Porters Expansion

At Porters, we’re working on early concept plans to expand the existing ski area into the neighbouring area of Crystal Valley with main-trail snowmaking, and to establish a small, year-round resort village at the foot of the expanded ski area.

Crystal Valley looking to Mt Enys

If our proposals succeeded in getting approvals, we’d put modern lifts (including a gondola) into Crystal Valley, with the gondola rising from the village into the valley. There’d be easy access to and from McNulty’s-Porters Basin (where the existing ski area is located).

As one of the ski area’s founders Anton Coberger says (and he should know) Crystal Valley is sunnier than the Porters Basin, holds snow longer and has better grades for intermediate skiers.

Having a gondola means we could close the mountain access road, and skiers/riders would drive on a sealed road all the way from Christchurch and the West Coast to carparks at the gondola’s bottom station, near the small year-round resort village.

The return to the carparks would be down easy trails with snowmaking from either McNulty’s-Porters or Crystal Valley. (If you’re really tired we’ll let you use the gondola to come down).

Our Canadian ski area and resort village planners are still working on the lift and facilities layout for the expanded ski area and the year-round resort village, but here’s what’s been worked up to date.

 Proposed Alpine Village and Increased Ski Area at Porters

We know that many Canterbury skiers have visited and been impressed by the smaller, friendly and family-oriented Canadian ski areas and their year-round resort villages. That’s the kind of project we’re thinking of for Porters.

Please be assured that an expanded Porters ski area, and the resort village, will be of the highest environmental standards and security, and will have the utmost respect for the conservation estate. We want Porters to be a full partner in the “100% Pure” brand for New Zealand that’s so successful overseas.

Already, we’ve committed the expanded Porters to underwriting a substantial Plains native forest regeneration project at Lords Bush Reserve near Springfield. We’d also be embarking on a big beech forest planting project in and around the expanded ski area and resort village. These are to support our request to the Department of Conservation for the approvals we would need to expand and finance the expanded ski area and the resort village.

Just by itself, the Lords Bush project would represent a major net contribution to the conservation estate.

And every time you bought a lift ticket at the expanded ski area you’d be supporting both regeneration projects while also reducing your carbon footprint as a skier (and reducing ours too).

At this time of looking forward to what we hope will be a new era for Porters, we should also consider the heritage and history of Porters. We acknowledge the courage and foresight of the  Willis, Coberger  and Chaffey families who established Porter Heights in the 1960s and also the subsequent owners who persevered in the face of sometimes great adversity to keep the skifield operating.

Today, Porters is renowned for its friendly, family atmosphere born out of the Porter Heights Ski Club traditions, and that’s a hard-earned reputation we’ll never put at risk.

If you’d like to help us firm up the proposals as they evolve and commence, we’d love to hear from you. You can send us your feedback and messages through the Porters Project Feedback form. I’m also up at Porters with my family most weekends and you can talk to me then. Our Sydney partners Duncan Bull and Simon Harvey and their families are also regular visitors and keen to hear what you think of the project.

A scale model of the concept for Porters will be in the café for the rest of the season. We would be thrilled if you had time to look at it and put your comments in the box beside the model.

Yours sincerely

Michael Sleigh
Project Manager
Porters Ski Area Ltd
Christchurch

Crystal Valley Recon Mission - Weds 9th Sept

 View from proposed village area.

Fun on the snow at Porters Ski Area

  Rachel Sleigh enjoys a look into Crystal Valley

Thank you for your interest in the Porters Project. If you would like further information, or to register your support, please contact Michael Sleigh on 021 388 910, or send us a message via the Porters Project Feedback form.

Thanks once again for your support of Porters.