15 SEPTEMBER, 2009
This Newsletter will probably be my last one for the winter season but ALL IS NOT OVER YET! It has been a stunning snow year with up to 3 metres at the top and nearly 2 at the bottom so PLENTY OF SNOW STILL LEFT for some of the BEST SPRING CONDITIONS EVER. We are closing on the 4th October, taking in the first week of SCHOOL HOLIDAYS and it is the best time to get your little ones out on the snow. I don’t think you can beat us as a place for a TRULY RELAXING KIWI HOLIDAY. Mums don’t have to cook, we feed the kids early, no city style diversions, a place where you can enjoy being together and good memories that you and your children will carry with you for ever.
One of the standout memories of this season is going to be the 40th birthday parties. All those hunky young guys from our early days here at Ohau are now married, with children and turning 40! They are all a bit out there, fully charged and determined as you would, to make the most of the night. These things really ram home the passing of time but it is so nice to be part of all these people’s lives, their youth, their weddings, their birthdays and their children – the pleasure of being in this business for almost 20 years.
Just as an aside, the staff parties are worth mentioning. That whole thing of being away from a population base and having to make your own fun is very much the essence of a winter here, whether as a guest or working at Ohau. There are a few traditions, one being the ski field staff hosting the now annual mid winter Christmas party. A new one this season that I’m sure will become an annual event was the very entertaining Chunk a Trunk rail slide outside the Lodge staff accommodation. Before the season started there were some big logs cut in half, faced down the slope and propped up at one end so you had to drop off and placed ready for the snow when it fell around the lodge. That never happened, so a week ago, 9 trailer loads of snow were brought down from the ski field and shovelled into a trail, starting at the top of the hill, over the trunks and ending up at a picnic table tipped on it’s side. Floodlights were kindly donated, a big fire roared and pumping music made for a fun night. One of our waitresses was apparently still up at 3am snowboarding in the moonlight on her own!!? The full moon was stunning that night especially when combined with a reflection on a glassy lake BUT was she at work the next morning! The parties can be the pit falls but good training for still getting up in the morning.
Which brings me on to not being able to help but mention our outstanding staff once again. Compliments have abounded about how friendly they are up AND down the mountain. They are a joy! The highest praise has been about the food in the Lodge this season. I had one of our guests email me to say that they had got back from their holiday and a couple of weeks later her friend who had been on holiday with her emailed to say “I wonder what the Lodge are having for dinner tonight!” That made me laugh but even the staff get fed amazingly. We are hoping to build a house here this summer and I might have to start cooking! Oh my god! At least I’ll know where to go for cooking lessons!
Have a great summer everyone. Thanks for being a part of our 2009 Ohau winter memories.
Louise
15th JULY, 2009
We are almost through the school holidays and haven’t been this busy since the good old days when they were in August which is just fantastic and what we hoped would happen with snowmaking!
The weather has been fabulous and our snow cover is amazing so the season has started off well.
There have been heaps of families staying here over the two weeks, mostly with younger children but some with teenagers as well so we are going to have to expand our DVD collection that’s for sure. The Mountain Goats programme on the mountain has been very popular with the kids as it has given them a bit of structure to their days on the hill. The instructors get an idea of their ability and then group them into lessons where they have some fun and upskill. They come back tired and happy, have a spa and then ready for their dinner at 6pm. We’ve got kids cruising around outside now playing spotlight before bed, they’ve all found mates and are having fun.
At the beginning of next week I think we’ll have to have a big round of congratulations as the staff have been amazing. Everyone’s been a bit stretched. We had a raft of sickness the first week and everyone seems to have had turns at staying home but we’ve got through it and they’ve been working days off and just being fab!
We have the Irish weekend in a couple of weeks which will be a good fun party to look forward to. Our weekends are mostly fully booked but there is STILL PLENTY OF SPACE MID WEEK so come then! We really look forward to having you to stay.
Hope you are enjoying your winter wherever you are.
Louise
16 May, 2009
Dear All
Craig came down from the mountain a couple of nights ago exclaiming we had loads of snow …… with another word in front of loads!! We were very fortunate with the 2008 season but we are starting out with unparalleled snow this year. In our 23 years of operating the Snow Field we have never had so much snow so early. Snowmaking is still the key though to being able to promise a July school holidays opening. Last year, these holidays were one of the highlights and so much fun. We had gorgeous families staying, all the kids eating and skiing together had a ball but it was the parents getting into our fancy dress cupboard that was such a laugh.
