Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Mt Hutt’s open day

Record conditions and multi-million-dollar upgrades celebrated at Mt Hutt’s open day

Canterbury’s best-loved ski area Mt Hutt today celebrated its opening day with new trails and facilities, bumper crowds and the best snow base in 10 years.

Defending its four-year title as New Zealand’s best ski resort, Mt Hutt reaped the fruits of a timely snowstorm that dumped more than 75 centimetres of snow, with parts of the slopes sitting at an incredible one-metre deep.

The record conditions added to an electric alpine atmosphere, with all three chairlifts in action as well as two surface lifts for beginners. Two thousand skiers and snowboarders rugged up to hit the slopes, with about 12 die-hard regulars camping on the mountain overnight to catch first lifts at 9am this morning.

Mt Hutt ski area manager James McKenzie was on hand to soak up the ambience at the chairlift, and NZSki CEO Paul Anderson cracked open a bottle of bubbles to declare the season officially open.

“It’s a real treat to be able to open the mountain with such a fantastic snow base. Guests were excited to hit their favourite trails, try out one of the new trails and enjoy the bluebird conditions. To top it off, our brand new, state-of-the-art groomer arrived on the mountain late last night and will be put straight to use tonight to deliver that perfect corduroy for the weekend.”

For the 2019 season, Mt Hutt has injected more than $2.5 million into the resort’s facilities, including a renovation of the ski and board rental base and the introduction of 2.5km worth of new trails. One new trail, Hoods Hollow, was tried and tested today. It includes beginner terrain park features, banked turns, bumps and hollows, undulating terrain and a new ski-through covered tunnel.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“The focus for this year’s upgrades is geared towards beginner terrain development and a strong emphasis on sustainability, while the upgrades to our rental facility will help us improve flow, comfort and convenience,” McKenzie says. “Mt Hutt Park’s crew has built two terrain parks for the jibbers and jumpers and we’re also re-introducing loading at mid-station of the Triple chair lift. It’s safe to say that this is the kick off we were hoping for, and we’re thrilled with the turnout.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.