The Remarkables

A range that earns its name

The Remarkables, known in Māori as Kawarau, are a mountain range on the south-eastern shore of Lake Wakatipu in Otago, on New Zealand’s South Island. Wikipedia puts it plainly: the range lives up to its name, rising sharply to form a striking backdrop that is clearly visible from the nearby town of Queenstown. The ski field takes its name from the range, and the whole area sits within the Remarkables Conservation Area, which also includes the Tāpuae O’Uenuku/Hector Mountains and the Te Papapuni/Nevis River valley.

The skiing

Against the scale of the range, the ski field occupies a modest band. Lifts run from a base at 1,586 m to a top station at 1,943 m, a vertical of 357 m, while the highest point in the range, Single Cone, reaches 2,319 m above it. Our data records 36 km of runs served by 7 lifts. That is a compact ski area, best treated as a day or two-day destination within a wider trip rather than a week-long circuit, and it suits skiers who value the setting and a Southern Hemisphere season as much as mileage. Our data does not break the runs down by difficulty. Scenic views are the resort’s one tagged feature, and given the position above Lake Wakatipu that needs no explaining.

Lake Alta and the high country

One of the most distinctive features of the area is Lake Alta, a small lake cradled in a natural amphitheatre at the head of a glacial valley, a cirque, beneath the towering Double Cone peaks. Wikipedia notes that a number of high-altitude walks in the conservation area, including the route to Lake Alta, can be accessed from the ski field itself, so the ski field is a starting point in summer as well as winter. The neighbouring Hector Mountains to the south-east culminate in Mount Tūwhakarōria at 2,307 m.

Who it suits

The Remarkables suits visitors basing themselves in Queenstown who want to add skiing to a wider South Island trip, and anyone for whom the setting counts as much as the statistics. With 36 km and seven lifts it will not satisfy a skier who wants a new run every hour for a week, but as a high, scenic ski field a short distance from a well-known town it does a specific job well. The Southern Hemisphere calendar is part of the appeal: June to October is summer at home for most international visitors, which makes this a rare chance to ski in July.

Practical

This is a Southern Hemisphere resort, so the season in our data runs from June to October, the reverse of the European and North American calendar. Queenstown airport (ZQN) is roughly 16 km away as the crow flies, a remarkably short distance, and Queenstown itself is the natural base for a visit.