The recognition of being voted the Supreme Award winner for the best service of any ski field in New Zealand was a huge plus last year. This was on the snow.co.nz website and is the 2nd time we have received this award. It blows me away when you think of all the flash resorts that we are up against but just goes to show that you can’t win against great staff and many are returning again this year.
They are lead by Craig Ovenden our Operations Manager who we could not do without. He is a kind mate who is extremely able and hard working. Craig spent part of our summer grooming at Whistler on the World Cup Nordic combined event course and then went to Italy to look at the Techno Alpin snowmaking there. Winnie who is Craig’s right hand man has returned after a few years away which is comforting as he is very capable around machinery and a lovely guy. Sarah who was in reception last season is coming back to oversee both ticket office on the mountain and reception at the Lodge. She is one super woman who really makes a difference. Andrew, Tamara, Nicole and Nate, all professional, fun and enthusiastic instructors will be back in ski school, (voted best snow school in NZ in the service award). Chris Shelley who has been our Head Patroller from Big Sky in Montana is back for one last time. He has made a big difference to our operation. He is a machine of a man who can have walked all the tops of the mountain by daybreak to make sure that the field is open by 9am every day. Those who keep him company and very much part of the professional team are Tony Donaldson and Kate Young, both kiwis and machines in their own right. Last but definitely not least is Rossa, our most capable, good natured and entertaining Irish chef from last season who is going to run the café this year.
Right now in the Lodge, we have our new assistant manager Al from Bradford in the UK on board. He arrived at the end of February and can’t wait to get his teeth into the busy winter scene. He has been thrown in the deep end on a couple of occasions already and managed to keep his head up so we have high hopes for him being able to take over some of our roles. The kitchen is manned by our two fantastic Chefs, nice guys and enthusiastic snowboarders still here from last year Brad and Scotty. We get so many compliments on their food, it would be easy to be blasé but we are very aware how critical a part they play. Staying on from this summer are our two waitresses, Ashleigh from Oamaru and Liz from Manchester and our housekeepers from Germany Jana and Mirko who also can’t wait to be part of the winter scene. Paul our barman has been travelling the world over the last couple of months to refresh himself for his 4th winter at Ohau. We also have Mark who is originally from Omarama and is employed in maintenance who has been doing a fantastic job on the outside grounds this summer, I’m sure you will see the difference. All in all we are extremely fortunate with the “Ohau family” that we are part of.
Personally, Mike and I have both lost our mothers since last winter. They have been lynch pins with much emotional and practical support to us and our children. Family wise, Willie our eldest is now living in San Francisco with his girlfriend Cameron, buying and selling gemstones. Jock is in Queenstown doing a hotel management course – thank God and Eily is in her last year at school and thinking about doing art in Wellington but helping out here in the holidays. Max the dog is very frustrated at the moment as his girlfriend in the village is on heat and he is driving us all mad with his whining and constant barking! And I’m OK but getting fat as I’m not walking Max!
We look forward to seeing you again this winter.
Thank you very much for your continued support.
Mike and Louise
PS. Our menagerie of animals has been added to with two lambs – EJ and Periwinkle.
20 NOVEMBER 2008
We have our new summer website up and running – yey!!
That is exciting but the most exciting thing of all is that we were voted as the Supreme Award winner on the snow.co.nz website for the best service given to our visitors in the 2008 season.
Congratulations to all our gorgeous staff now spread all over the world.
Best Staff
Best Access Road
Best Lift Department
Best Kept Toilets
Best Café Satisfaction
1st= Best Snowsports School
This is the 2nd time that we have won this award, the first being in 2004 and we are the only small area to have ever won. It’s usually the big boys – so that’s extra kudos.
So to summer………
The tours have started. We have held two fabulous weddings here already this season and looking forward to another before Christmas and we also have some family reunions booked next year - always a lovely thing to be involved in.
The native mistletoe for which this area is known for has started to flower in the tops of the beech forest
The night skies lately have been lovely to observe in the early evenings - Matariki should be able to be seen soon - that's my favourite!
Christmas and school holidays are not far away. Lazing down by the lake, mountain biking, walking up in the beautiful Hopkins valley or in the beech forests that have plenty of tracks for exploring. So see you here or out and about in it!
14 SEPTEMBER, 2008
Spring has sprung and so the perfect time for family skiing and getting the kids out on the slopes. I love this time of year, boot picnics, barbeques and deck chairs. It’s lovely to be up in the snow with some warmth and sun on your face but just remember the sunscreen and eye protection. I always worry when I see babies up the mountain without any glasses or goggles on.
