A mixed-ability ski group sounds like a recipe for compromise: the experts get bored, the beginners get scared and nobody's happy. A recent week in New Zealand's Otago region suggests Queenstown and Wānaka might be the exception.
Travel writer Jennifer Ennion joined five Australian advisors — ranging from a first-timer to a seasoned skier — on a six-day ANZCRO Ski VIP famil, and the destination handled the spread of abilities surprisingly well.
The on-mountain anchor was Cardrona Alpine Resort, now New Zealand's largest ski area after opening Soho Basin in 2025 — 150 hectares aimed at intermediate and advanced riders, much of it ungroomed. It runs roughly mid-June to mid-October and sits about 45 minutes from Queenstown over the Crown Range Road, with Wānaka even closer. Winter Olympians train in its terrain parks, but there are also two dedicated beginner areas, including a kids' zone, with group lessons usually capped at eight to ten people and private coaching for faster progress. One first-timer in the group went from the learner's conveyor belt to a green run in a day; others on the trip, returning to snow after 25 and 36 years, found it came back quickly. A practical tip from the group: hire equipment on the mountain so it's easy to swap if something doesn't feel right.
What really makes it work for a mixed group is everything off the slopes. Standouts included RealNZ's new Milford Sound Business Class day tour — premium coach transfers from Queenstown, photo stops, a tasting menu featuring pāua (abalone) during the cruise past those famous post-rain waterfalls, then a scenic flight back over the peaks. Closer to town, there's the historic TSS Earnslaw steamship across Lake Whakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet BBQ buffet and sheep-herding show. Non-skiers can fill days with lake cruises, hot pools and saunas, while adrenaline-seekers get jet-boating, bungee jumping and luging.
The group split their stay between the two bases, which is a smart template. Wānaka is the quieter pick, handy for both Cardrona and its sister resort Treble Cone, with good eating — Federal Diner for lunch down a hidden laneway and the two-hatted Kika for dinner. Advanced skiers are better based there, and a local guide is worth hiring to skip wasted time working out the mountain. Queenstown, meanwhile, brings the dining, nightlife and adventure activities — the advisors also browsed Arrowtown and the Ayrburn food and wine precinct.
Accessibility is improving too: Air New Zealand now runs a seasonal Brisbane–Queenstown service, and ANZCRO offers flexible packages with no minimum spend, so you can cherry-pick lift passes, transfers, accommodation and experiences rather than taking a fixed bundle. A 2027 Price Freeze on Cardrona lift passes is already bookable.
For Australians especially, this is a genuinely balanced winter trip: real ski terrain, a working mix of thrill and chill, and scenery that punches well above a short flight. (Source: Karryon)
