Burkes Pass, New Zealand — If you’ve ever wanted to run a ski area, there’s a great opportunity to do so right now in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Herald reports that the founder and owner of Mt. Dobson Ski Field, Peter Foote, is putting the ski area back on the market. The reasoning is that he’s 82, and his other family members are uninterested in continuing the operation after he passes away.
The story behind Mt. Dobson is pretty incredible. Years before founding the ski area, he was running a club ski field, and he didn’t feel he was being treated right. In defiance, he quit and began his own ski field. While flying with a farmer in 1970, he spotted what would become Mt. Dobson. After taking around four years to gather the necessary permits and approvals, he purchased a bulldozer to plow through the future access road. Three years of constructing the road later, he sold the bulldozer for a surface lift, beginning its trajectory as a ski area. In the early 80s, they purchased a T-Bar and platter pull, along with creating a beginner area.
The ski area has gone on the market a couple of times before, and nearly closed after a few rough winters in the 1980s. It persevered, though, and it’s regarded as having some of the best snow quality in New Zealand.
The ski field only has a few lifts, but it features an impressive amount of terrain. The ski area features more than 400 acres of terrain and four lifts (including a chairlift). Its strength is its elevation, with it having the highest carpark (parking lot) and base elevation of any ski area in New Zealand. This means that it features among the most reliable snowfall in the country.
Situated in the Southern Alps of the South Island, Mt Dobson is conveniently located off a highway that connects the cities of Christchurch and Queenstown. The closest town is Fairlie, which is 45 km (28 miles) away.
You can view the listing here.
Image/Video Credits: Mt. Dobson Ski Field, Tahoe Mountain Life
