So I'll be booking a DH trip to NZ very shortly... here's why.

[Dirt Devil]

I had a blast last time I was in Q-town but the 40 minute hike with the DH took the sheen off it. Good news about the gondola now. I completely axed myself in the jump park at Wynyard though. There are some monster jumps lurking in that place but it was the big see-saw that got me.

 

[trouble]

Bike friendly accom?

Does anyone know bike friendly accommodation in q-town? Or if there shuttles to dirt park or cardrona during the week? I'm seeing if it's possible to not hire a car but visit some other dh tracks excluding the gondola hill. Cheers

 

[Timbot]

If i put a dress on will you take me with you Steve??.

 

[Mattydv]

You sure it's Cardrona you're thinking of? I know Remarks used to have some races a few years ago, but never heard of Cardies having riding access...

 

[S.]

You sure it's Cardrona you're thinking of? I know Remarks used to have some races a few years ago, but never heard of Cardies having riding access...

Cardrona has held races in the past (original Drift movie has some sick footage actually - keep in mind that was almost 10 years ago!), as for whether they're open to the public to ride these days I have no idea. Treble Cone has often hosted NZ nats races, I've never heard of Remarkables running bikes though. Coronet Peak did, but NZSki shut it down a couple of years ago.

As far as I'm aware, Queenstown gondola and Dirt Park are the safe bets. Cardrona and TC may or may not have stuff running for bikes, anyone know about those for sure?

 

[backdoor]

Does anyone know bike friendly accommodation in q-town? Or if there shuttles to dirt park or cardrona during the week? I'm seeing if it's possible to not hire a car but visit some other dh tracks excluding the gondola hill. Cheers

I stayed in a backpackers and kept the DH rig locked up in the ski gear room, the crew at the front desk just gave me the key cause I was in and out a couple times a day. Bumbles I think it was called. Good location.

If you can get a car, do it. There's loads of options right in town but some super fun stuff you'll really be missing out on if you don't check it out. You're all good with an Aussie licence (I assume, never got pulled over).

Zoot and Skippers on the road up to Coronet - Stevie and Gee rode here a fair bit for Follow me - these are awesome high speed, shredable trails.

Remarks DH, there's a couple of trails just at the start of the access rd up to the Remarkables ski field. Good fun also.

DirtPark DH. You have to drive over the Crown Range to get here, it's sorta half way between QT and Wanaka. I'm pretty sure the Park isn't open any more but you can shuttle the Dh track which is about 10mins long and a full forearm killer

 

[maxwolfie]

http://dirt.mpora.com/news/zealandqueenstown-gondola-big-news.html

Hell yeah! Anyone who's been there knows how huge that hill is!

I'll be on that Gondola in two weeks..

 

[dunndog]

You're all good with an Aussie licence (I assume, never got pulled over).

I have, and you are. got pulled over for speeding, it was a very friendly chat too.. but alas, even with plenty of leg showing, still got the ticket. (Actually maybe a bit less leg might have been better)..

 

[dunndog]

I'll be on that Gondola in two weeks..

Maxwolfie, are you flying direct to Queenstown? If so who with and what's the cost? If you don't mind..

 

[Sov]

Cardrona and TC may or may not have stuff running for bikes, anyone know about those for sure?

Cardrona has the most awesomest run starting roughly south west of the Snow Park halfpipe. As backdoor mentioned, it used to be Dirt Park but that got closed and only the dh run is open. It's the last spot where Steve and Gee ride in their Follow me segment - the really dry dusty place. Roughly 900m vertical drop in 12mins, with the top half being steepish and techy and the bottom half flowy single track around sheep. It's great fun, but watch out for crosswinds...

Clyde and Alexandra also have great tracks. One of the tracks there held the Oceanias a few years back I think.

 

[backdoor]

Pretty dusty and dry out Alex/Clyde way too!

Getting a cheap little car even if it's for a couple of days will be good, especially if you think of the $NZ coversion. Carib's are a sort of 4wd corolla wagon that a few of the hire joints have. Resonably cheap and you can lay 2 bikes down in the back. The 4wd makes getting up some of those roads a bit easier.

Spoken to a mate who lives over there just recently and he says there's loads of digging going on around town, not just on the hill under the gondola. So make friends with a local and you might get to sample a secret stash. I did, and I got to ride Coronet once or twice. despite it being closed. My buddy works for NZSki

If you want to stretch the legs some and want to pedal a bit more, there's always 7Mile out at Glenorcy, about 10mins drive along the lake. There's a bit more trail/am based stuff there.

 

[maxwolfie]

Maxwolfie, are you flying direct to Queenstown? If so who with and what's the cost? If you don't mind..

Sorry - Flying into Christchurch then hiring a car and driving around the south.

 

[dunndog]

So to dig this back up, as I'm considering for march/april, who's been recently and what was your experience? I'm thinkin 2500 for 4 days would be a good budget, all inclusive.. any thoughts on best places to stay? And it's only qantas that fly direct to q town right?

 

[T-Rex]

Be careful of Air NZ

Air NZ also flys to Queenstown direct, but...

