Rainbow ski-field should soon be in use

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 13

Rainbow ski-field should soon be in use

The South Island should soon have its tenth commercial ski-field in use — the Rainbow ski area at Six Mile Basin, near Lake Rotoiti. Behind the development of the new field are 22 farmers, professional people, and businessmen. All but one. a Wellington man, live in Nelson and Marlborough. “We are all keen skiers and consider that a company structure, rather than a club, is the better way to run a field." says Mr Don Holden, the public relations officer at Rainbow Ski-Field Developments, Ltd. Mr Holden, a Blenheim lawyer, said that the company could soon be expanded by another 30 or so people. At present the only other area for skiers in the region is the Mount Robert club field which has problems of access. A tramp ■of 90 minutes or more is required from the car-park to the field.

The Rainbow company wants the Mount Robert field to continue, as an alternative area for Nelson-Marlborough skiers. “If one is out you could ski the other.” The .initial cost of the development is about $70,000, one of the big expenses being the construction of a road with a DBK bulldozer at the Six Mile Valley. Mr Holden expects the Bkm road, being built by Mr Douglas Hood, the “creator” of Mount Hutt’s Hood highway, to be completed within four or five weeks, if the weather permits. It is intended to run the

field on a limited basis this winter to enable the company fully to investigate the basins and their possible ski patterns. The company has followed the advice of Mr Reinholdt Zauner, an internationally recognised ski area engineer from Austria, and bought a rope tow unit from the Mount Cook Company. During the season plans will be drawn up for possible T-bars and chairlifts. No tow fees have been arrived at "because we don't know what facilities we will have.” Basic shelter will be provided beside the car-park area. According to Mr Holden, the field was fully skiable by mid-May, comparable with Mount Hutt, and there is up to a metre of snow lying in drifts at present. "The company is investigating the possibility of having a Kassbohrer snow groomer this season to facilitate research of the ski area.” Mr Holden says. "By grooming the snow the company has been advised that the season can be lengthened at both ends.” On the Rainbow field are two peaks of about 1860 m (6100 ft and 1785 m (5850 ft with a vertical drop of about 380 m (1250 ft Travelling to the field will take about 90 minutes from both Nelson and Blenheim. The turn-off is on State highway 63 about 83km from Blenheim (101 km from Nelson) with another-25km to the field up the Rainbow

Valiev and the Six "Mile Valley. Mr Holden said that financing had been carried out on the basis of the Nelson-Marlborough population of 103,000 (excluding Kaikoura and the Takaka Valley). “It was estimated that this figure was sufficient to support a controlled development. Skiers from Wellington would be the icing on the cake.” “This is just a step, a start of the concentration of tourism in the region — one of the last untouched areas in New Zealand." Mr Holden said. An interesting feature of the field is the presence of

tarns which offer both iceskating potential and easy access to water for possible snow-making in the future. Cross-country skiers also have exciting possibilities as the territory is apparently ideal for their sport. The Arnst Basin is right next door, on the south side of the Rainbow ski area. "The members of the company consider that there is more interest in the project outside the province than there is within the NelsonMarlborough region, from reports received from many people involved in the ski industry in New Zealand,” Mr Holden said.