I had plans for the season and a generalized game plan. The season before I had focused mainly on the Otago country around Wanaka and Queenstown but this season I would focus more on the Canterbury vicintiy in places like Mount Cook and Arthurs Pass and all in between. I was fortunate to get my hands on a Licence to Chill pass and had access to 13 seperate club fields and with a Mid July arrival I intended to be there for the full Southern Hemi winter. Yep 5 months of hard charging and exploration.
It was a slow start to the season as I landed in Christchurchand Estee and I went to Akaroa for a few days before heading to Mt. Hutt and stretching the legs, the snowpack was thin but we skinned up the groomers and rode back those same groomers.
It was good to get out but we really needed snow and with a lack in good riding conditions we got ourselves situated with our passes and moved into a 2 bedroom house in Fairlie, right on the border of the McKenzie country.
We chose Fairlie for numerous reasons and one of which was that we were within an hour of 3 club fields which were Roundhill, Fox Peak and our local ski hill Mount Dobson. Another was that it was centrally located on the South Island and the only road through the country was in my backyard. Lastly was that I felt it was a true Kiwi town unlike Queenstown and Wanaka there awesome for a reason but I wanted to see something different.
When the snow started falling we were on our way to check out Dobson.
For the next 4 months we would be using Tbars, Nutcraker Rope tows and if we were lucky a single chairlift. I was stoked
It was a sweet location but sometimes the commute had its drawbacks.
But the night sky more than made up for it
Our view was pretty rad
and when the snow fell it would be all on.
We were within a 3 hour drive from 10 separate resorts. For example Ohau was only 2 hours away.
With conditions pretty dire we decided to go on a road trip down south to Queenstown to eat some Furgburger and skin up Cornet Peak after a quick detour to Skippers Canyon.
While waiting for the snow to fall we hiked on the local trails around Tekapo
But most of all we prayed for the damn snow to start falling!!!
