SAM Magazine-Lake Wanaka, NZ., Oct. 9, 2008-As North American resorts gear up for winter, the ski and ride season in the Southern Hemisphere is drawing to a close. And it was a good year for the four resorts at Lake Wanaka-Treble Cone, Snow Park NZ, Cardrona Alpine Resort and Snow Farm. All are reporting strong visitor numbers and great snow conditions throughout the season.

Visitor numbers at Cardrona were up on previous years. The new high speed Captain's Express quad, Captain's Café and improved slopestyle course were all met with enthusiasm. The area's 22-foot superpipe, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, took center stage for the LG FIS Snowboard World Cup Half Pipe last month.

Wanaka's only night skiing and riding, introduced this year at Snow Park NZ, also proved popular with both tourists and locals. The resort is considering additional night riding and evening events for the 2009 season. The on mountain accommodation also posted solid numbers, with overnight visitor numbers up more than 50 percent.

Treble Cone enjoyed fantastic skiing and riding conditions throughout the season, particularly in August. Late season snowfalls ensured good coverage from top to bottom of the mountain, providing good spring conditions through to the end of the season in early October.

Snow Farm NZ successfully staged the FIS ANC Cross Country Cup, which drew a strong field of men and women from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and France. The Snow Farm trails also offer ideal terrain for the running of sled dogs, and hosted New Zealand's many on-snow dog sled competitions as well as offering commercial trips.

In May, consent was given to build the first gondola in New Zealand to access a ski resort. The $16.6 million gondola project will service Snow Park NZ, Snow Farm and a third planned ski area, Roaring Meg Resort. Treble Cone is in the final stages of gaining approval to also build a gondola from the bottom of the access road to the base buildings. \

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