Windwhistle is a small farming settlement in the Selwyn District of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 77 near the Rakaia Gorge. Windwhistle is 81 kilometres drive to the west of Christchurch and 22 kilometres north of Methven. Windwhistle's name comes from the way the wind sounds when the Canterbury north west wind blows.
The Washpen Falls walk is located near Windwhistle on Washpen Road. It is a well maintained day walk to a waterfall on a private track. [1] [2] The walk goes through a canyon which was formed by an extinct volcano. The track is surrounded by native bush and many native birds can be seen and heard. [3] Parts of the 2015 movie Z for Zachariah were filmed at Washpen Falls. [4]
Windwhistle school is a primary school that was established in 1935. It has a heated swimming pool. [5]
The Windwhistle Winter Sports Club (WWSC) was founded in 1932. Ice-skating at Lake Ida was their first endeavor. In 1948 the club started to develop Mount Olympus as a ski field. The rope tow was installed in 1952. The ski field has developed since then with plenty of voluntary contributions to build the accommodation and ski lodge on the mountain. [6] Other facilities include a hot tub and curling. [7] Mount Olympus Ski Field was unable to open in 2020. [8]
Terrace Downs golf resort is located 6 kilometres away from Windwhistle. The resort has an 18-hole golf course, restaurant, wedding and conference facilities and 52 apartments there are 26 free-standing chalet-style homes. The resort was for sale after the owner died of COVID-19 in April 2020. [9] [10]
Climate data for Windwhistle (Snowdon Raws), elevation 560 m (1,840 ft), (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.5 (70.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 13.0 (55.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.3 (63.1) | 19.7 (67.5) | 15.5 (60.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 8.4 (47.1) | 5.6 (42.1) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.3 (43.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 11.8 (53.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 10.4 (50.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.9 (49.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 7.9 (46.2) | 5.4 (41.7) | 3.7 (38.7) | 1.2 (34.2) | 0.6 (33.1) | 1.7 (35.1) | 3.7 (38.7) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.3 (43.3) | 8.3 (46.9) | 5.3 (41.5) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 94.0 (3.70) | 61.1 (2.41) | 62.3 (2.45) | 82.8 (3.26) | 103 (4.1) | 92.1 (3.63) | 76.2 (3.00) | 101.2 (3.98) | 70.2 (2.76) | 100.7 (3.96) | 78.9 (3.11) | 77.3 (3.04) | 999.8 (39.4) |
Source: NIWA [11] |
Whakapapa skifield is a commercial skifield on the northern side of Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. It is one of three skifields on the mountain, the others being Turoa, which is on Ruapehu's south-western slopes and Tukino on the eastern slopes. The ski season is generally from late June to late October, depending on snow and weather conditions. The terrain at Whakapapa Skifield is divided up as 25% beginner, 50% intermediate and 25% advanced.
Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level.
Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The Māori name for Hanmer Springs is Te Whakatakanga o te Ngārahu o te ahi a Tamatea, which means “where the ashes of Tamate’s (sic) fire lay”, referring to Tamatea, the captain of the canoe Tākitimu.
Methven is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located near the western edge of the Canterbury Plains, 35 km (22 mi) north of Ashburton and 95 km (59 mi) west of Christchurch, and at an elevation of 320 m (1,050 ft). The town is a service centre for agriculture in the surrounding area, and is a base for skiing at the nearby Mount Hutt skifield. The town slogan is "Amazing Space".
Tūroa is a skifield on the south western side of Mount Ruapehu, the highest mountain in the North Island of New Zealand, in Tongariro National Park. The area has been used for skiing since before the completion of the Mountain Road; however, the first lifts opened in 1978.
Tukino skifield is located on the eastern face of Mount Ruapehu, in the central area of the North Island, New Zealand.
The Selwyn River flows through the Selwyn District of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand.
Coronet Peak is a commercial skifield in Queenstown, New Zealand located seven kilometres west of Arrowtown, on the southern slopes of the 1,649-metre peak which shares its name. A popular ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, Coronet Peak offers a long snow season, well received skiing and snowboarding terrain and lift systems.
Selwyn Snow Resort, formerly known as Selwyn Snowfields, is a ski resort located in the most northern part of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council and Kosciuszko National Park. Selwyn Snow Resort is located near the town of Adaminaby and is close to Cabramurra, which is the highest town in Australia.
Broken River is a club skifield in South Island, New Zealand. Run by the Broken River Ski Club, it is located at about 110 km (68 mi) from Christchurch. The skifield claims to often have the longest ski season anywhere in Australasia. Also, by connecting with Craigieburn Valley, it claims to have the largest skiable area in New Zealand, at 900 hectares.
Fox Peak is a small club skifield located 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to the east of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand's South Island. Run by a non-profit organisation, the resort features four ski tows and a total vertical range of 580 metres (1,900 ft). While it is not the original Māori name it was previously called Rowley Peak, named after Thomas Rowley of the Canterbury Association, who was Dean-designate of ChristChurch Cathedral, but who never emigrated to New Zealand.
Mount Dobson is a ski resort on the South Island of New Zealand. It is located near Tekapo, and features a chair lift, a T-bar and a beginner's ski tow, serving 14 trails over an area of 400 hectares. The resort caters primarily to skiers of intermediate ability, with a 1:2:1 ratio of beginner/intermediate/advanced slopes.
Porters, is a commercial ski resort just over an hour's drive (98 km) west from Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. Originally functioning as a club skifield, it has one beginner magic carpet, one platter tow, one chairlift and three t-bars. The difficulty of the slopes is distributed as 15% beginner, 35% intermediate and 50% advanced. Modern grooming equipment is used, and snowmaking facilities operate along the main pistes along the chairlift.
New Zealand is a major skiing destination in the Southern Hemisphere, due to its high latitude, mountainous terrain, and well-developed economy and tourism industry. The ski season in New Zealand starts in mid June and in good winters can run through to the start of November.
Mount Olympus Ski Area, dubbed "playground of the gods", is a club skifield in Craigieburn Range, on New Zealand's South Island. Near the town of Windwhistle, and in the vicinity of other club fields such as Mount Cheeseman and Broken River, it is approximately 2 hours' drive from Christchurch. The skifield is run by the Windwhistle Ski Club. Ranging in elevation from 1430m to 1880m, the terrain distribution is 10% beginner, 55% intermediate and 35% advanced. There are four rope tows, and with a bit of walking, 60 hectares of terrain is available.
The Craigieburn Range forms part of the Southern Alps in New Zealand's South Island. The range is located on the south banks of the Waimakariri River, south of Arthur's Pass and west of State Highway 73. The Craigieburn locality is adjacent to the Craigieburn Forest Park.
Craigieburn Forest Park is a protected area in the South Island of New Zealand, adjacent to Arthur's Pass National Park to the north.
Castle Hill Village is an alpine village in Canterbury, New Zealand that started in 1982.
Hororata is a village at the northwestern edge of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 15 kilometres southwest of Darfield, five kilometres south of Glentunnel, and 50 kilometres west of Christchurch, on the banks of the Hororata River. Hororata, when translated from Maori means "drooping rata". There are a large number of rata growing in the district.
43°30′54″S171°42′29″E / 43.515°S 171.708°E