There’s only 3 weeks left of the season and it’s going to go fast. At present up on the mountain, the mornings have been quite firm until it warms up but then there has been some fabulous corn conditions and plenty of good comment on the amount of snow and the good days being had.
This weekend we have the Snow Ball with the zany Vague As Brothers playing which I’m really looking forward to. Of course the costumes are always great fun, some people really go all out. In past years we’ve had all the characters from the Thunderbirds – Lady Penelope, Brains, Virgil etc, a whole circus troupe from the ring master to bearded ladies and contortionists, but my favourite was Bod dressed as a digger. There he was in the middle of the dance in the bar winding up his digger arm and negotiating the crowd, it was very funny.
Hopefully some will wear their costumes on the mountain on Sunday.
We had Taos and MC Mana playing in the bar on Sunday night. Skeptic (from Queenstown?!) and Hennez from Dunedin DJ’d and Taos also had Tyrone scratching. It ended up being a bit of a staff party so we were really treated to a great night and everyone was buzzing.
Now it is nearly school holidays so make the most of the good snow and get up here and enjoy the end of the season. Check out the Temple wing dinner bed and breakfast packages or if you are on more of a budget there is the Huxley wing. I hope we get to see lots of families over the next few weeks, I love seeing those tables of kids all dining together.
18 AUGUST, 2008
More snow happening outside as I write this. We really are having a bumper season.
The last two Saturdays have been record numbers on the mountain which has been extremely encouraging after the big snowmaking investment of the summer. We had ½ metre of new snow for everyone on the Saturday of Scottish weekend so there were many eager guests ready to hit the slopes. Still the mountain didn’t look busy but the car parks and facilities were full and the cover is now superb!
We’re recovering from the best ever Scottish night in the Lodge. We had 144 people all sitting at long tables of 20, dressed up in their kilts and ready for anything thrown their way. The restaurant was decked out in tartan flags, the candles lit, fire roaring and snow falling outside. We roped in 3 volunteers from our guests to assist in the haggis ceremony which is the first thing on the programme. They were asked to carry in the haggis, the whisky and the big Scottish sword and the procession were piped around the restaurant to loud applause. One “not to be named physio from Queenstown” who carried the haggis was dressed totally appropriately in a plastic tartan ½ kilt, the ½ missing was the back half! Great legs though! And so it went on….. lots of whisky consumed, lots of enthusiastic dancing to the world famous Scottish Mac Black Velvet Band…. and lots of tired people the next morning, not such a record crowd on the Sunday.
The Station vs Station obstacle race was very well patronized and we saw a lot of locals who are not normally on the mountain keen to be involved. It is definitely going to be a regular on the Event Calendar from now on. Buscot Station were the winners. Thank you to the local businesses, Omarama Hotel, Vet Life Omarama, Omarama Vet, Merino NZ and Alpine Springs and Spa for supporting the event.
Coming up in a couple of weeks we have the Burton Cake Bake Off, Powder 8s and the Bank Slalom. This was a big part of our Calendar back in the day and has been reinstated to mark the 10th anniversary of New Zealand Snowboarder Magazine. We’re really looking forward to it. The Cake Bake Off always produces some pretty unique cakes. Michelle from Vudu Café in Queenstown – a remarkable cake baker in her own right – is to be one of the judges. If you are entering the Powder 8’s check the entry form out to ensure that you have all categories to be judged ticked – including the matching clothing!
Be there or be square!
Louise
6 AUGUST 2008
THE SNOW GODS ARE SMILING ON OHAU THIS SEASON with regular snowfalls providing great cover over the whole mountain. It looks amazing and even though we are getting good numbers on the hill, when you look up, there’s no crowds. There might have been 10 people in front of me waiting to get onto the lift on Sunday afternoon! I have to also say that the hiking was absolutely worth it that day – fresh tracks and they are still there to be had.
One of the nicest things about living at Ohau is getting to know the people who pass through. We’ve just had the pleasure of Jake and Donna from Burton Snowboards visiting with their family and a couple of pro riders Mikkel Bang included, it is always nice to see them and to know that they enjoy coming to Ohau. We also had “Blotto” staying for a few nights with pro riders Nicolas Mueller and Frederik Kalbermatten who were hoping to shoot some footage for the next Burton catalogue but the weather didn’t clear sufficiently unfortunately. They did get some reward for much hanging around on the afternoon of their last day here. After almost nil visibility all morning the cloud cleared for a few hours and everyone went nuts making the most of the 15cms of new snow. We hope to see them back before they leave the country.
