Very Good!4 / 5Aug 19, 2020
Daniel O. intermediate snowboarder
Remarkables
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Pros
- Great place to learn to ski
- Closest ski resort to Queenstown
- Some of the best terrain parks in the country
Cons
- Expensive lift tickets and small ski area
Overall
The Remarkables, in the mountain range of the same name in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, offers a unique and family-friendly experience. It’s not commercialized like the other resorts – in fact, with the nearest lodging a half hour away, it’s more like a locals’ mountain and has the relaxed vibe to go with it. It has a nice mix of terrain, with broad and gentle slopes for beginners, terrain parks, and hike-to terrain to keep experts entertained. And don’t worry about that lodging bit – Queenstown, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, is a wonderful vacation destination on its own!
Best month to go
August
August is the best time to visit Remarkables, after the July school holiday crowds have left.
FLY TO
Queenstown Airport
DRIVE TO
Remarkables (30 minutes)
Queenstown (10-15 mi)
- Adventure capital of the world
- Wide range of accommodation with competitive pricing
- Variety of restaurants and bars
Frankton (8-10 mi)
- Slightly closer to resort than Queenstown
- Less lodging options than Queenstown
- Offers a handful of luxury accommodation options
For beginners
While Remarkables doesn't boast the greenest trails, their two beginner areas are perfect for learning on. The wide-open slopes in these areas have a gradual pitch making it an ideal spot for first-timers to practice with three conveyors (surface lifts) to ferry beginners.
For intermediates
Intermediates will have quite a few blues to choose from but our favorites would have to be Turquoise and Alta Blue off the Alta chair. Both are spacious slopes that allow for wide turns though Alta Blue provides more variety that is especially great for building skills on.
For experts
The best long lines for advanced skiers and snowboarders are off the Shadow Basin chair with the Alta Chutes being our top pick for off-piste skiing. For the freestylers, Remarkables offers some incredible terrain parks with the Burton Stash providing some gnarly natural features.
Find freshies
Freshness can be easily found in the Alta Lake side, just be prepared to hike for it. The Outward Bound area is another top spot for the fresh stuff though again it's quite a hike but if you're there on a powder day, you'll be rewarded with soft and buttery snow!
Ditch the crowds
July generally sees the most crowds thanks to the school holidays. Survey Basin during peak hours also gets quite busy while the beginner areas around the Learners and Shorty surface lifts are the busiest.
Non skiers
While the resort itself doesn't offer much for activities for non-skiers however, Queenstown is just 40 minutes away. Queenstown calls itself the adventure capital of the world, so non-skiers are guaranteed to find something fun to do.
Families
Remarkables is known for its family-friendliness! The beginner areas are nice and wide for families to ride together or for kids to practice on. There are also great kids facilities including childcare and all day ski lessons.
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Remarkables Reviews
Daniel O. Average!2.7 / 5Sep 12, 2018
RLRob L.
Ok small sized hill. Mainly all beginner runs, wouldnt say they have any real black runs. Park 4 person chair super slow and outdated. Lifts contsantly running at half speed, i think this is so they try to control the flow of people down the very short runs, but leads to chair lift times being excessively long and buzz killing. Woke up and drove up... Moreadvanced snowboarder
Good!3.8 / 5May 11, 2018
Shaun M. intermediate snowboarder
Superb!4.9 / 5May 02, 2018
Isaac N. advanced skier
Good!3.7 / 5Nov 20, 2017
FFletch
The difficulty system is slightly overboard. The main blue run difficulty should only be counted as a green run
The snow is magnificent, thou it does get very crowded
note: storage for gear is highly priced at $20~ with food options over priced and abismal
... Moreadvanced skier
Average!3.4 / 5Nov 11, 2017
DDan
One of the most naturally beautiful ski resorts I have been to. It has a great terrain park setup and a good variation of terrain. The road is it bit rough though.... Moreadvanced snowboarder
Fabulous!4.2 / 5Nov 11, 2017
CBCesar B.
It was home for the '17 southern winter, accessibility is by far the best in the area, excluding coronet peak; but having a lot better snow and back country than Coro. Out of all the resorts it was the most forward moving with food and beverage trends catering for my ridiculous paleo preference with quinoa dishes, coconut base/sugar free treats and... Moreadvanced snowboarder
Very Good!4 / 5Oct 14, 2017
GGGary G.
Although it's smaller, the Remarkables is much more relaxed and less busy than Coronet Peak (even though it's the other big Queenstown resort). I haven't seen it yet but they also have a new lift which opens up a lot of terrain since I was last there and I believe there are plans to put in a gondola which would mean you don't have to drive up the... More