Breens Construction has poured the foundations for Snow Farms’ new base facility, which will be complete before the 2024 winter. The facility will house the Snow Farm’s critical operations, including Rentals, Ticketing, Retail and a small café and seating area. Landscaping around the building is complete and will increase carparking capacity, provide better trail access and upgrade the “Snow Play” area.
“This is a significant milestone for us; we finally have a purpose-built facility to serve our dedicated local customer base and facilitate a more successful beginner experience. Having the base facility at the same level as our beginner’s trails will alleviate all the difficulties first timers have transitioning with their rental gear in hand to the snow.” – Sam Lee, General Manager.
The new carpark increases the parking capacity by 40%, ensuring all guests are in the same carpark and only have a 50m walk from the front of the car park to the base facilities and the start of the trail network. It also minimises the need for parking on the roadside and ensures all guests will have a nice flat carpark, enabling families a challenge-free trip to the start of their experience at Snow Farm.
“The new landscaping around the base facilities dramatically improves the ability of the Snow Fun Zone to catch snow and retain it given its aspect to the east; it is also directly behind the new building, giving families close access. These improvements to the layout of our main base facilities will go a long way to making the first-time experience on snow more fun and less stressful, given its proximity to the base facilities. It is ideal for families to have a first-time experience with snow for young children with an improved slope for tubing and more space away from the ski activities to build snowmen and have fun on the snow.” says Lee.
Snow Farm has funded the construction with support from the Otago Community Trust (OCT), Central Lakes Trust (CLT), several private donors, and internally generated funds. As the only non-profit ski area in the Lakes Region, Snow Farm aims to keep its experiences affordable and to make the Pisa Recreation Reserve available to all residents and visiting tourists. The cost of a Season’s Pass is under $200.
“This is a significant step in ‘future-proofing’ the Snow Farm and will enable us to serve the community and grow the sport of cross-country skiing in New Zealand. We are truly grateful to our supporters whose contributions enable us to keep the Snow Farm affordable and accessible as a snow sports experience.” Samuel “Q” Belk, Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust Chairman.