The Remarkables ( mi, Kawarau) are a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

and

skifield A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

in the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

of New Zealand. Located on the southeastern shore of

Lake Wakatipu Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori nam ...

, the range lives up to its name by rising sharply to create a remarkable backdrop for the waters. The range is clearly visible from the nearby town of Queenstown. The highest point in the range is Single Cone (2319 metres). The adjacent

Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains The Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains are a mountain range in the New Zealand region of Otago, near the resort town of Queenstown and just south of the more famous Remarkables. For most of its length, the mountains run adjacent to the south ...

southeast of the Remarkables culminate in

Mount Tūwhakarōria The Tapuae-o-Uenuku / Hector Mountains are a mountain range in the New Zealand region of Otago, near the resort town of Queenstown and just south of the more famous Remarkables. For most of its length, the mountains run adjacent to the south ...

(2307 m). There are a number of small lakes on the mountains including

Lake Alta Lake Alta is a glacial lake in The Remarkables, New Zealand, The Remarkables near Queenstown, New Zealand, Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand. It is approximately 500 metres by 250 metres in size and freezes over in the winter months. ...

which forms part of the Remarkables Skifield.

Name

The original

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Poi ...

inhabitants called the mountains , and gave the same name to the

Kawarau River The Kawarau River is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. It drains Lake Wakatipu in northwestern Otago via the lake's Frankton Arm. The river flows generally eastwards for about and passes through the steep Kawarau Gorge until it joins L ...

which starts beneath them. The mountains were named The Remarkables by Alexander Garvie in 1857-58, allegedly because they are one of only two mountain ranges in the world which run directly north to south. An alternate explanation for the name given by locals is that early Queenstown settlers, upon seeing the mountain range during sunset one evening, named them the Remarkables to describe the sight.

Skifield

During the winter months, the Remarkables skifield has

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

and other winter activities. The ski area has three mountain bowls covering 220 ha (540 acres) with eight lifts (4 chairlifts, 4 magic carpets).NZ Ski facts
Accessed 22 January 2018 Terrain is rated as 30% beginners, 40% intermediate and 30% advanced. Average annual snowfall is 3.67 metres. In 2007 automated

snowmaking Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun", also known as a "snow cannon". Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliabilit ...

was installed and a new

snow groomer Snow grooming is the process of manipulating snow for recreational uses with a tractor, snowmobile, piste caterpillar, truck or snowcat towing specialized equipment. The process is used to maintain ski hills, cross-country ski Cross-countr ...

has also been acquired. There's also a snow tubing park and in 2008 a terrain park was developed. The Remarkables are part of NZSki, which incorporate

Coronet Peak Coronet Peak is a commercial skifield in Queenstown, New Zealand located seven kilometres west of Arrowtown, on the southern slopes of the 1,649-metre peak which shares its name. A popular ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, Coronet Peak offe ...

and

Mt Hutt Mount Hutt ( mi, Opuke) rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level. The Ne ...

. In the 2014 winter season, a new lodge base building and a new 6-seater express detachable chairlift have been inaugurated. A second 6-seater express detachable chairlift has been installed in 2020 to replace an old chairlift. In the late future, there is plans to extend the terrain and improve the ski field. An independent operator have released his plans to build a gondola lift from the Remarkables Town Center to the ski field's base. The Remarkables, New Zealand, Australasia

The Remarkables, New Zealand, Australasia

References

External links

The Remarkables official websiteNZSki Ltd official websiteThe Remarkables Webcams and Weather ReportSki Queenstown official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Remarkables, The Ski areas and resorts in Otago Mountain ranges of Otago Queenstown-Lakes District Southern Alps Sport in Queenstown, New Zealand