Cardrona counts down to season opening as fresh snow falls

The boss of the ski field up at Cardrona could not resist sharing a special view from her team's office this morning, and a video of one very happy dog making doggie snow angels during yesterday's autumn dump of the much-anticipated white stuff.

The excitement's warranted - Laura Hedley, the general manager at Cardrona, is counting down to opening day, and early cool weather bodes well for the winter season ahead.

"Forget the winter woollies, we’re heading straight for the ski gear as Cardrona wakes up to a blanket of fresh snow this morning," Ms Hedley says in a statement to media earlier today.

“The cool temps and arrival of snow has us all holding out for opening day on June 15. We can’t wait to welcome guests up again and share the excitement we’re all feeling for the first snowfall.”

She says mountain crews are now gearing up to prepare the area for skiers and boarders.

Tagging along is Nelson, the canine companion of one of the mountain-based crew.

Staff grabbed a video of Nelson playing in the snow yesterday, channelling much of the crew's pre-season excitement as he refused to let the cold temperatures get in the way of a good roll in fresh snow.

Meanwhile Wednesday's weather caused a headache for others attempting to fly into Queenstown Airport, with multiple flights redirected midair after being unable to land in the Southern Lakes.

Airlines are now working to clear the backlog of stranded passengers, and have added additional flights to their schedules.

Previously passengers had been advised it could be days before they would be able to reach their intended destinations.

Main image (Supplied): Sunrise at the Cardrona ski area, Thursday, May 9, 2024.