School Holiday Bliss

Comment Share Posted on Monday July 20th at 6:59 a.m. Tweet

A sigh of relief can be heard across the country this morning as they drop their kids off to school for another term.

But these holidays it was actually easy to keep the little ones happy and wear them out.  With early snow, cold temperatures and mostly fine conditions in the mountains around the country ski area operators are smiling with record numbers visiting their slopes for the July School Holidays. Parents were also smiling as these little one's were getting warn out spending every day on the slopes.

We chose Porters this season, well, CHILL actually but we are largely basing ourselves at Porters.  What a refreshing change.  They have revived my faith in relaxed, easy, enjoyable, safe skiing and boarding.  Previously I thought that trying to dodge crazy heel-pushers (skiers) and banana turn boarders was the norm in New Zealand, but now I find that that is actually not the case, you just have to know where to go. People actually do slow down in slow riding areas and when they are close to people, it is amazing!!

We met more people last week on the slopes than we did in a ski club over two years at our previous choice of field.  We drove from Christchurch every day where it was drizzling or full on raining every day and between Springfield and Lake Lyndon we drove out of the cloud and into beautiful blue sky conditions.  The week started out cold, -6 but warmed up to 2 by the end of the five days.

With a total of 1000km under our belts for the week, travelling to a mountain that uses diesel to power it's lifts I'd have to say that we didn't really look after the planet this week but what are you going to do?  Not ski?  Nah.  If we didn't ski we would just be adding to the recession wouldn't we?

Our snow chains got a workout, Monday and Tuesday from the bottom of Porters Pass and Wednesday on the mountain road. Still Monday was the busiest day with both carparks full and cars parked down both sides of the mountain road for a couple of hundred metres.  It seems that many people take advantage of the Porters 2 for One Monday special. Note to self, avoid Monday's at Porters.

What did we learn this week?

• That people still think that 'Chains on All Vehicles' doesn't apply to them,
• That there are actually places where people don't crash into you on the slopes,
• That Porters actually have great snow right now,
• That people are friendly at Porters,
• That the Porters Cafe does great coffee and Gluhwein,
• That I need to do more training to get down Big Mamma or Bluff Face without stopping,
• That there is a healthy band of very mischievous Kea's up at Porters, so it you leave something interesting looking out, like a, rubber roof rack attachment, a glove or even a deck chair, expect it to get mauled.
• That dogs are not allowed in the recreational reserve that encompasses Porters, although if he stays in the car who's to know, right?
• That Lake Lyndon when frozen, like now, (or even not) is a great place to walk the dog and the kids. (Take a poo bag.... for the dog.... or the kids, there is no toilet)
• That people can't resist walking right to the edge of the ice on a frozen lake and jumping up and down to see if it will hold their weight.  What the?