With Queenstown's Remarkables Ski Field opening its doors to the public today, the start of the South Island 2018 ski season is officially underway.
The opening at Remarkables is a couple of days earlier than usual, after bumper snow fall in Otago and Canterbury over the last couple of weeks.
A total of 70cm have fallen on the Remarkables mountain range about 40 minutes from downtown Queenstown, leaving a solid snow base covering almost the entire mountain.
Opening day for other South Island ski fields are as follows:
Mt Hutt – June 8
Cardrona – June 16
Coronet – June 16
Treble Cone – June 16
Snow Farm – June 16
Porters – June 22
Cheeseman – July 7
Mt Olympus – July 7
Mt Dobson – July 7
Cragieburn – July 14
Almost 700 skiers had passed the lift gates at Remarkables as of 11am today.
Remarkables Ski Area Manager Ross Lawrence says the conditions are simply epic.
"We have been grooming and preparing trails, in absolute awe of the conditions to date," Mr Lawrence says.
"It's great to see so many snow addicts up here getting back on the boards and boots, and loving it."
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