New club for Erewhon
By
TIM DUNBAR
The Erewhon , Park commercial ski-field, otherwise known as Powder Snow Valley, is no longer in existence. Taking its place this season will be the Erewhon Ski Club.
It was announced yesterday that skiers from Ashburton, Timaru and Christchurch have formed a new club and taken over the running of the ski-field under a different name.
The Erewhon ski resort went on the market two years ago and no buyers have been forthcoming. Two seasons have gone by without the ski-field opening at all.
Mr John Paton, of Christchurch, publicity officer for the Erewhon Ski Club, said that the Urquhart family who own the resort had farming
commitments. “They have agreed to opening the field on a club basis,” he said.
The club has leased the ski-field itself, the restaurant, the 50-bed accommodation lodge (with underfloor heating), the petrol pumps (both petrol and diesel), caravan points, and public transport vehicles. Mr Paton said that the on-field facilities were very good and were among the best at a club field in the South Island.
The group who have taken over the field throught it was a waste to have all the facilities just sitting there. Erewhon, about two and a half hours drive from Christchurch and close to Mount Somers, will open this week-end for ski-ing for the first time in three seasons.
Mr Paton said that skiing will be free on Saturday, but the field will be open only to club members. All comers will be welcome on Sunday, when normal rates of $l5 an adult lift ticket will apply.
From then on the field will be open on week-ends and during the AugustSeptember school holidays.
The Erewhon Ski Club is now open for membership, which stands at 100, and those interested can contact the president, Vern Brosnahan (Timaru, 47-032), another committee member, Paul Clark (Ashburton, 83-046), or Mr Paton (Christchurch, 371-183). Erewhon has three rope tows and a comfortable limit of about 250 skiers a day. A long-term aim is access to the excellent ski-ing in the top basin.
Mr Paton also said that somebody was looking at obtaining heli ski-ing rights in the area.
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Bibliographic details
Press, 24 July 1986, Page 31
Word Count
362New club for Erewhon Press, 24 July 1986, Page 31
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