The weekends have been huge in the Lodge with lots of parties and large groups getting together for weekends. There have been a lot of familiar faces and a lot of new ones that we hope to see again. Our week days have been building steadily but mostly there is still some availability over this time. It has been nice to have the time to chat with guests and yesterday I had a lovely walk with Max our dog and Lorraine Satterthwaite, one of our guests who has been coming here for many years and is staying for the week with her family.
Ladies Day has started today and will be a regular Wednesday attraction for the remainder of the season. Kate White, who is a yoga teacher from the Kurow valley is starting the day with a stretch class in the bar at the Lodge at 9.30. It’s then up the mountain for a C4 coffee then Jemma our head instructor will get everyone going with lessons to improve in whatever area they are wanting to focus on. We’re hoping that local women will enjoy this chance to be together and have a fun day out.
We’ve also got our Station vs Station obstacle race tomorrow. This was postponed from last week and is a first for Ohau with local run holders in teams vying for the honour of being top station for 2008.
We are looking forward to the weeks ahead, renewing old friendships and making new ones.
Louise
17 JULY 2008
We are almost at the end of the school holidays and it has been a huge amount of fun. The Lodge has been full of families. We ended up last night with 42 children all seated together at two long tables for the 6pm children’s dinner. An impromptu fancy dress party organized by some of the parents was hilarious and most of the staff ended up dressing up as well. We are already missing the departing families and look forward to seeing them again next year. I’m sure new friendships have been forged with the parents who sat with each other on the various nights. All the kids wanted to say goodbye to Paul our barman and Kate our Maitre’d. Sarah our receptionist’s cookie monster costume was ogled by lots of the little children.
The comments have all been about our family oriented approach, how lovely our staff have been and how good the meals were. Last night’s roast pork belly with crackling and apple sauce looked delicious.
On the mountain the feedback has been great too - again about our great staff and the nice feel of the mountain.
The snowmaking has definitely made a difference and the trails have been excellent. A lot of people have been hiking the ridge to get the powder runs and check out the view of Aoraki Mount Cook, but there has been a lot of good snow in other areas as well.
The comments have been:
“Loved the Day Lodge atmosphere and it’s relaxed feel”
“Great having no queues”
“Ski school was busy but our kids loved their instructor and it was really nice being able to request them back each day”
“The terrain park on the platter slope was great fun”
“Loved my new rental skis”
Our weekends for the rest of the season are mostly fully booked. We are taking waitlists as there are bound to be some last minute cancellations but MID WEEK IS THE TIME TO BOOK.
There is availability for the last Saturday of the season when we are going to have Hot Dog Day. Fancy Dress is our forte and everyone will be wearing the tragic one piece last seen on the slopes in 1967 or the little fluoro puffa jacket and trying to manage skinny skis and old school snowboards.
Press Release:
First Snowmaking Starts At Ohau
Fully automated snow making at Ohau is now a reality. At 8.10pm on Tuesday 5th June, the Techno Alpin system burst into operation as the first four of 23 new A30 lances began producing snow. Then as the temperatures continued to drop, further clusters of snow guns began making snow in the still, clear Mackenzie country night air. The lights of the snow guns illuminate the slopes and the plumes of snow making a spectacular sight. The system is fully automated with the snow guns opening up automatically during the night without any need for operator intervention on the mountain. Mountain manager Craig Ovenden monitored the action on his laptop at home in the Lake Ohau Village and just to make sure it was actually happening as it should, he was able to look out his window to check that the gun lights were on. The system worked perfectly and the Techno System did its job under the cover of the chilly night sky.
With the low temperatures, the guns operated through to 10 am the next day. ‘” If skiers came to the upper slopes today, they’d need snorkels,” announced an exuberant Craig.
The user friendly software is so simple to use. The start up of the pumps and compressors is driven by a signal from the guns that there are at least four of them ready to make snow based on the optimum conditions - 3oC wet bulb temperature (a combination of air temperature and relative humidity) and light winds. The parameters are set for each gun, auto is selected and the snow-making action commences automatically when the conditions are just right.
It is calculated that the system will take around 100 hours to cover the main trail from the top of the chairlift and the learner slopes with 30 cms of snow and that by the 28th of June Ohau will be set to open as planned. Snowmaking continued on Wednesday night.
The project has taken just under 4months to complete, on time and within the $2.2 million budget. “This is an incredibly pleasing achievement and all thanks to excellent contractors, great professionals, an innovative designer, a technically advanced and supportive supplier and a relentless drive from Craig our mountain manager and site project manager”, says Mike Neilson, owner and operator of Ohau Snow Fields.
For more details:
Mike & Louise Neilson
Ohau Snow Fields
Ph: 03 438 9885
