Early Bird Specials. Availability Running out.

Hundreds of Dive Fish Snow Travel clients returned this year from a wonderful North American ski holiday raving about the beautiful alpine villages, the awesome views and snowy slopes. They loved the modern high-speed chairlifts, lack of queues, gliding through soft powder snow on gently sloping glades and cruising down perfectly groomed pistes with no one in sight. And at the end of a perfect day on the slopes they skied back to the door of their ski in-ski out hotels and condos, had a soak in the hot tub as well as enjoying all the après ski activities, bars and restaurants of the on mountain villages.

Those in the know have already snapped up the early bird specials, saved a bundle of dollars, and have booked their cheap flights and accommodation, while it's still available. Well done.

As they say, it's the quick and the dead. The 'quick' have already booked their next ski trip, and we don't want you to be dead. unlucky.

The bottom line, and the serious message of this letter, is:

• All the early bird special discounts and deals need to be booked early this year and by the looks of it, all the best locations and best deals are selling out fast. Specials like pay for 6 nights, get 1 extra night free, 1-4 day free lift passes, kids stay and ski for free, 10-15% discounts off accommodation, seems like most of these specials will be sold out by mid to end September. The bottom line is if you don't take advantage of these great prices now, by mid to end September, these special rates will run out of availability. So if you want to save some money, you need to be quick!


• Accommodation at peak times, Christmas/New Year right through to mid January, plus mid - late Feb, is already getting tight, particularly the units with kitchens and a separate bedroom and in the premium quality condo's.


• Flights are booking up fast. All the cheap seats on flights between December 20 and January 18 are already sold out, and flights from North America back to NZ and Australia in late January/early February are very tight for space.


• Excellent Exchange Rate: It is the best it's been in years, so now is the time to book and take advantage of it.

So, take advantage of this ski tip from your friendly ski travel agent Dive Fish Snow Travel :

'Be quick!' If you don't have your flights and accommodation booked by mid September, you are likely to find your trip will cost you a lot more and you're likely to have problems getting the accommodation you want and the cheap flights when you want to travel.

If you are serious about a ski trip to North America and you're serious about saving yourself some Money, then you seriously need to contact us now, for an obligation free chat before it costs you more and opportunity and availability runs out.

To get you started on booking your ski holiday and take advantage of the early bird specials we have compiled our most popular USA & Canadian Ski Packages price guideline on our website visit our Ski Homepage or

simply give us a Call on Freephone Aus: 1-800-042195


Till Next time,



From Your Snow Holiday Team
Ron, Christine, Paula, Phil, Sarah, Julia, Bernadette & Mike
Dive Fish Snow Travel

New Non Stop Services from Auckland & Sydney direct to Vancouver

This has to be some of the best news for this Canadian ski season. Air New Zealand, along with their co-share partner Air Canada, will operate a 14 hour non stop flight from Auckland to Vancouver in a brand new Boeing 777/200ER aircraft. This will cut down the total travel time by 9-16 hours depending on current transit time/route in USA.

Air Canada will also start a new non stop service on their brand new Boeing 777/200ER aircraft between Sydney and Vancouver, cutting down total travel time by 8 hours.
Both non stop services depart and arrive at excellent times, allowing for good domestic connections in Canada, enabling you to travel from home ot resort in approx. 21-22 hrs.

If you live in Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane, your best connections and prices may actually be via Auckland, thus avoiding Sydney Airport’s high taxes and congestion between International and Domestic terminals.

South Island clients might want to consider travelling via Sydney rather than Auckland: the flight leaves, and arrives, a few hours earlier than the Auckland flight, and as you are in transit in Sydney you don’t have to pay those high taxes.

Flights Auckland – Vancouver – Auckland operate 3 times a week: Friday, Sunday, and Wednesday.

Flights Sydney – Vancouver – Sydney: Daily.

Prices are similar, or slightly cheaper, than going via USA.

So, that’s the great news. But, and we cant stress this, warn or encourage you enough,. to BOOK YOUR TRIP EARLY, or risk missing out on these direct, non stop flights.

