VIEWS FROM THE SLOPES OF CARDRONAWe have just come back from a very successful skiing holiday in the south island of New Zealand. This area just may be Gods own Country as they say, it is spectacularly beautiful and amazingly empty of humans. It is a rare treat to see a truly untouched place of such astounding beauty.
We started off at Cardrona which had wonderful snow and a scary steep drive up to the base every day. Ella was very happy in the kids club and with two lessons a day, unlimited flexibility and no fear was soon whizzing down the slopes past Brendan. I was still snowplowing for my life down the easier of the green slopes having survived the lesson from hell with a crazy Bosnian instructor. Brendan picked up where he left off and by our final day at Coronet Peak had skied down a steep blue run from the very top of the mountain! Impressive stuff. I haven't tried a blue run yet, just when I had worked up the courage a stiff wind made the slopes icy and closed the lifts for the day - so it will have to wait for next year. 
VIEW FROM CARDRONA GREEN SLOPE TOWARDS QUEENSTOWN
One day the snow started falling and conditions became almost totally white. I have never seen anything so blindingly bright. The snow became one dimension with no slopes or contours, the only thing we could really see was the red flags marking out the slopes. By the end of the day we could see only one flag at a time and were skiing by feel because it was the only way you could tell which way was down. It was like being in a superreal film where the contrasts almost blur all detail.
ELLA COMES IN WITH SKI SCHOOL (GROUP OF LITTLE PEOPLE BOTTOM RIGHT)
THE WEATHER CLOSES IN
SNOWFIGHTS!
And there will definately be a next year. My mom and Sim have definately introduced the ski bug to the family! and I would go back to New Zealand ski any time just for the pure panoramic splendour. 
The snow at Cardrona was wonderful, squeaky, soft and plentiful and our first two days were gloriously sunny and blue skyed. The only draw back is the drive up the mountain. Its narrow, slippery with ice and grit, and has yawning chasms at its edges. The second day there a bus going down the mountain in the afternoon skidded and ended up with its back facing the cliff wall and its front wheels hanging over the abyss. Thankfully the passengers were safely off loaded and the bus towed back onto the track, I am sure there were some sleepless nights that night. But once we were down our cottage was in a complex with a heated pool and was a 100m walk to the local hotel which serves wonderful mulled wine and pub dinners around roaring log fires.
AT THE FIRE SIDE AT THE CARDRONA HOTEL
Ella was delighted with the idea of swimming outside in the freezing cold with steam rising off the warm water and I was only to happy to immerse my slightly battered body in the hot water.
We all loved the local, infact it was the thought of that first reviving mulled wine at the fire that got me through several afternoon sessions, food has never tasted so fantastic, and Ella couldn't wait to stroke the resident pub cat, Whiskers. 
We reluctantly left Cardrona after four days and spent the afternoon driving to Queenstown via Wanaka and Arrowtown. Wanaka is on the shores of another splendid mountain ringed lake and is surrounded by the valleys where Lord of the Rings was performed. We drove up these valleys past acres of vineyards, each field equiped with giant fans to keep the frost off new grapes, rolling pastures and slopes with forests of amazing textures and colours. Although the grass land has been burned golden brown by the frost the pines on the slopes are a rich deep green and the hills are covered in scarlet berry laden bushes, or with stands of birches that are stacked ghostly grey. Milky blue rivers wind from the snow to the lakes through tortured rock ravines, we passed the exact place where the nine Wraiths are washed away in the Lord of the Rings. I have never seen textures and colours quite like it. And above all the towering snow capped peaks ring the landscape. Yes I know I am going on a bit but it was glorious.
ARROWTOWN MAIN STREET
MOUNTAINS AROUND ARROWTOWN
Arrowtown is tucked against the mountains in one narrow valley. A charming old hamlet with all its historical building intact or restored. We stopped for mulled wine and hot chocolate before heading past Coronet Peak to Queenstown.
VIEW ACROSS THE LAKE FROM QUEENSTOWN
If I liked Arrowtown I was blow away by Queenstown. It sits on the bank of a blue blue lake under startling rugged mountains. It has been carefulyl developed and the result is some wonderful architecture of stone and wood, old buildings and new joined by pedestrian laneways filled with restaurants and shops. Unfortunately by the time we had discovered it we had almost come to the end of our stay. We had enjoyed skiing so much that we didn't set aside much time for exploring. We had several lovely meals out and on our final morning Ella and Brendan climbed an amazing willow tree on the lake shores. I would love to see this area in spring.
CLIMBING THE WILLOWS
VIEW TOWARDS GLENORCHY
All in all it was a wonderful holiday. I discovered several things I really like about skiing, mulled wine at the end of a long cold day, the rush of actually skiing down a slope without fear of falling, the pride of being lapped by my daughter (who was singing and dancing as she waved and went past), the way food tastes really really good in the evening, the joy of learning something totally new.
We had a lovely lovely time.
