Features

Chasing Winter Part II:

Summer Shredding in Australia and New Zealand

Words and photos by Sara Tollestrup

We're not birds, we're snowboarders, so we should ignore the birds and stick with our own migration patterns. Summer has finally arrived, but it hasn't been kind. In Toronto summer has brought sticky, sweaty, 40 degree temperatures and crazy humidity, while Vancouver has had nothing but rain. The solution to our sad-excuse-of-a-summer lies in a region approximately 12,500 kilometers to the south. I'll give you some more clues: two countries where people drive on the wrong side of the road and play rugby exceptionally well. Yes, Australia and New Zealand. Make like a pro and get there pronto before our weather makes you lose your mind. And keep your eye on the Women's Annual site for upcoming interviews from Aussie and Kiwi girls who promise to give us the inside scoop on their snowboard scene. For now check this out for all the information you'll need to plan your trip.

AUSTRALIA

Where: Australia's Snowy Mountains are about 500 kilometers south of Sydney. The drive from Sydney to the mountains is about six hours and about seven hours from Melbourne. The two main resorts in the Snowy Mountains are called Perisher Blue (you may have heard of it because it’s Torah Bright's home mountain) and Thredbo. The closest city is Canberra, and the closest town is called Jindabyne.

What: Snowboarding, mate, snowboarding. While Australia is definitely more known for its surf than it's snow Perisher has seven rideable mountain peaks, 49 lifts, and Australia's best terrain parks and Superpipe. Threadbo has jibs galore. Shop it up and dine out at some of the best restaurants in Melbourne, and yes, it is oh so touristy, but Syndey's Harbour is definitely worth a visit if you fly via either of those cities.

What: Australia's peak season is from late June to early October. Keep your eye on the resorts' websites for the latest in weather trends, but you can expect a range in temperature from close to 0 C up to +13 C.

Why: It's their winter, it's our summer, need I say more? Plus, you can surf and snowboard in the same day. You can bank on some good swell, since the most consistent ones come in the winter.

How: There’s no denying that it’s a long flight, but it’s worth it. First of all, you have to get to Australia. From Canada it’s easiest to take Air Canada's direct flight to Sydney that will set you back $1700 or more if you're flying from Western Canada and $1900 or more from Eastern Canada. From Sydney, you can rent a car and drive to Jindabyne or fly on one of Aus' cheap airlines to Canberra (Virgin Blue or Quantas), and from there catch a shuttle or rent a car to get to Jindabyne.

Lift Tickets: Perisher Blue is $94 Cdn/day and Thredbo is $97 Cdn/day.

Competition: The Burton Australian Open is September 1-5, 2008, at Perisher Blue.

Places to Sleep: Nowhere is particularly cheap because it's a resort destination, but if you're on a budget there are a few hostels. Snowy Mountains Backpackers is $36 to $42 Cdn/night or the Thredbo YHA Hostel sleeps 4 per room for $25 to $62 Cdn/night. A hotel such as the Thredbo Alpine Hotel will set you back quite a bit more, ranging $180 to $450 Cdn/night.

Places to Eat: Gloria Jeans Coffee on Kalkite Street in Jindabyne serves an amazing cup of coffee and the world's most delicious banana bread (Aussies like it toasted with butter) so good! Australia's proximity to Southeast Asia makes for plenty of yummy Thai food. Check out Supreeya Thai at 6532 Kosciuszko/Thredbo Junction.

Of Interest (a.k.a. so you don't sound like you've been living under a rock): Australia is a big country –about the size of the U.S. minus Alaska. The capital is Canberra, not Sydney as most people assume. All of the country's major cities lie along the coast, which means surf, surf and more surf. Aussies don't really want to hear you talk about Paris Hilton or Justin Timberlake, but bring up Mick Fanning and Steph Gilmore and you're bound to be chatting for a while. In terms of crime it's not a dangerous place, the United States is rated the most dangerous country in the world while Australia is only number 40. However, Australia has some of the most dangerous animals in the world, including six of the 10 deadliest snakes.

NEW ZEALAND

Where: Cardrona, Snow Park and Treble Cone are resorts in the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island. If you want to check out beautiful views across Lake Wanaka while you're snowboarding, then Treble Cone is the place to be. The nearest major city to the Wanaka Township is Queenstown.

What: Snowboarding, Kiwi style. Cardrona and Treble Cone offer amazing terrain with beautiful views and often a good helping of pow and chutes too. Snow Park is a gigantic terrain park with a triple jump line and tons of rails and hits. Snow Park is geared towards advanced riders (a.k.a. park junkies). Forget Bordeaux, New Zealand has incredible wine; you should probably have a sip or two while you're in town. Check out Rippon Vineyard in Wanaka, owned by the Mills family. Their wine is unbelievable! Rippon does tours, so if you need a day to rest your legs get tour info from them by emailing info@rippon.co.nz (the legal drinking age there is 18).

What: Peak season is the same as Australia's. Early in the season, May and early June, tend to be the most risky because of inconsistent weather. It's best to go in August or September.

Why: Though flights are pricey, it’s still relatively cheap for Canadians to visit New Zealand. $1 Cdn = $1.30 New Zealand dollars. New Zealand is rich in culture and the people are as friendly as it gets.

How: Flights from Canada depart from Vancouver. There are no direct flights to Queenstown, so you’ll probably be stopping over in Auckland first. Air Canada, Air New Zealand and United fly from Vancouver to Auckland to Queenstown for $2000 and up. From Queenstown, you can drive or take an airport shuttle to Wanaka.

Lift Tickets: Cardona is $81 Cdn/day, Treble Cone costs $76 Cdn/day and Snow Park is $75 Cdn/day.

Competition: The Burton New Zealand Open is July 29 to August 2 at Snow Park, NZ.

Places to Sleep: The price range is huge depending on what you’re looking for. For snowboarders on a budget there’s the Mountain View Backpackers or Purple Cow Backpackers; the hostels cost about $19 Cdn/night. If you're splurging on this trip check out the Grand Mercure Oakridge Resort, which starts at $163 Cdn/night.

Places to Eat: If all you want is a little love from Mr. Caffeine in the morning, grab a coffee at Cafe Fe on the corner of Orchard and Cardrona. If “the best pie you’ve ever tasted” suits your fancy, dive into some coconut cream pie at Kai Whakapai Cafe & Bar on Wanaka's lakefront. If you like seafood then Relishes Cafe is a bit spendy but very good (1/99 Ardmore Street).

Of interest (a.k.a. please don't give Canadians a bad name): Wanaka was originally named Oanaka after an ancient chief and was renamed Wanaka in 1940. Wanaka is a tiny place full of snowboarders and retirees, its permanent population is only about 7,000. The country itself is made up of the North and South Islands, Stewart Island and a handful of smaller islands. The total area is about the size of Colorado. The country has two official languages, English and Maori, and is headed by Prime Minister Helen Clark. Clark has been in office since 1999 and is the second female Prime Minister of New Zealand.