An interesting fact: Air NZ and Air Canada did not put on these direct flights just for we snow enthusiasts. They put them on for the 110,000 Canadian tourists escaping their winter to holiday Downunder during our peak tourist season – which just happens to coincide with the peak skiing season!

We are not just saying this to make you book early. Full flights, or a longer flight via USA, are an unfortunate fact of life for people booking later in the year. So call now to secure flights that best suit your needs and your budget.

Ski Canada & USA Early Bird Specials 2007-08

We have just released our exclusive Specials on Accommodation and Lift Passes for a North American Ski holiday.

Visit our Ski Travel Specials for Canada and USA

Hot News for the 2007/08 season

If you are serious about skiing Canada or USA next season, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT.

Now is the time to save yourself some serious $$$.

Now is the time to take advantages of:

1. Earlybird specials/discounts that will save you hundreds of dollars.
2. Flight availability: The cheap seats are still available right now (Except for Christmas to Jan 15. Flights returning to NZ end Jan/early Feb in time for School restarting are already tight).
3. The exchange rate is at an all time high so your dollar goes further right now. NB: we are not economists, but people in the know are saying that the NZ dollar must, and will, come back down again. A drop from USD.73 to .68 will add approximately NZD500 to your average holiday. But if you pay your deposit now you can lock in your holiday at today’s fantastic exchange rate, and pay the balance 90 days prior to departure.
   Availability of accommodation: The best value accommodation with best views or location are always booked out first. If you act now, you are likely to get what you want.

For Booking your Holiday Visit Ski Canada / USA Travel Specialist »

Sign Up to our Early Bird Specials and be the First to Know

Huge Savings to be made by booking early

It's never too early to start planning your next snow holiday. There is a good reason for this - Huge Savings! In general, the savings are likely to include:

• The Special airfare incentives, cheap seats and best connections always sell first.
• 50% off lift passes at Kicking Horse for R.A.L season pass holders
• FREE skiing for the kids at lots of resorts
• FREE accommodation for kids at lots of resorts
• Buy 7 – 10 day lift passes; receive 2 – 4 extra days FREE.
• Buy 7 – 10 nights accommodation; receive 2 – 4 extra nights for FREE
• Extra discounts 5 – 10% off lift passes and accommodation.
• Don't Book online and pay 6% Canadian GST on your accommodation, transfers and domestic airfares. Book with Dive Fish Snow Travel we are Canadian GST exempt.
• AIRPOINTS. Tell us now if you have airpoints to spend. If you leave it too late, you wont get the flights.
• By getting organised early you get what you want and when you want it, and at the Best Prices.

Sign up for our Early Bird Specials Click here »

Whistler Blackcomb Surpasses Annual Average Snowfall of 33 Feet with over 3 months left in Ski Season

Current Storm Continues to Blanket Whistler During US Presidents’ Week Holiday
WHISTLER, BC, February 20, 2007 – With 103 days left in a winter season that extends to June 3, Whistler Blackcomb has surpassed its annual average snowfall before the end of February. As of February 20, the resort has received 1026 centimetres or 404 inches of snowfall this year, with the annual average sitting at 1,006 centimetres or 396 inches.

The current weather system that tipped Whistler above the average has delivered 11 centimetres of snow in the past 24 hours and 48 centimetres over the past seven days. The storm is expected to continue through Saturday bringing another 22 to 35 centimetres or 12 to 14 inches to the winter wonderland resort.

“Whistler’s geographical location in British Columbia’s Coast Mountain Range is the perfect position to receive significant snowfall from precipitation generated over the Pacific Ocean,” says Stuart Rempel, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Whistler Blackcomb. “This year has been a banner year to date, starting off with a record 416 centimetres or 164 inches in the month of November alone, exemplifying why Whistler Blackcomb is known as one of the most reliable ski resorts in the world for snow.”

Record breaking snowfall in November, solid snowfall throughout December and January, and currently tracking to be the second snowiest year on record by the end of February, Whistler locals are enjoying an epic season. February has seen more sunny skies in the earlier part of the month, until deep winter returned to the resort this past weekend, just in time for the busy US Presidents’ Week holiday.

