ScotOnTour
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Treble Cone Ski Area
Very poor quality snow - heavy and sugary on the only return route to the car park.
Our single run was one of the worst of my life. It was also the most expensive at $97 as our single use of one lift at Treble Cone meant we couldn't use our passes at Cardrona that day.
Do yourselves a favour and go to Cardrona instead - much better terrain for a mixed ability group.
Hi Scott. I am sorry you had such a poor experience at Treble Cone. We had some great snow this season (2013), especially in the higher altitude Saddle Basin which had 3m plus most the season. But, like all weather dependent activities, conditions are not always optimal or controllable as it would seem in your case, although on these days we put an extra emphasis on things like grooming to help improve your experience. We hope you come back and visit another time and let Treble Cone's amazing terrain (and hopefully improved snow conditions) blow you away.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Wilderness Motorhomes
I was very reluctant to hand back the keys of my Base Jumper 2 van - luxury on wheels.
A slightly temperamental heater was the only downside, but it worked well enough and was excellent not just for keeping me warm but for drying laundry - a full load dry in one day.
The upsides far, far outweigh the heater. Every item of kitchen equipment you could want was there. I've lived in flats with poorer kitchens. The bed was comfortable and the shower was great to have - no trekking across the frosty grass to the shower block in the morning.
But you don't need to stay at a campsite. Freedom camping is getting harder, but it's still possible, or the DOC sites cost next to nothing as an alternative. The van worked really well on its own, away from mains power - it was great to sit in the warm watching the sea on the beach only a few metres away.
As a vehicle there are no complaints at all - an astonishing amount of power for what is quite a heavy van. I could easily pull up hills and never felt I was holding anyone up. At the same time, it was happy just to sit on the road with the cruise control on and eat up the kilometres.
The service from the Wilderness people I dealt with was good, too. A lift from/to my hotel was a nice touch.
If (when) I'm back on NZ I know where I'll be looking for a camper.