Snow Freaks Who Prefer Bitumen

Sun Herald

Saturday July 19, 1997

By NICK WAYLAND

SNOWBOARDERS reckon it's the only way to travel.

Get a few mates to club in and hit the road in a campervan. It's the best way to hopscotch around the powder-laden slopes of New Zealand's South Island ski resorts.

Sydney-based Sasha Ryzy, the only woman in a group of five who cruised around New Zealand last year, reckons there are real mountains in New Zealand - unlike here.

"Our mountains aren't comparable," she said. "The terrain over there is really good, quite steep, really picturesque and there is lots of powder.

"Treble Cone has lots of natural half-pipes and little hits everywhere."

She did suggest travelling in a van for two weeks would have been more comfortable with just three or four people. "Two would be super comfortable, four max," she said.

Young boarders like Ms Ryzy fit the profile of snow enthusiasts who want to be independently mobile.

For them, following the snow is akin to following the surf. They find out from other riders in the local pub what's happening, then beetle off to Treble Cone, Cardrona, The Remarkables or Coronet Peak.

Numerous Kiwi operators such as Snowave, Ski-A-Rama, Go New Zealand, The Ski Travel Company and Mount Cook Line (it has a tailor-made snowboard product called Raw Edge) offer a combination of air fare, campervan for a week and lift ticket packages for about $700.

Other costs, such as camping ground fees (about $7 a person), fuel for the van (diesel is half the cost of petrol across the Tasman), a few beers, a good restaurant meal (it's good to lash out at least once a trip) and a cruise around the nightspots, won't break the bank. Most find the camping grounds ideal.

Creeksyde, in Queenstown, is the most memorable camping ground I've pulled in to. It has everything: quiet, picturesque, hot showers, TV room, games room (for rest days) and owners who are genuinely interested in visitors no matter how long they stay.

It is not unusual for some boarders to base themselves at Creeksyde for two to three weeks.

Glendhu Bay, alongside Lake Wanaka, is without question the most perfect place to locate a camping ground. Herbie Illingworth and his partner have created a campervan-friendly location on the shore of a crystal clear lake with snow-capped mountains for a backdrop.

They have a reputation for turning on great home-cooked meals and impromptu parties.

Throughout New Zealand many camping grounds are reasonably close to the more popular ski areas, such as Whakapapa, Turoa, Coronet Peak, Mt Hutt, Ohau, Mt Dobson, Porter Heights, Mt Lyford and Rainbow Valley.

While it's a very affordable alternative to a ritzy hotel, it is quite common to break up a campervan holiday with a couple of nights in a motel or resort-style accommodation.

You must be 21 to hire a mobile home. They are equipped with microwave ovens, electric jugs, sleeping bags, maps, guide books, kitchen utensils, showers, flush toilet, bathrooms that convert to drying rooms, heaters, gas cookers, economical diesel motors, refrigerators and on-board hot water. The NZ excess of $750 charged on campervan rental agreement can be considerably reduced by paying a nominal daily insurance.