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South Island - Temple Basin
Temple Basin is a true alpine environment on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps at the heart of Arthur's Pass National Park.
It faces north-west and offers long sunny days over 320 hectares of skiable terrain with a vertical rise of 430 metres. The highest point, on Mt B'limit, is at 1923 metres. Temple Basin Ski Area covers a great variety of terrain spread over four separate basins. There are gentle slopes for complete beginners, adrenalin-pumping challenges for the expert, and everything in between.
Three rope tows and one beginners fixed grip tow provide the lift. Floodlit slopes make night skiing a pleasure. Two modern lodges offer bunk room style accommodation for 120 people, only metres from the tows. Ski and snowboard hire, and expert instruction are all available on the mountain.
You do not have to belong to Temple Basin Ski Club to ski or snowboard there and stay in the lodge, but membership does give you definite advantages. Fees for both accommodation and lift passes are lower for members, and participation in volunteer activity and the social life of the club is great fun.
The Temple Basin car park is beside State Highway 73, 4kms west of the Arthur's Pass Village. From it a well defined walking track takes you up to the Lodges and the Field. The walk takes 45 minutes in good conditions, and gives you wonderful views of the Pass and the surrounding mountains. A free baggage lift carries your gear up for you. The lower terminal of this lift is 800m west of the Temple Basin car park along SH 73.
As a skier or snowboarder coming to Temple Basin you have a number of different options. You may come as a day visitor. If you require accommodation on the Field, you may come as casual or weekend visitors, fitting in your mountain experience with your other commitments. Weekend bookings are nearly always available. However, on weekdays, because Ski-Weeks or other large groups may be staying on the mountain, beds will not always be available. It is essential to check with the Temple Basin Booking Office before you set out. Ski-Week and Snowboard-Week packages are a very enjoyable way of spending time on the mountain and are excellent value, giving you six nights accommodation on the field, with all meals, lift tickets and daily instruction included in the price.
Some Ski-Weeks cater for particular ages and interest groups, and also for school parties which come to Temple Basin for combined ski and outdoor adventure programmes. Both lodges include well equipped seminar rooms. Temple Basin in Summer, the Lodges stand on a terrace that in summer becomes a meadow of alpine tussock and flowers. The lodge windows look across at Mount Rolleston.
Wonderful walks take you to other basins and up to the Main Divide ridge to view the spectacular peaks of the Arthur's Pass National Park. Between the months of October and June the Lodges are available for seminars and retreats, staff training, school field trips and outdoor adventure camps, club trips and weddings. Temple Basin staff are qualified to lead adventure challenge activities which include group development and motivational training.
Location:
Travelling west on Highway 73, follow the Arthurs Pass signposts. Eight kilomtres past the Arthurs Pass township is the Temple Basin car park.
There is a goods lift half a kilometre further along the highway. The walk from the car park to the skifield takes up to an hour.
Contact Details:
Temple Basin Ski Area
E-mail: info@templebasin.co.nz
Phone: +64 3 3777788
Fax: +64 3 3777798
Mail: PO BOX 1228 Christchurch
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Temple Basin is a true alpine environment on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps at the heart of Arthur's Pass National Park.