka on the stunning Crown Range Road. Set in a beautiful mountain valley, the town of Cardrona boasts a rich and vibrant history: settled in the 1860s as hundreds of hopeful prospectors flooded into the valley chasing gold, the Cardrona Hotel was one of four hotels quickly established to offer accommodation, food, livery services and a coaching-stop for miners and travellers. With the short-lived gold mining boom beginning to wind down in the late 1800s, the area quietened down, with the Cardrona Hotel eventually becoming the sole remaining hotel in the valley. In more recent times the township of Cardrona has seen a resurgence in visitors, people clamouring to get a taste of old the old town feel, stopping in for a pint or delicious meal and a few fantastic photo opportunities in the quaint village that harkens back to a time of hope, gold and good fortune.

Keep an eye out for the terrain parks and decide if today’s the day to try a new trick or two. With so much to explore, your day at Cardrona promises even more fun, adventure, and unforgettable moments on the snow. Don’t forget to stop for a warming hot chocolate at one of the mountain cafes and share stories of your ski adventures with fellow snow enthusiasts. Started in the 1970s Cardrona ski field is the dream child of the Lees, a local farming family. In 1978, they installed the first tow rope on the mountain and added an access road with a suitable gradient for even a bus to travel along. The field went from strength to strength with the introduction of the fields first snow groomer in 1981 and double chair lift in 1983. By the end of the 80s snowboarders had also caught on that there was fun to be had and the county’s first international halfpipe was built above the learners' area. Since then Cardrona ski field has gone from strength to strength and is opening up more terrain all the time.

Leaving Wanaka you head over New Zealand’s highest sealed road, Crown Range Road before dropping into Queenstown. During winter months the Crown Range Road experiences alpine conditions, so you need to be prepared before driving this road. As it is New Zealand’s highest sealed road it can be prone to ice and snow. There are many signs advising the road conditions so take notice of these or ask locally if the road is fine to be driven that day. The alternative route via the Kawarau Gorge (State Highway 6) is just 20 minutes longer. The golden rule is check and drive to the conditions. If you have snow chains with your rental vehicle please make sure you know how to fit them.