New Zealand — Cardrona Alpine Resort’s ski season is underway. On Saturday, June 14th, Cardrona kicked off their 2025 ski season. This winter will bring a series of transformative changes that will make it New Zealand’s largest ski resort. Here’s a rundown of the improvements coming to Cardrona Alpine Resort this winter.
Soho Basin: This winter, Cardrona will open a 150-hectare (around 371-acre) terrain expansion. Soho Basin features a mix of intermediate, advanced, and expert pistes. It will be serviced by a Doppelmayr detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift. Cardrona aims to open Soho Basin on June 28th, conditions permitting. Snowmaking infrastructure in Soho Basin will be completed during the 2025-26 offseason.
New T-Bar: In the Main Basin, Cardrona has installed a new T-Bar between the McDougall’s and Whitestar lifts. Thi will allow for quick laps for ski racers and terrain park aficionados. The lift services the Big Bucks World Cup slopestyle course, Lil’ Bucks terrain park, Gravity Cross course, and Racecourse trail.
New Lodge: A new building has been added to provide more space for guests. This will be the new home for the Noodle Bar, which means it will provide more seating than beforehand. On the lower level will be a retail shop, which is larger than the prior one.
Other Upgrades: Cardrona has added a new enclosed walkway from Guest Services to the Courtyard, making for a less icy walk during the cold and snowy days.
Guests will also have a smoother process getting to the mountain. The first 1.4 km (.87 miles) of the access road has been tar-sealed, resulting in a less bumpy drive. They’ve also expanded the Pine Trees carpark (known here as a parking lot) and will tar seal that area next offseason.
New snowmaking infrastructure has also been added to Cardrona.
New Trail Map: Last but not least, Cardrona has debuted a new trail map. Designed by Rad Smith, this trail map gives a broad view of Cardrona, including the new Soho Basin expansion, along with the Willow’s expansion that opened in the early 2020s.
Cardrona’s lifts are now open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Image/Video Credits: Cardrona Alpine Resort
