The Lee family have done alot for skiing in New Zealand - several decades ago they started on the long road to saving the Cardrona valley from turning into a little-driven gravel road.  They are effectively responsible for what is now a thriving ski scene in the Cardrona valley - Cardrona ski resort, a dedicated cross-country and Nordic center known as "The Snow Farm", and a relatively new dedicated freestyle centre known as "Snow Park NZ".  There are also major plans to further expand the area skiing-wise including a new gondola project and even a whole new ski resort called "Roaring Meg".

Snow Park NZ

Snow Park NZ is now known world-wide as probably the best off-season training playground for snowboarders and skiers alike.  Snow Park NZ has pretty much everything you want from a big snow park - a FIS standard superpipe, a quarterpipe, big kickers, 40+ rails, hits, jumps and more, Snow Park NZ has it all!  Recently added is the Half Pint beginner park, a playground of boxes, jumps and rails designed specifically for the novice skier or boarder.

Snowpark NZ plays host to a whole bunch of competitions including the Burton NZ Open, Billabong Snowstock and NZ Freeski Open.  The Snow Park NZ has such a good setup of snow guns and canons that it doesn't even really need any natural snow.  Snow Park NZ is around 35km from Wanaka and 55km from Queenstown and for those who want to stay up there theres a choice of luxury appartments as well as backpacker style accommodation.

New Snow Park NZ Gondola

On the 14th May 2008, the Lee family in the Cardrona Valley received approval to build the first gondola in New Zealand to access a ski resort!  The $16.6million gondola project will service Snow Park NZ, Waiorau Snow Farm and a third planned ski area, Roaring Meg Resort.  The 3.8km-long gondola will ascend 975 vertical metres from the Cardrona Valley floor to the ski facilities on the Pisa Range. It will transport up to 1000 people per hour in gondola cars each holding eight passengers.

Waiorau Snow Farm

The Waiorau Snow Farm was created by the Lee Family way before they'd even heard of freestyle skiing... and its a cool place!  The Snow Farm is undoubtedly one of the best cross country skiing fields in the Southern Hemisphere.  Snow Farm has around 50km of groomed nordic trails as well as giving great access to the Pisa range (great for touring) as well as both the Bob Lee Hut and Meadow Hut - both of which make great bases for some backcountry adventuring!