The Remarkables ski area in Queenstown, New Zealand opened for the 2004 season on Saturday with excellent snow cover following recent snowfalls.

Since Friday, the ski area has received more than a metre of snow and the snowmaking guns have been adding to that coverage in the beginner's areas and Alta Green trail. Upper mountain snow depth is approximately a metre (40 inches) and there's a 60cm (24 inch) snow base on the lower mountain.

The Remarkables opened with the Sugar Bowl chairlift accessing the main Sugar Bowl trails and the newly enlarged Xbox Terrain Park, the Alta lift accessing all novice trails, Shadow Basin lift accessing all Shadow Basin main trails and the legendary Homeward runs, and the beginner's areas below the main base building, serviced by the Magic Carpet.

"The team here has put in a lot of hard work over summer and in the last few weeks, we've got fantastic snow coverage now with all this new snow, and everyone's really looking forward to getting underway," said manager, Hamish McCrostie.

The enlarged Xbox Terrain Park and new superpipe, making up the new freestyle area, has been developed over summer, tripling the size of the previous terrain park and opening up freestyle terrain for all levels of snowboarders and skiers.

The new Xbox Terrain Park will initially open with a number of rails, and as the season progresses will have a huge range of features catering for skiers and snowboarders from novice to advanced.

The superpipe will be built and maintained by a new Superpipe Magician and the Kassboher Park Bully groomer, and is expected to open soon.

Mr McCrostie said it would be a real drawcard for advanced level riders and skiers at 150m long and 22m wide, built to full FIS standards and expertly maintained.