Old snow groomer looking for a new home
There’s a market for old snow groomers, as the Rainbow Ski Club has found.
Yesterday morning the club – near St Arnaud and Nelson Lakes National Park, the most northerly ski club in the South Island – reluctantly advertised for sale its veteran Pisten Bulley snow groomer.
A reserve price of $1 was placed on the aged machine, and within a couple of hours 105 bids had been made, with the highest reaching $1000.
“It’s crazy,” a club spokesperson, who did not want to be named, said of the response.
“It’s a wee bit sad to see it going – it has been a big part of our history, and we’ve delayed selling it for while.
“But now it’s time to go – it has been taking up space.
“It would be lovely if a club member could buy it and perhaps put it on a farm,” they said.
The groomer was purchased in the 1990s. The machine, or at least the engine, was still in rip-roaring condition, the spokesperson said.
“It has an amazing Mercedes engine. We found it has been really good for clearing the snow from the (access) road.”
The decision to sell came when the club bought a new snow groomer last year, after raising $20,000 towards the cost the year before.
Having three groomers became too much, the spokesperson said.
“Rather than maintain it, we thought we’d look for a new home for it, and put it for sale on Trade Me.”
Money raised from the sale would go straight back into the club, they said.
The sale runs until next Monday evening.
The successful purchaser would have to pick up and transport the groomer away from the skifield, the spokesperson said.
“Ideally, a local will buy it. There will be logistics needed if it goes over on the ferry (to the North Island).”
“We’d like it to go before the snow gets on the (access) road.” This gives the successful bidder until around the end of April to take the groomer away for a new chapter in its life.