The current snow base at mid-mountain (1,650 metres) on Whistler Mountain is 281 centimetres or 111 inches. Whistler Blackcomb receives an annual average of 33 feet,10 metres or 396 inches of snow. The Whistler Blackcomb ski season kicked off on November 18, 2006 and will extend to June 3, 2007.

Lake Louise Mountain Resort's Telus Terrain Park Fully Open for the Season

Calgary, AB - January 25, 2007 - The TELUS Terrain Park at Lake Louise Mountain Resort has undertaken a facelift for the 2007 season. With a new staff of motivated riders dedicated to building a solid park program, the TELUS Terrain Park is starting to create a buzz in the Bow Valley and beyond.

For 2007, the Resort has allocated more terrain to the park to allow for more features and variety, and enabling skiers and snowboarders of all levels to use the features. Three major park sections have been created in the park, each specifically catering to beginner, intermediate and advanced riders.

Says Matt Mosteller, Senior Director of Business Development for the Resort, "The TELUS Terrain Park at Lake Louise Mountain Resort has a long-standing reputation for being a great place to learn for beginners while providing a challenge for more experienced riders. We're thrilled with the development of this year's park for all to enjoy."

In the park, choose from nine jumps up to 55 feet, wall rides, quarter pipes, hips, as well as a variety of rails and boxes, including the "Swamp Monster", a fifty-eight foot S-Box. The park is now fully open, and riders will be able to enjoy additional features to be created throughout the rest of the season.

Junior Free Ski event at Kimberley Alpine Resort Kicks off 2007 Series

Calgary, AB - January 22, 2007 - The 2007 RCR Junior Freeski Series will kick off at Kimberley Alpine Resort on January 27 and 28, 2007. The event provides the opportunity for youth between the ages of 7 and 18 to develop and showcase their skiing skills in a fun and supportive environment. The event is part of RCR's ongoing commitment to providing active and healthy pursuits for youth. The Series is the only one of its kind in Canada.

The Kimberley Junior Freeski will be split into age categories of 7-11 years, 12-15 years, and 16-18 years, for both boys and girls, with prizes for all categories.

The event schedule is as follows:

Saturday, January 27

7am-8am: Bib Pick Up (Stemwinder Bar and Grill)
8:00am: Competitors' Meeting
10:00am: 3:00pm: Competition
4:30pm: Awards of the Day
7:00pm: Competitors, friends and family are invited to view and celebrate the day's events (Trickle Creek Golf Resort Clubhouse).

Sunday, January 28

8:00am: Competitors' Meeting
10:00am: Competition Finals
3:00pm: Awards

The event entry fee is $50, and competitors may register in advance. Advanced registration is recommended, as space is limited to a maximum of 75 competitors, and registration is filling up quickly. Competitors also receive 20% off lift tickets for the event dates. Helmets are mandatory.
The event is part of the RCR Junior Freeski series, with upcoming events including the Lake Louise Junior Big Mountain Challenge on February 17 and 18, and the Fernie Junior Freeski on March 10 and 11. There will be a combined category prize for competitors that participate in all three events.

It's Official - Lake Louise Mountian Resort is having its best season ever

2006/7 Beating Out All Previous Epic Winters – What Are You Waiting For?


Calgary, AB – January 10, 2007 – Lake Louise Mountain Resort has received more snow, generated a deeper snowpack, and opened more terrain earlier than any previous year on record, making 2006/7 the best year to date.

The Resort surpassed the 3 metre (10 foot) mark for accumulated snowfall on January 6th, which is the earliest in 38 years of record keeping. This was two days ahead of the epic season of 98-99, which had previously been the benchmark ‘best snow year’…until this year.

As of January 10, Lake Louise has had 3.28 metres (11 feet) of accumulated snowfall, as measured at the treeline, which is 168% above average for this time of year. The resort received 20cm (8 inches) overnight last night and 44cm (17 inches) in the past week. All lifts and 139 of 139 runs are open.

Says Matt Mosteller, Senior Director of Business Development for the world-famous Resort, “There’s no better place to be right now than the Canadian Rockies for an incredible skiing and riding experience. The conditions have been terrific since our opening day in November, but the continued record snowfall has taken the Lake Louise experience to a whole new level. People are enjoying some of the best ski days of their life right now.”

