Mount Dobson
Accommodation at Parkbrae Estate at Lake Tekapo, along with car hire, was easy to book through Booking.com.
Can you keep a secret? Luckily for you, neither can we.
words Jenny Rudd / photos Ben Hunter + supplied
Scything down the slope, plumes of glitter spraying behind him, my husband Mat whoops with joy after yet another run down the sundrenched slopes at Mt Dobson. Even though it's the winter school holidays and the snow and sun are plentiful, there are just a handful of people up here. Apparently the first rule of Dobbo is no one talks about Dobbo. That's what we were told by a Mackenzie Country local who has been skiing here for 35 years. And it explains why barely anyone's heard of the best-kept snowy secret in Aotearoa. This ski field has some of the country's best snow, every year, the best weather, the friendliest atmosphere and the least people. Allow us to lift the lid.
Skiing terrain
This is family skiing at its best. There are four lifts; one chair, one pommel, one T-bar and a beginners' rope tow. The basin is wide and open, and the runs are never crowded. We didn't queue for lifts, and we always found new places to explore over the week. The kids found some cool jumps and you could see right across the slopes to your little ones on one of the best learner slopes in the country. We skied every one of the seven days we were there. The sun shone, the powder fluffed around, and we wanted to stay another week because another dump was expected.
Ski school
Our four children had a two hour snowboarding lesson every morning with Archie, whose patience must not go unmentioned. All four went from absolute beginners to bombing down all the slopes by the end of the week. The lifties and instructors were all friendly and greeted everyone by name. You can book lessons before you arrive or on the day.
Writer Jenny and her brood of skiers and snowboarders about to hit the mountain for some serious shredding.
Eating on the mountain
Fairlie Bakehouse Pies. If you've had one before you'll be getting flashbacks around now. The pork belly and apple pie had a generous chip of crackling on top, and was an absolute winner. The café serves coffees, hot chocolates, pies and instant noodles. Sit round the heater in the cafe, or chuck a few folding chairs in the back of the car for a car park picnic. We took snacks up every day and left the car open so that we had a base to come back to.
Kit hire
You can hire all your kit from the well-stocked hut up on the mountain. We hired trousers, jackets, skis, boards, boots and helmets. Bring your own gloves, goggles, hats and gloves. Arrive early as it gets busy.
Peter Foote
In the seventies, Peter Foote climbed to the top with his cousin and thought 'This is it!' He spent seven years building a 17km road up to the ski field, and has been running Mt Dobson for the past forty years with members of his family. If you can get hold of a copy, read his book Against The Odds. I don't think there'll ever be another story like it. You'll see Peter whizzing around the slopes on various machines.
Stay in Lake Tekapo
We booked our accommodation on the booking.com app because of their flexible cancellation policy. There was no guarantee that snow (yes please!) or covid (no thanks!) would play ball. There are a huge range of options on the app to suit budgets and your group. We went for a house on the Parkbrae Estate, on the lake front by the Church of the Good Shepherd. The whole town is very well set up for visitors with a flash Foursquare, and great outdoors shops.
The stay at Parkbrae Estate, booked through Booking.com, was perfect for a family of six.
Do
Any non-skiing days are easily catered for in Lake Tekapo. Book into the Dark Sky Project for some stargazing, or soak in the hot springs overlooking the lake at Tekapo Springs.
Getting there
The booking.com app was a winner for car hire. We got a very roomy Audi Q7, which came with a roof box and snow chains. It was seamless, and as soon as we'd booked online, someone called to make sure we had everything we needed for our trip. The flight from Tauranga to Christchurch was direct, then the car was ready and waiting at the airport.
We were guests of Booking.com for accommodation and car hire, and Mt Dobson for lift passes and kit hire.