Snowplanet

I finally did it - I took the kids to Snowplanet in Silverdale! Snowplanet is an indoor ski and snow experience just north of Auckland. It’s a huge silver building on the side of a hill off of the State Highway 1 that looks very industrial and out of place given the pastoral surroundings. My kids have skied once before - two years ago in Queenstown - but I didn’t think that they would remember much from their few days on the slopes so I signed them up for a First Timer Package, which includes a 50 minute private lesson, ski equipment, and an extra hour on the slopes after the lesson for $140 per person.

I booked this excursion and paid the $100 deposit over a month ago because Snowplanet is wildly popular in the winter and especially leading up to the school holidays. I know a lot of families do a month or two of weekly lessons before these holidays to get their kids ready for an annual ski trip, so if you want to do this too, book well in advance. The night before our ski time, I unearthed my confirmation email and read the details: get there thirty minutes early, come with ski clothing or be prepared to rent some, and brace yourself for cold -5°C weather.

We dutifully showed up half an hour early and found people changing in the parking lot. We followed along and got the kids bundled up in their ski gear before waddling in, but then realised it is totally fine to get bundled up inside the building. After checking in at the front desk, we moved over to the gear rental area where I got boots, skis, and helmets for the kids. I have no idea if the size I got for them was right because no one gave us any guidance or real help, but the kids didn’t complain about being squished into too-small gear, so I think I was close to right. At our appointed time, we met two instructors in the lesson meeting area by the front desk. The kids went off with the instructors into the skiing area, and I went back to the front desk to find out more about how the kids’ lessons worked as the instructors provided no information about how the transition from fifty minute class to one hour of snow time happened.

The people at the front desk were knowledgable enough to tell me that the instructors would bring the kids back to me at the end of the lesson. It was then I realised that the extra hour of snow time was basically useless. They couldn’t use that time to play in the snow, and I don’t think any of us felt comfortable with two little kids out there on the slopes with only one lesson under their belts.

Slightly dismayed, I wandered into the onsite restaurant, 7 Summits. This was a full on winter snow lodge attached to the ski slope, complete with one wall of windows so you could watch everyone on the slope. There was a counter to order from, and they appeared to have a full bar, coffee area, and food. I ordered a chai latte and spent the next 45 minutes trying to pick my kids out of the packed snow area. My daughter was easy to pick out in her bright pink snow gear, but my son was nearly impossible in his dark blue.

By the end of their lesson, they were both able to take the lift about half way up the slope and ski down with little assistance. I was impressed that they moved beyond the beginner’s area in such a short period of time. Both of their instructors gave me a quick rundown of what they covered, and then left me with no information about what happens next. The kids, as predicted, didn’t want to go ski by themselves. I helped them out of their gear and returned all of the equipment, and we all went back to the 7 Summits for lunch. I got soggy nachos, and the kids enjoyed fish and chips.

There was one final stop before leaving Snowplanet - I had to find out how to turn in the kids’ lift passes to get back the $6 deposit (each). Like most of this experience, this bit wasn’t explained and wasn’t very clear how it worked. I was able to turn them in back at the front desk. I was surprised that they gave me cash back even though I paid for our excursion with a card.

So would I do this again? Yes, absolutely, but I wouldn’t do the beginners package unless the kids were substantially older or if I was skiing with them. I’d sign the kids up for a tandem lesson (two people for $120) and rent the equipment ($36 per kid). Paying $192 total is a lot better than $280, especially since that final hour was completely wasted on us. Snowplanet is a really, really cool (no pun intended!) place, but I felt lost most of the time because the information wasn’t clear to me and the staff wasn’t forthcoming with ways to make this a great experience. I’m sure it’s amazing if you know how it works and are comfortable with the set up, but it was a bit overwhelming for someone who isn’t in the know.