Day 11 – Nua Day, Gear Prep And Coronet Peak Recce

10am: Slow Start, Ski Bags And A Bit Of Kan Cheong

Day 11 was our official nua day.

No alarms, no rushing, just slow brunch and kids walking around in pyjamas longer than usual.

Still, in the back of my mind, I was a bit kan cheong because ski day was coming.

We started by packing the ski bags and luggages into the SUV, just to confirm everything could fit. For ski day and for our departure day as well.

Skis, snowboard, boots, helmets, jackets, gloves, goggles, plus all the kids’ barang.

When everything was laid out, it really looked like we were migrating.

Somehow, with a bit of rearranging and “soft things go here, hard things go there,” everything fit nicely.

That small relief of “ok, tomorrow morning will not be chaos at least” already made me feel happier.

11am: Testing The Hot Tub And Sorting Gears

Next up, we tested the hot tub.

Water was warm, air was cold, mountain view in front.

Wah, really shiok.

The kids wanted to jump in straight.

I told myself, tonight after they sleep, this hot tub is my reward.

Then the living room turned into a mini ski workshop.

Boards on the floor, skis on the side, helmets in a row, gloves everywhere.

We checked bindings, tightened straps, made sure everyone’s boots were matched to the correct skis and boards.

Rusutsu’s Japan Ski Trip memory came back, especially Sushi’s meltdown.

So this time I wanted to make sure everything was ready.

Less drama, more fun.

3 pm – Coronet Peak Recce

Since we had time, we decided to drive up to Coronet Peak to recce.

About 30 minutes from Queenstown base to the carpark.

The drive up was quite scenic, gradually rising above the town, with the view opening wider behind us. The snow on the mountain looks meh.

Once we reached, we walked around to see where to park, where the lesson meeting area was and how far the walk would be.

All these small details make a big difference the next morning when everyone is rushing.

We also let Sushi put on her ski boots and walk a bit on the snow.

Just to let her feel the weight and slipperiness.

Since she bailed out at Rusutsu, we wanted to gently condition her.

So Day 12 would feel less scary and more familiar.

Loti was just happily stomping in the snow like a pro already.

4 pm – Slopes Close

By around 4 pm, lifts were closing and the crowd was heading down.

The air turned colder and the sky started to dim.

We took a last look at the slopes and the views, quietly imagining what tomorrow would be like with the girls skiing there.

Then we headed back down the mountain, feeling more prepared and less blur for the next day.

7.30 pm – Hot Tub And Wind Down

Back at our accommodation, we settled the kids, prepared simple food and did some light packing.

Then finally, Hot Tub Time.

Sliding into that hot water after a chilly recce day felt like pressing reset on the body.

We looked at the mountains, chatted about the plan for tomorrow, and felt thankful.

Thankful for the chance to be here as a family, and thankful that so far, everything still on track.

Day 12 – Ski Day At Coronet Peak

9 am – Morning Rush, But Controlled

Day 12 started with the classic ski day chaos.

Base layers on, then mid layers, then jackets, snow pants, gloves, helmets, goggles.

Somebody always cannot find one glove.

Lessons start at 10 am and the drive up is about 30 minutes.

Luckily, thanks to our recce on Day 11, we already knew where to park and where to send Sushi for lessons.

We reached just nice in time, not too early, not too late.

10am: Sushi’s First Proper Lesson 

For Sushi, this was her first proper full ski lesson since Rusutsu.

Mama stayed with her at the start, just to keep her calm and give her some reassurance.

We still remembered how she bailed out in March.

This time, she looked a bit nervous but did not cry.

She followed the instructor, listened, and tried.

Once she settled down and started moving with the group, Mama slowly slipped away.

Mama’s Afternoon Pass

Instead of buying a full day lift pass, Mama got the Afternoon Pass so she could ski after lunch.

Afternoon Pass (12.30 pm to 4 pm) for adult: NZD$135 (SGD$110).

A bit of savings compared to a full day adult pass at NZD$180 (SGD$150).

Enough for her to join us for afternoon runs without paying full price.

Seeing Sushi standing there, in full gear, listening to the coach and not backing off, already felt like a win.

