Coronet Peak Effects

“I’m at the base of New Zealand’s Coronet Peak,” The Sydney Morning Herald’s Marissa Calligeros writes. “I’m seeing and touching snow for the first time. I’m soon jumping up and down and grinning with eagerness, much to the amusement of my guide Dickon. He looks at me with a knowing smile. The Peak is having its effect. And, I’m still in the car park. At the base of the mountain a mix of glamorous skiers, backpackers and adrenaline junkies with snow boards in tow mill about. In my hired, oversized, bright blue and yellow gear, I’m clearly the new kid on the block. By the end of the day I’m tackling an adult run, where you take a chair lift to the top, rather than a child-friendly conveyer-belt called the “magic carpet”. The sense of accomplishment is great.”