The Snow Farm NZ is owned and operated by the Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust (PACT) and is operated on Queenstown Lakes District Council land. The resort is the only non-profit ski area in the Southern Lakes region. Founded in 1986 by
Mary and
John Lee on Waiorau Farm, the Snow Farm was the first cross-country ski area in New Zealand. Originally called the Waiorau Nordic Ski Area, Waiorau was the Maori name that Ngai Tahu gave to the area, that translates to ‘the place of over one hundred waters’. The name was later changed to reflect its farming heritage. It features 55 km of trails for beginners and advanced skiers, offering four alpine huts for overnight stay. New base building with Café opened in 2024. It is located on the
Criffel Range close to
Cardrona, at an altitude of approx 1,600 m. The area is used for cross country skiing in the winter and during the summer months for altitude training with trails climbing out to 2000m. The proximity of Wānaka (37km) and Queenstown (60km) and the training options around these two towns makes the Snow Farm one of the best locations in the Southern Hemisphere for a live high, train low training regime. In winter Snow Farm offers tubing hill and snow play area for kids and adults as well as ski and snowshoe rentals. Team of ski instructors is available for ski lessons of all levels. Dogs are welcome too. During the summer months, mountain biking, hiking, orienteering, rock climbing and adventure racing are available. It is also the location of the
Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds. The series of twelve vehicle test facilities are used by car manufacturers from around the world for ice and snow testing during the northern-hemisphere summer. ==Alpine huts==