Snow Planet

Snow Planet is amazing. I went there with two three-​year-​olds and they had the best time! They can’t wait to go back. We were only planning to be there for a few minutes of snow play but ended up staying for four hours! They couldn’t get enough of the snow and the cold on a hot summer day.
We did take a break in between to try the food. I love their dining area. The price of the food was affordable and the serving size was pretty big. I love that they continued the ski resort theme at the dining area with a fireplace and old ski lifts as dining chairs.
Some parts were a bit muddy due to the melted snow (like in the bathroom) and the area where you can put on show shoes and other snow wear. No biggie. But overall, it was pretty well-​maintained. The snow always seems fresh and clean even if there was a party of over a hundred people when we were there.
Definitely a must-​do if you have kids or want to try snowboarding or skiing for the first time. Will be back again soon.

We love Snowplanet. The best time to go is when everyone else is leaving, ie late afternoon. Week nights are good too and there are good value ski hire packages if you need to use their gear.
The café is really nice with a good menu of bistro type tucker. Skiing can induce the meanest hunger, the only drawback in the café is the slow service so maybe order a bit earlier to ensure your hunger doesn’t turn into anger… (h-​anger)
Spectators can sit at a table in the café and eat/​drink/​people-​watch. The last time we went they were playing great music — whoever was on DJ duty that day shares my tastes — not a Katy Perry or Taylor Swift song to be heard!

The idea of an indoor snow slope in a place where it doesn’t snow is not that hard to wrap your head around, but it was kind of surreal to be snowboarding in Auckland, I was like «wow, I’m snowboarding in Auckland». Great presentation and bubbly staff, the waiting room is decorated as if it were a mountain chalet. Not the cheapest day out, if your renting your skis or snowboard you will be looking at about $ 100 for a day on the slope, but it is an incredibly novel thing to do. It had been a while, and when I first hit the slope I was a bit unsure, but the mechanics of it came back to me, the right bend of your knee and shifting of your weight becomes second nature in no time.

Snowplanet is great if you are learning to ski or snowboard. It is also great if you are dead set on nailing a jump or rail or if you want to pop in once and a while when you really have a craving! But in all honesty, something artificial is never ever going to be as good as the real thing! Snowplanet tries it’s best and I have to say it does well. Actually, it probably surpasses my original expectations of the place.
The good thing about it I guess is that it’s got everything you need. You can have lessons there, hire gear and there’s even a café to warm up after your run.
On the other hand it can be quite pricey and it’s always hard for me to dish out money to snowboard inside this fridge when I could save up all my coins for the real thing at Ruapehu only a few hours away.
All in all… I shouldn’t complain, Snowplanet adds another something awesome to do on that rainy afternoon!

Don’t know what to do with yourself after the snow melts and the mountains close for the warmer months? Can’t afford a weekend trip to Canada, Japan, or Europe to enjoy the slopes? Well realistically there’s no way to compare an artificial slope with an actual mountain, but if you’re desperate for a jam, there’s not really any alternative.
To be honest, Snowplanet is much better suited for either beginners, or advanced boarders who like jumps and rails. It’s not very good for the intermediate person who just likes to carve at a bit of pace (you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the hill after a few turns). Snowplanet is a bit overpriced for what you get, but there are some good specials on different days of the week, so it pays to check these out and try to go on one of the less busier days.

I’ve never been a skier but always fancied snowboarding so booked myself in for a beginners’ lesson here at Snowplanet. The basics mastered (ha! yeah right) I hit the slopes. Again and again. Literally. But I loved it and have since returned for more punishment whenever the opportunity arises.
Unfortunately, as is often the way of these things, snowboarding’s not as easy as it looks, and sporadic visits to Snowplanet does not a snowboarder make. It’s a shitload of fun though and I’m the kind of girl who quite likes bruise-​inducing activities — paintball… yeaaaahhhh!
Anyway, this is the only place you’ll find snow in Auckland (well up until that freaky day last Winter), and while it’s not cheap, especially once you’ve hired all the gear, go early and go hard. The café here is great and it’s amazing how much sustenance can be gotten from hot liquids when you are sore and cold. Another excellent place to take the kids but it does get really busy at weekends and school holidays.

If you’re like me and you’re yearning for the winter season, then pop on out to Silverdale and head to Snow Planet. Perfect for beginner skiers or snowboarders, or for those who want to practice their park before the mountains open. This is the best alternative we have in summer unless you want to fly to Canada for their winter periods… I wish. You’ll find a lot of Snow Planet deals on grab one or another one day site, making it cheaper for either a day pass, clothing rental or both as its usually on the expensive side. You are able to arrange lessons if you’re still learning or wanting to learn. Also for those who aren’t interested in the snow but are coming along for the day, there is a lounge/​bar for your convenience. Snow Planet always has events going on, so check out the website and see what’s on for this week.
Just a heads up, if you’re an intermediate/​advance skier/​boarder and you’re not interested in riding park, you may find Snow Planet very repetitive and slightly boring. But hey, when it’s not winter and you’re wanting snow, this is your best offer.