In three days, Coronet Peak is forecast to open for the 2007 winter season, and if they do, expect some of your employees to call in sick. And for the record, I'm not endorsing that behaviour, or am I? The opening last year was delayed a few days, which was enough time for another snowfall which lead to some of the best snow conditions for an opening at Coronet Peak that I'd experienced personally. What will the forecasted wintry blast bring us this weekend?
On Friday an even colder surge of cold air is likely to move onto the South Island. Snow is expected down to sea level in southern South Island areas and to low levels over much of the South Island. Heavy snowfalls are possible over much of Fiordland, Southland and Otago. Substantial snowfalls are also possible for Canterbury as a fastmoving low moves across the central South Island on Friday. The weather will not be so cold over the North Island but a period of severe westerly gales and squally showers is possible through the central North Island during Friday.
On Saturday a very cold south to southwest flow will still cover New Zealand. Snow is still expected to low levels in the south and east of the South Island but the showers will be of decreasing intensity.
Severe Weather outlook - Issued: Tue 05 June 2007 at 0210 pm
Lets just hope that when the temperatures drop, that they stay that way. The last thing we need is for a wintry blast to occur, and then have the mild weather conditions return. The warmest May on record felt like summer on some days, and made me think that Mother Nature was making up for our poor summer. Either way, my fingers are crossed for another superb opening if the mountain isn't closed due to bad weather.
Anyhows, onto other news. The Wakatipu's kerbside recycling Resource Recovery Park may not be completed before October, and if that's the case, they have decided that they wouldn't open it until February. Apparently they are doing 'everything humanly possible' to get it up and running which included only submitting the resource and building consent applications last week. I'm glad to see the aparent urgency with this matter. Please note my sarcasm. Blaming the weather or consent delays is a huge copout. Surely resource consent for community projects can be fast-tracked or given some priority. It's now getting embarrasing.
A winegrower in Wanaka is urging fellow winemakers to "do their bit on their own land" in regards to sustainability. This has come about after a British newspaper published a series of articles aimed at the environmentally conscious, in which it highly recommended their readers to buy there wine from France, rather than New Zealand. The main motivation behind this is to encourage British consumers to buy products that use the least amount of transportation fuel. They seem to have neglected the fact that our wine is shipped there by boat, using fewer carbon emissions a kilometre than by air or road.
This is on-top of other efforts that promote tourists to not travel to New Zealand, due to the carbon emmisions. This is something that us New Zealanders need to address as a whole.
Anyways, that's it from me, and sorry for not having this out on Monday as per usual as I was a bit under the weather. It's also match point for Team New Zealand against Luna Rossa. I'll refrain from saying how boring sailing is and then contradict myself by then saying that the sailing is getting really exciting at this point. And that's the truth!
Till next week, take care and cross your fingers for some more snow.
Nathan - Queenstown.com Editor.
Joke of the Week
Elder Pick Up
A well dressed, debonair man in his mid nineties enters an upscale cocktail lounge and finds a seat next to a good looking, younger woman in her mid eighties, at the most. Trying to remember his best pick-up line, he says, "So tell me, do I come here often?"