I recently got done over by Air New Zealand with excess baggage on a work trip to NZ. I had a laptop and a 6kg piece of hand luggage, and they made me check the hand luggage and charged me $40 for it.

Air NZ is basically becoming a budget airline by stealth, and I found their website is a little misleading in relation to baggage. And it's not like I came down in the last shower in relation to flying, I do about 30 to 40 flights a year, both local and overseas airlines.

After my experience with Air NZ, I'll be avoiding them.

PS you might want to have a read of this thread:

http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?199307-The-“Flying-with-a-downhill-bike”-thread

 

[kynan77]

Air NZ also flys to Queenstown direct, but...

I recently got done over by Air New Zealand with excess baggage on a work trip to NZ. I had a laptop and a 6kg piece of hand luggage, and they made me check the hand luggage and charged me $40 for it.

Air NZ is basically becoming a budget airline by stealth, and I found their website is a little misleading in relation to baggage. And it's not like I came down in the last shower in relation to flying, I do about 30 to 40 flights a year, both local and overseas airlines.

After my experience with Air NZ, I'll be avoiding them.

PS you might want to have a read of this thread:

http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?199307-The-“Flying-with-a-downhill-bike”-thread

That's a bit worrying, I have flown with air nz to Queenstown the last 2 summers with a DH bike and never been charged for overweight, I just booked my flights for Feb with Air NZ I better check over the allowances in case they have changed!

 

[T-Rex]

That's a bit worrying, I have flown with air nz to Queenstown the last 2 summers with a DH bike and never been charged for overweight, I just booked my flights for Feb with Air NZ I better check over the allowances in case they have changed!

Their service does appear to have changed fairly recently. I also flew with them to Queenstown last winter to ski, absolutely no problems with excess luggage. They now seem to have about 3 -4 different grades of economy ticket, with different baggage allowances, and even a meal or no meal, and of course different prices.

 

[WhyMe]

Vertigo have built a beautiful new track down the last 3/4's of the mountain but it's been closed for the last 2 months due to weather ! I was there between Xmas and New Year and had a good play on their allready great runs but this new one looks soo nice.
I have a feeling they will probably open the track up regardless when the gondola opens up to public bike runs.

When you're over there make sure you check out Wynyard (spelling) just one hill over. Absolutely amazing, shuttlable and has a great freeride play section in the middle !

 

[dunndog]

Qantas offer excess kilo rates at $35 per 5 kg extra, capped at 32 kg per item. This is far better than the $10 per extra kilo they can charge you at check in. prices seem good too, I can use frequent flyers and pay under $200 for return flights and 28kg checked plus 7kg carry on. sounds like a plan to me, just gotta rope a mate in...

 

[trouble]

My trip so far....

Ok, so i saw this booked flights. Packed bike, make sure you clean it very well, like new as it's fully inspected by customs or at least mine was. If your thinking about it do it.

There's so many tracks. There's a lot that army on the maps that are super steep and techy as they don't want random people riding them. Gondola is fast, not 4 minutes up for a rise higher than thredbo but a much steeper slope. Cafe at the top if you wanna buy drinks after a run. Vertigo bikes have a little place up top with tools and servicing if needed, and dh norco bikes for hire.
Endless switchbacks, super big switchbacks, tight turns, steeps, not many rocks, very different riding much steeper and a bit slower, some tracks have tonnes of wet techy roots. Sturgeons are around training in nz too. Pretty rad to see them pinning. There's a bunch of easy tracks that are fast fun on a dh bike but easy to do on a hard tail, tracks are much more groomed than oz, except for some of the un marked ones.

I'll do an update with footage later! The lift is open from 10-8 pm but between 5-7 they get all the coaches of tourists who go up for dinner and they make you wait..... A max of like 10-15 minutes. Which is nothing really. Spo get your skates on this place open for another three months in trial period come!

 

[Tizz--]

Ok, so i saw this booked flights. Packed bike, make sure you clean it very well, like new as it's fully inspected by customs or at least mine was. If your thinking about it do it.

There's so many tracks. There's a lot that army on the maps that are super steep and techy as they don't want random people riding them. Gondola is fast, not 4 minutes up for a rise higher than thredbo but a much steeper slope. Cafe at the top if you wanna buy drinks after a run. Vertigo bikes have a little place up top with tools and servicing if needed, and dh norco bikes for hire.
Endless switchbacks, super big switchbacks, tight turns, steeps, not many rocks, very different riding much steeper and a bit slower, some tracks have tonnes of wet techy roots. Sturgeons are around training in nz too. Pretty rad to see them pinning. There's a bunch of easy tracks that are fast fun on a dh bike but easy to do on a hard tail, tracks are much more groomed than oz, except for some of the un marked ones.

I'll do an update with footage later! The lift is open from 10-8 pm but between 5-7 they get all the coaches of tourists who go up for dinner and they make you wait..... A max of like 10-15 minutes. Which is nothing really. Spo get your skates on this place open for another three months in trial period come!

Pretty much sums it up, was up there at the start of January, really good experience everyone should get out there!