Snowy thrills without the mountains

Corbin Gillespie (left), 4, and his sister Madison, 6, on the slope at Snowplanet in Silverdale. Picture / Kenny Rodger

It's not what you expect to see on a typically humid Auckland weekend: four young men in snowboarding clothes, woolly hats and gloves, carrying their boards around a weedy field in the middle of Silverdale, north of the city.

However, it's a sight that is becoming more common. About two months ago, Snowplanet opened just off the Northern Motorway.

It is the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, with the steepest indoor ski slope in the world and about the size of two rugby fields.

Using freezing air and water, a long snowy slide has been created in what looks like a giant aeroplane hangar.

The people at Snowplanet don't consider themselves in competition with the real thing.

"We're here to get people into snow sports and expand the whole experience," says the general manager, David Green. "We're more of a complement to the mountain.

"In fact, we're more in competition with things like the movies and Kelly Tarlton's."

As such, Snowplanet offers a lot of the things that other entertainment venues around Auckland also have - a cafe and bar and a small store selling clothing and assorted souvenirs. However, it also has ski and snowboard rentals and a ski school.

Entry to the largest freezer you're likely to visit is via the rental area. You can hire cold-weather clothing as well as boards and skis.

Experienced mountain men and women, take note: the rental gear has been supplied by Burton Snowboards, who sponsor the centre, and is designed for beginners. If you are more experienced and have your own gear, it's worth bringing it.

Having assembled your equipment and rugged up, you'll find that the hill is just two insulated doors away.

This is the moment when you'll be wishing you didn't wear your jeans and a sweatshirt in an attempt to look nonchalant. The temperature here is lower than on most local mountains - between minus 5C and minus 7C. This is to keep the artificial snow crisp and stable.

You'll need your warmest ski gear here. You'll also need gloves, which are not available for hire (although the store has inexpensive ones for sale at around $25).

 

It's while riding up one of the three ski-lifts that the average boarder or skier is likely to appreciate the joys of Snowplanet.

Remember when you were learning? The track was icy, the howling wind was frightening and you were probably clinging to the fast-moving lifts for dear life as other skiers laughed at you.

And then you'd fall off halfway up, curse the rock you landed on and swear never to come back.

None of this is likely here. At Snowplanet everything comes in moderation - the tow tracks are relatively easy to ride, the slope is level and groomed nightly and the lifts' tug gentle and measured.

And if you do crash land, the artificial snow also provides a relatively soft cushion. All of which makes this a fantastic place to get your first taste of snow sports.

However, such an easy ride is probably not what many intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders are looking for.

Although it's the steepest in the world, this indoor slope won't present many challenges for most. And while it's a great place to try your first rail slide or jump, the terrain park will only keep you going for so long.

Essentially, this would be the right place to come if you wanted to try a bit of snowboarding or skiing before heading off on that big weekend down at the mountain.

It's the right place to get used to the gear, or for the more advanced to try out new equipment.

Pros

Safe, controlled environment; no weather worries; helpful staff expecting to deal with learners; good social experience; generous opening hours.

Cons

Not a real mountain or outdoor experience; limited size; no major challenges for advanced intermediates and above; hourly pricing - stay too long and you could get stung.

* Karl Nelson, Herne Bay

'I bought a season pass here because I've been needing to work out and I use this as a gym. My girlfriend and I started snowboarding last year and we come here about five days a week.'

* Alexandra Moss, 14 Takapuna

'It's my first time here and my first time snowboarding. I came with some friends from school because it's something to do in the weekend. It's great. We're probably going to come back next weekend too.'

* Graham Briscoe, Mairangi Bay

Came with Madison and Corbin Gillespie from Timaru.

'This is the first time the kids have been on skis and it's great for them here. Because it's not out in the open, they feel secure and they can easily see where they're going to ski. Having said that, Corbin's been more interested in eating the snow.'

* Madison Gillespie, 6 Timaru

'It's fun. There's lots of snow and you can get down really fast.'

Snowplanet

Phone: 0800 SNOWPLANET, or (09) 427-0044.
Address: 91 Small Rd, Silverdale, open seven days, 9am until midnight.
Costs: Weekend rates: Adults - $29 for one hour, $45 for two. Children - $24 for one hour, $35 for two. Family of four - $89 for one hour, $139 for two hours.
Rental gear: Adults $14, Children $9.
First-timer packs, including a lesson and rental gear: Adults $49, children $39.
Check the Snowplanet website (see link below) for other packages.