Chairlift to unlock huge new southern ski area at Cardrona
A new chairlift will provide access to a massive new ski area next to the Southern Alps.
The Willows Quad chairlift is under construction in the Soho Ski Area, neighbouring Cardrona Alpine Resort.
It will provide access to 65ha of intermediate-level terrain at the ski area via Cardrona from winter 2021 and is the first new major lift-accessed terrain to open in New Zealand since 2012.
Cardrona and Treble Cone general manager Bridget Legnavsky said it was an exciting moment for the resort.
‘‘Our dream is to create a ski experience unlike anything else in New Zealand, where you go on an adventure through different valleys and basins while soaking in fantastic views,’’ she said.
‘‘This move into Soho Ski Area is the first step in unlocking that vision. From Willows Basin it feels like you can reach out and touch the Southern Alps – that’s a special feeling.’’
Cardrona acquired rights to the ski area in 2018 and continued to operate as a private ski area accessed by snowcat.
Further lifts are planned, including the main Soho express chairlift.
The new lift is the refurbished former McDougall’s Quad, from Cardrona ski area.
It was initially intended the lift would be used to open 55ha of advanced ski area known as the Pringles.
However, the Department of Conservation (DOC) declined permission for the project to continue in late December after rare lizards were found during survey work.
‘‘When we made the decision not to continue with the Pringles project, we knew we wanted to use the lift elsewhere on the resort. It turned out that it was a perfect fit for the Willows terrain,’’ Legnavsky said.
The new lift would also address some of the resort’s capacity challenges that were highlighted during the busy July school holiday period in 2020.
Along with the Valley View Quad, which was not operational in 2020, the resort’s uphill lift capacity would be 44 per cent greater, she said.
The Willows basin is named after the cult classic film, Willow, as some of it was filmed in the area.