Morning – Coronet Express With Loti

While Sushi was in lessons, I brought Loti up the Coronet Express chairlift.

Because it was still early season, only Coronet Express was open, but that was actually good enough for us.

From the top, the view was stunning, with snow patches, rock faces and Queenstown far below.

We took the blue slope down, which is an intermediate run.

Loti did her pizza turns and slowly controlled her speed.

I skied beside her, sometimes in front, sometimes staying behind to watch.

Halfway down, she shouted, “Papa, this is so fun!”

That shout alone made all the planning, gear lugging and money spent feel worth it.

12 pm – Lunch And Checking On Sushi

For lunch, we shared some chips and chicken from the ski cafe.

Standard ski food, but when you are cold and hungry, it really hits the spot.

Sushi ate her lunch with her ski school group.

We watched from a distance at first.

She was chatting and laughing with her new friends, looking relaxed.

After we had eaten, we went closer to see part of her lesson.

We saw her turning, stopping and following the instructor down the gentle slope.

Just three months ago in Japan, she refused to continue.

Now she was actually skiing.

The difference was huge, and we felt really proud of her.

Afternoon – Family Runs And Lesson End

After lunch, Mama joined me and Loti with her Afternoon Pass.

The three of us went up Coronet Express again and skied down together.

At 3.30 pm, Sushi’s lesson ended.

We picked her up, gave her big hugs and told her how proud we were.

Then we went over to the learner slopes and filmed both kids skiing together.

Their turns were still small and a bit wobbly, but the progress was real.

You could see their confidence building with every run.

For us, it felt like money well spent.

Coronet Peak Costs Breakdown

Of course, Coronet Peak is really not cheap.

Adult 1 day lift pass (me): NZD$180 (SGD$150).

Adult Afternoon Pass (Mama): NZD$135 (SGD$110).

Loti child lift pass: NZD$115 (SGD$95).

Sushi lift pass: Free (under 6 years old).

Sushi full day group lesson, 10 am to 3.30 pm - NZD$189 (SGD$155).

Total spent on skiing for the day: NZD$619 (SGD$510).

When you see the number, a bit heart pain.

But seeing both kids ski with confidence and actually enjoy the snow, it felt worth it.

Comparing With Japan Ski Costs

In Japan, an adult lift pass can be around JPY8000 (SGD$70).

Compare that to NZD$180 (SGD$150) at Coronet Peak and you can see the difference clearly.

Lesson prices between Japan and New Zealand feel more similar, so the big cost jump is mostly the lift passes.

Snow wise, Japan usually still wins with better powder and more consistent conditions.

Maybe this time was still early season in New Zealand.

Even then, we were already very thankful that the resort was open and skiable.

Drive, Parking And Food At Coronet Peak

From our Queenstown stay, it was about a 20 minute drive up to Coronet Peak.

In Japan, many resorts are ski in ski out, or at least much nearer if you stay slope-side.

We were already considered near, but still needed that daily mountain drive.

Parking at Coronet Peak was big and quite well managed.

If you parked in the first two carparks, the walk to the base was still manageable even with kids and equipment.

Food at the resort was typical ski resort style.

Tasted okay, nothing fantastic, but did the job.

Chicken tenders with fries: NZD$16 (SGD$13).

Basket of fries: NZD$8 (SGD$6).

A bit expensive for what it is, but quite normal for ski mountain pricing.

Evening – Hot Tub Soak And Steak Night

Back at the apartment, everyone was tired in a good way.

Legs aching, faces red from the cold, but hearts very full.

We took turns soaking in the hot tub again, letting the warm water ease the muscle aches.

For dinner, I cooked steak for Mama and myself, while the kids happily slurped their usual ramen.

Simple food, but really satisfying after a long ski day.

We ended the night replaying the videos of Loti and Sushi skiing.

Laughing at the small falls, cheering at the nicer turns.

As a Singaporean family who grew up with tropical weather, watching our kids ski down a New Zealand mountain felt quite surreal.

That was Day 12.

Day 13 – Nua Day And Queenstown Luge

Morning – Storm Alert That Never Came

We started Day 13 thinking it would be a stay-home, thunderstorm kind of day.