Visitor Daniel Hobachi, of Toronto, Ontario, enjoyed the champagne powder on Tuesday and said, “I’ve been snowboarding for 10 years and have traveled around the world looking for the Ultimate Ride. The snow at Lake Louise blew my mind and is by far some of the best I’ve experienced. Beautiful scenery, challenging terrain and wonderful people – What more could anyone ask for?”

Australia's Best School Skiers to compete at Sun Peaks

The action takes place January 12-14, 2007!

January 9, 2007 – Sun Peaks, BC – Award-winning young Australian skiers are traveling to the Canadian ski resort of Sun Peaks to claim the inaugural Sun Peaks Family Cup.

2007 is the first year for the Sun Peaks Family Cup, sponsored by Ski Tours Canada, a ski & snowboard race open to any school aged student in Canada and around the world. Parents can also compete in races that cover everything from fastest time to most spectacular fall.

The Sun Peaks Family Cup is a perpetual trophy awarded to the country which scores the highest combined point score from their countries competitors. The competitors may also form their own team by family, region club or association for the “Regional Cup Award or Family Cup Award”.

The Sun Peaks Family Cup is based upon the same program undertaken by the Scots College in Australia. The Scots Cup has been held annually in Perisher Blue (Australia) since 1992, initially for Sydney’s Scots College students until it was opened to all school aged skiers (4 to 19 years) in 2001. Its popularity led to the event expanding to Canada four years ago as the Scots Fernie International Interschools Cup.

The event program has now been expanded to include Sun Peaks Family Cup with the inaugural event running January 14, 2007. With over 200 competitors expected from Australia, Canada and many other countries the event is expected to provide a high level of competition from both local Canadians and the visiting Australians.

The event program begins Friday January 12th, with a welcome cocktail reception at the Hearthstone Lodge for adult competitors. Saturday’s events include skiing with Olympic Champion Nancy Greene and a parade through the village at 4:30pm. The races take place on Sunday. Course inspection is set for 9am, the two-run race beginning at 10am. Prizes will be handed out at Masa’s at 4pm.

Whistler Blackcomb Exceeds All Time Snowfall Record

WHISTLER, BC, January 11 2006 – Following the most recent snowstorm that dropped 22 centimetres or 8 inches in 24hrs, snowfall accumulation totals at Whistler Blackcomb have reached record highs. 877 centimetres or 345 inches of snow has fallen in Whistler so far this season, which is the most the resort has seen by this time in January based on 27 years of snow data analysis. The previous record saw 827 centimetres or 325 inches fall by January 31 of the 1991/1992 season. The current base sits at an incredible 305 centimetres or 120 inches as measured at mid-mountain.

“This has been the most incredible season here, and we’ve been extremely lucky compared to other resorts on the East Coast and throughout Europe,” says Stuart Rempel, Whistler Blackcomb’s senior vice president of marketing and sales. “We’ve seen system after system blaze through this area and it seems like every few days there’s another metre of snow on the hills. It’s really quite amazing to wake up each morning to another epic powder day. We’ve been very blessed.”

With an average annual snowfall of 10 metres or 33 feet, Whistler Blackcomb is close to exceeding this by the end of January.

The Environment Canada Alpine Forecast is calling for a high pressure system to move in over the next few days bringing some welcome sunshine to the stormy resort. With the annual Whistler Blackcomb Learn to Ski Week coming up January 16th, conditions for first time skiers and riders could not be better.
Whistler Blackcomb started off the 2006/2007 season with the snowiest November on record with 416 centimetres or 164 inches of snow. The previous record was in 1994/1995 with 272cm. December received 275cm of snow. So far this season, Whistler Blackcomb has seen over 15, 15+ centimetre days.

First Time skier to North America

Skiing in North America is an exciting and unique experience and is very different to skiing in NZ. It is hassle free, comfortable and everything is organised to maximise your enjoyment on and off the slopes.
That comes as no surprise to the thousands of Kiwis who travel to North America regularly to ski. But for first time North American skiers, it is always a pleasant surprise to find a totally dedicated ski resort built for skiers and boarders, right on the mountain.

