Ohau ski field opening delayed

4:00 pm

OAMARU - The opening of the Ohau Ski Area this weekend has been delayed due to a lack of snow.

Ohau Ski Area proprietor Mike Neilson said today the opening had to be postponed for a week.

"We are not able to make enough snow by Saturday to cover the platter slope. The other slopes and trails are just not good enough on their own," he said.

The field's opening next week relied on snow predicted to arrive from the west in five days, he said.

The move from August to July school holidays had put pressure on skifields around the country to open earlier than usual, Mr Neilson said.

"It's pretty unusual to be open this early. In the old days we never used to open till late July. There's that push to try and be open in the last days of the school holidays."

- OAMARU MAIL