Ski season countdown: Coronet Peak fires up the snow guns

If you walked past Coronet Peak last night, you'd have heard them: the overnight snow guns. Coronet Peak is typically the first of the major fields to fire up snowmaking, and that started this week.

The field targets a mid-June opening every year, though the exact date depends on natural snowfall and grooming progression. Snowmaking can lay down a base, but ski-fields prefer a 30cm+ natural fall before opening — and that's at the mercy of the first big winter storm.

**What's happening at each field:** - **Coronet Peak** — snowmaking active, opening date typically mid-June. Hosting passholder previews late May. - **The Remarkables** — higher elevation, natural snow only, opening typically 2 weeks after Coronet. - **Cardrona** — over the Crown Range. Snowmaking starts later in May. Opens mid-to-late June. - **Treble Cone** — Wānaka. Opens later in June. Off-piste lovers' field.

**For visitors:** - Mid-June is the cheapest week of the entire season - Lift pass prices step up sharply after the first week of July (school holidays) - Accommodation availability drops fast around the June 20–July 5 window - Book by end of May for best mid-June rates

**Worth driving up now?** Yes, if you want to see the snow-guns running and the base building. The road up to Coronet Peak is sealed and easy in a 2WD. From the car park you get a great view of the firing process at dusk.