Snow Club - trip to Cardrona in Wanaka, South Island

MUA Snow Club (2019/R4)

On Sunday the 25th of August the MUASC set off for a trip to Cardrona in Wanaka, South Island. We set off early that morning to meet most of the members at Auckland Airport, and met the rest at Queenstown airport who arrived earlier or later than us. Once there, we picked up the two vans from Jucy, and to our delight they were not bright green and purple. Once everyone arrived we made our way to Wanaka. The first four nights we stayed at Base backpackers in Central Wanaka, just a short walk away from beautiful mountain and lake views and the famous Wanaka tree!

On our first day there we explored the town and got to know our fellow Massey students further. We all had high expectations for Cardona's snow. Early the next morning we made our way to the snow. On our arrival the weather was not great however, as it was snowing and visibility on the mountain was low, but it cleared up after lunchtime to reveal the most pristine snow some of us have ever touched. We proceeded to have two 'bluebird' days after that where we all could appreciate the 360 degree views of the mountains with Wanaka and Queenstown in the horizon.

Our last day on the snow was similar to the first in that it was snowing, but at least this time the visibility was better and it once again cleared up to be a bluebird day. As winds picked up though, we decided to head over to Queenstown early where we spent our last night and had dinner together as a club. After four intense days of skiing and snowboarding our bodies were ready for some rest. The next day we spent our time exploring Queenstown before catching our flights back to Auckland.

As we applied for a grant from the ASA and it was approved, the costs of travel with the Jucy vans and accommodation was greatly reduced. We had an unforgettable time and we are very grateful for the committee approving the grant, and for the ASAs help in getting us down to the South Island, which wouldn't have been possible otherwise. This trip has got us very excited for the next trips to Mt Ruapehu on the 13-15th of September and the 4-6th October. Planning for these trips are in full swing thanks to the grants for rounds five and six being approved already. We look forward to telling you about these trips also.

The MUASC is on a roll this year, and we would love to see more of you come along to the snow with us! Cheers!