Imagine a beautiful alpine village wonderland nestled in a valley surrounded by awesome views and snowy slopes. Imagine stepping out of your hotel door, putting on your skis or board and sliding down to a modern high-speed chairlift, with no queues. Imagine gliding through soft powder snow on gently sloping glades or cruising down perfectly groomed pistes with no one in sight.

Imagine wandering around the on mountain village at the end of a perfect day on the slopes, soaking up the atmosphere as you walk to bars or restaurants for a cosy night of relaxation.

Aspen : Ski Resort Feature

When it comes to winter destinations - from fantastic skiing and riding, to cultural activities, great shopping, exciting nightlife and one-of-a-kind restaurants - Aspen/Snowmass offers the complete vacation experience.
It's not just one mountain. It's Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. Decide which mountain fits your passion. Four choices and nearly 5,000 acres, on one lift pass.

Snowmass: With 3,100 acres of cruisers, steeps, terrain parks and halfpipes, splayed upon a Rocky Mountain massif with a vertical drop of 1,343 meters. Snowmass defies belief. So many runs, so much variety, and all of it fun for the entire family.
Aspen Mountain: Rising out of the heart of downtown Aspen and famous for its steeps, bumps and incredible views, Aspen Mountain and its double-black and tree runs are fun for skiers and snowboarders alike.
Aspen Highlands: Known as the locals' favourite mountain, Aspen Highlands features extreme terrain, groomed cruisers and breathtaking views of the Maroon Bells. For the ultimate ski/snowboarding experience, drop into Highland Bowl. It's as much about the hike up as the trip down.
Buttermilk: Home of the ESPN Winter X Games through to 2010 (for an unprecedented nine consecutive years!), Buttermilk is also a premier mountain for beginners. While experts frolic in the terrain park, the rest of the family can cruise on the wide, rolling trails.

More on Ski Aspen »

Phew! Where did the year go?

If you've called it quits for the ski season, packed away your board/skis and are thinking about Christmas, holidays and sunshine, think again.
Think of dry powdery snow, fast moving queues, uncrowded slopes, alpine villages right in the snow, long sasons with crisp clear days and fresh overnight snowfalls, where closures are virtually unheard of. All this is waiting for you in North America. For those of you like your powder deep, or manicured to perfection on long trails of cruising courduroy, North America is where you'll want to be.
The snow is falling in North America big time now, with big dumps reported from several ski resorts, creating an excellent start to the North American Ski season. Several resorts are opening early, including Copper Mountain, Kicking Horse and Lake Louise. Others aren't far off opening day, and by the time our Christmas holidays begin, North America will be in full swing.
Check out the latest photos of the snowfalls » then give us a call and let us book your North American snow holiday. What a great Christmas present that would make!

Snow Grooming in North America

Most NZ skiers are surprised how easy it is to ski on our wide groomed runs. Groomers in Canada and Colorado are spoiled when compared to their NZ counterparts, as ice is almost unheard of. Our runs are groomed every day, leaving 2-4 cm of soft surface which means control even on steeper runs. There are very few surprises when it comes to cruising down the 'groomed' and you will be surprised how much of the mountain is groomed. Some Kiwi skiers call it “Hollywood snow” as it makes even novices look like pro’s!




Over the past 10 years, grooming equipment has improved tremendously. The introduction of winch cats has enabled North American resorts to groom very steep runs to perfection. NZ doesn’t have winch cats: these groomers have a huge winch on the front which drives and winches the groomer up steep black runs. SO even some steep black runs get some t.l.c each night. The high speed variable pitch tillers can lay down 'corduroy' that is so smooth and even, intermediates can tackle the advanced trails first thing in the morning and novices are soon zooming down the intermediates runs after only a few days in the resort.



The best grooming can be found in the destination resorts where 35% to 45% of runs are usually groomed each evening. Grooming to perfection is easy as most Canadian and Colorado resorts don't experience any thaw/freeze cycles during the day. Snow that stays powdery all day can be perfectly re-groomed even at quite high grooming speeds so in most of our resorts more of the wide slopes can be groomed each night.




Talk to us. We've skied there. Your North American Ski Holiday Experts