Weather apps were flashing yellow and orange alerts.

Thunderstorm approaching Queenstown.

So we told ourselves, ok, today no ski, just stay indoors.

The whole morning we kept checking the sky, the radar, the clouds.

Wait and see mode.

But outside our window, still clear.

No rain, no thunder, nothing.

By late morning, cabin fever started.

So we headed out to grab Fergburger for lunch.

Queued, ate, and still the sky above us looked fine.

It really felt like the storm siam our area.

2.30 pm – Queenstown Luge

Since the weather held, we decided to make use of the day and go for the Queenstown Luge.

We bought the family combo for 5 rides.

Family of 3 ticket for 2 adults and 1 child cost NZD$245.

Sushi, being 5 years old and riding tandem, was an extra NZD$5.

So total NZD$250 for the four of us.

This was the best combination we could get for the price.

The gondola ride up was already worth something.

Slowly rising above Queenstown, seeing the lake and mountains from higher and higher.

We always love going up to the highest point of any town just to see the whole place from above.

At the top, we explored the viewing area first, taking in the view.

Then we thought the luge would be just beside the gondola.

But no.

Because of construction, we had to walk through some scaffoldings, slopes and temporary paths to reach the luge chairlift area.

It felt like a mini hike, about 10 minutes of walking up and down.

Not too bad, but if you are carrying smaller kids, just be prepared.

At the luge entry, we collected helmets and hopped onto the chairlift again to reach the top of the luge track.

The chairlift moved quite fast.

You had to get off, jog forward a bit, and quickly step aside.

Younger kids definitely need some help, but there were staff around to guide and support them.

At the top, there were two queues.

One for first timers, one for repeat riders.

First timers had a short briefing on how to control the luge.

There are two tracks.

Arrow, the gentler course, meant for first timers and warm up.

Dart, the more exciting and faster course for when you get used to it.

We always say at least four rides is just nice.

First ride, Arrow course, slow and careful.

Second ride, Arrow again but faster.

Third ride onwards, try Dart and slowly increase speed.

We had five rides.

In the end, we did Arrow twice and Dart three times.

Loti loved it.

She kept saying she wanted more rounds.

Sushi rode tandem with me.

Even in tandem, she had a lot of fun feeling the speed and turns.

Evening – Photos, Views And Price Of Memories

After the last ride, the kids were tired.

Sushi was so wiped out she ended up sleeping on a bench.

Mama went to check out the photos taken during the luge rides.

Normally, we will not buy those photos one.

But this time, the shots were really quite nice.

Package for all digital photos was NZD$59.

We had around 56 photos.

So we figured, even if we only really like 4 or 5, it is already worth it.

Plus everything is digital, easy to keep and share.

So we bought the full set.

By around 7 pm, we were still up there, enjoying the view while waiting for Mei Mei to wake up.

Queenstown in the evening light was beautiful.

When we finally headed down, we realised parking for the whole session was NZD$36 for just over 5 hours.

With the gondola ticket, there was a 20%discount applied.

Still not cheap, but overall the whole experience felt worth it for the kids and for us.

Day 14 – Ski At The Remarkables

Morning – New Mountain, Same Routine

After watching the weather, we decided to squeeze in another ski day.

This time at The Remarkables.

Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are run by the same operator.

Lift passes and lesson prices are the same.

The drive from our stay to The Remarkables took around 45 minutes.

Road was longer and higher than Coronet Peak, but scenery was nice.

When we arrived, we were happy to find parking still relatively near the base area.

Unload skis, boards, boots, helmets, bags, kids.

Quite a workout even before skiing.

10 am – Getting Started At The Remarkables

The Remarkables base felt big and spacious.

Plenty of parking and open areas.

Once we checked Sushi in for her lesson at the kids’ area, we took the chairlift up.

Not all lifts were open as it was still early season.

Shadow Basin was closed.

Only Sugarbowl and Curvey Basin chairlifts were running.

Still, enough terrain for us to explore.

We first took Curvey Basin a couple of times to get used to the snow and layout.

