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Meadows Chair unveiled in time for tomorrow's official open day at Coronet Peak

Saturday 5 June 2010, 8:35AM

By Queenstown Lakes District Council

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Georgie ffiske (granddaughter of John Davies) Olivia Coddington, daughter of NZSki CEO James Coddington, Johnny ffiske (grandson of John Davies) and Keir Roberts from Arrowtown are the first to board the new Meadows Express as John Davies and James Coddin
Georgie ffiske (granddaughter of John Davies) Olivia Coddington, daughter of NZSki CEO James Coddington, Johnny ffiske (grandson of John Davies) and Keir Roberts from Arrowtown are the first to board the new Meadows Express as John Davies and James Coddin Credit: Coronet Peak
Old friends John Davies (left) and Les Brough formally declare the new Meadows Express "OPEN"
Old friends John Davies (left) and Les Brough formally declare the new Meadows Express "OPEN" Credit: Coronet Peak

QUEENSTOWN

The brand new Meadows Express Chairlift at Coronet Peak was officially opened today (Friday 4th June 2010) by the ski area’s oldest Ambassador, Les Brough (aged 80+) who cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.

Mr Brough was joined by NZSki CEO James Coddington and NZSki chairman John Davies whose grandchildren were among the first to ride the state-of-the-art chairlift this afternoon.

NZSki CEO James Coddington said the opening of the new chairlift marked the culmination of an intensive development programme across Coronet Peak.

“In opening this beginner-friendly chair today, we reassert Coronet Peak's position as a world leading ski resort. The chairlift is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, with its innovative automatic safety bar and "kids stop" features. We wanted to ensure that the Meadows Express was the safest chairlift we could build, and thanks to Leitner Poma's engineering team this is what we have.”

The Meadows Express is capable of moving 2000 passengers per hour and Ski Area Manager Hamish McCrostie says it has massively improved the experience for novice skiers and riders.

“More lift capacity and more trail capacity has allowed us to exponentially improve the overall beginner and novice experience. We know that families in particular will be delighted with the new lift and trails.”

The redevelopment programme of the past several years has included the installation of the six-seater Greengates lift, a massive snowmaking system and a stunning new base building which provides state-of-the-art facilities and magnificent views across the Wakatipu Basin.