Well folks, this weekend marks one month of operation for winter 2021, and it has been a ride so far!

There’s been a bit of a spanner thrown into the works with the announcement of the Trans-Tasman bubble closure. We are devastated to hear that our Aussie mates won’t be making it across the ditch for another season. However, we are stoked to have had those of you who did manage to get over before thing went pear-shaped – it felt good to hear a bit of that infamous Australian twang out and about! 

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for the ongoing support of Harris Mountains Heliski and NZ Tourism during these trying times.

We will be extending our 2021 season into mid-October, and will do everything we can to remain in operation for as long as possible. This extended opening will allow a second chance to come heli-ski with us when the Trans-Tasman bubble does resume.

September and October have great powder skiing, and the longer solar hours allow for the option of spring corn on sunny aspects during the afternoon. The last couple seasons had larger snowfall during September than in August!

But for now… It’s all yours Kiwi’s...!

The beginning of the NZ Holidays and a fresh top-up brought an influx of riders; we had a bunch of stoked kiwis out there, making the most of everything our backyard has on offer. Just like last year, this period was busier than anticipated and it was awesome to see Wanaka and Queenstown so full of families and shredders!

With some unseasonably warm temperatures, heaviness in the snow has been a concern this season across the board. However, as our terrain sits well above the reach of the ski fields, we’ve found that this hasn’t been a problem. Skipping the queues isn’t the only perk we offer...! We grabbed the chance to ski some higher stuff at Mt Cook, and to say it was good would be an understatement. Long runs + light, dry snow + bluebird conditions = the perfect combination for an insane day out.

We’re currently experiencing a bit of weather which has made the last couple days unflyable, however earlier in the week we had some epic days in our Wanaka terrain. We’re expecting a champagne snowfall overnight, accompanied by a lower freezing level, and are anticipating an awesome start to the week!

In summary, we can’t complain with the state of things out there for the start off the season. The skiing is as good as it gets and is a great precedent for the rest of the season. We’re stoked to be getting a bunch of locals out there over the coming days, and we’re waiting with open arms for the return of our Aussie mates.

There’s one week left to enter our giveaway over on Instagram for the chance to win a Heli-ski from us and our friends @onmountainnz, don’t miss it!