Then we decided to try Sugarbowl.

On our first run down from Sugarbowl, the fog suddenly rolled in.

Visibility dropped.

Could not see too far ahead, so I focused on bringing Loti down safely and slowly.

She followed instructions well, and we managed it without issues.

12.30 pm – Lunch Shock

Around 12.30 pm, we broke for lunch at the base restaurant.

The queue was long.

Hungry people everywhere.

Food was expensive.

Burger with fries cost about NZD$28.50 (roughly SGD$24).

Poke bowl, which is basically like cai png style rice with toppings, cost NZD$26 (about SGD$22).

Fries alone cost NZD$15 (about SGD$12).

We still ate because everyone was hungry and needed the energy, but our wallets cried a little inside.

1.30 pm – Checking On Sushi And More Runs

After eating, we went to check on Sushi.

We tried to gently hint to the instructor that we hoped she could try the chairlift today.

But because ski school must move as a group and some kids were not ready, they kept the class at the magic carpet area.

No chairlift for Sushi that day.

We respected that decision.

Better safe and steady than rush her progress.

We then went back up Curvey Basin again and enjoyed a few more runs.

The snow was decent, not perfect, but enough for us to enjoy our time.

3.15 pm – Binding Drama

On our last planned run of the day, something happened.

Just after exiting the chairlift and strapping in, I felt something wrong with my board.

Two screws on my front binding had come loose from the board.

I slowly slid down using falling leaf technique and asked Loti to go slowly and stop where it was safe.

I asked a few people nearby if anyone had a screwdriver.

Nobody did.

Luckily, I remembered I had a small kids’ scissors in my pocket from earlier.

The tip of the scissors was just sharp enough and narrow enough to tighten the screws a bit.

Hot Tip: Always bring a screwdriver with you.

Not perfect, but enough to hold until I reached the base.

That was about 3.15 pm.

We decided that was a clear sign to call it a day for my board.

I could not imagine having to brake all the way down on loose bindings.

3.30 pm – Last Moments On The Mountain

After sorting the board enough to move safely, we made our way down and headed back to the base.

Ski operations would close around 4 pm.

We spent the remaining time together as a family, watching the kids play around and taking more photos.

Even without Sushi trying the chairlift, her confidence on the beginner slope grew.

Loti also adjusted well to a new mountain.

We wrapped up with that feeling of “enough for today,” both from the legs and from the heart.

6 pm – Final Fergburger And Last Night Vibes

Back in town, we decided to eat Fergburger one last time.

Queued, ordered, and enjoyed our burgers knowing this was our last Ferg meal for this trip.

After that, it was back to the accommodation for hot tub soaking, drying all our wet gear, and packing our luggage.

It was our last night in New Zealand for this adventure.

A mix of tiredness and a bit of sadness that it was almost over.

Day 15 – Departure To Singapore

Morning – Airport And A Small Act Of Kindness

We packed the last of our things, loaded the SUV and headed to Queenstown Airport.

My original plan was to drop off Mama, the kids and all the luggage at the departure drop-off, then go return the car at Apex and walk back.

But when we reached the drop-off area, it became clear it would be tough for Mama to handle two kids and a fully loaded trolley alone.

So I asked an airport staff member if I could park the car for a short while at the drop-off while I helped the kids cross the road and go inside.

Her reply surprised me.

She offered to personally escort the kids inside so that Mama could focus on pushing the trolley.

That small act of kindness really touched us.

Everything on this trip had already been very positive, but this moment made it feel extra special.

It was one of those gestures that does not cost money, but leaves a deep impression.

After helping them get settled, I drove the car back to Apex, returned it, and walked back to the terminal.

Flight Home

Check in, security, boarding, the usual.

The kids were tired, but full of stories.

We looked back at the photos and videos on the phone while waiting to board.

From penguins and playgrounds to campervan dramas, luge rides and ski days, it felt like we had squeezed a lot into this trip.

As the plane took off, we already found ourselves talking about “next time.”

New Zealand really left a strong mark on us.

That one helpful airport staff, the friendly people, the space, the nature.

All these made us quietly say to ourselves.

We will be back.