The southern hemisphere’s 2010 ski season is under way with Coronet peak in New Zealand opening Saturday, June 5th with a 50cm (20 inch) base including 15cm (six inches) of new snow that fell on Tuesday. Thousands of Queenslanders hit the piste to celebrate.

Conditions are actually looking good across the country and most of New Zealand’s resorts will open in the next three weeks. First Tracks were reported at Treble Cone earlier in the week, for those prepared to hike up, with 30cm of new snow and The Remarkables currently has a 60cm (2 foot) base although no plans to open for another two weeks. Mt Hutt, with a full one metre (3.3 foot) base, will open next Saturday June 12th. Cardrona and Mt Ruapehu will open later this month.

Ski Dobson possibly has the deepest base in the southern hemisphere at preset with 1.3m, (4.3 feet) but it will not open until the weekend on June 20/21 and full-time from the following weekend.

In Australia most resorts had some natural snow last month and currently have low temperatures and are able to commence snowmaking. Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Thredbo and Perisher are all snowmaking at the moment ahead of opening in the next few weeks.

In South Africa the country’s only ski area of Tiffindell has a snow covering and with low temperatures continuing should be able to open quite soon. The same is true of Afriski in neighbouring Lesotho which had hoped to open on June 1st.

In South America many ski areas are reporting cold temperatures and are starting to open in Chile. Chile’s Valle Nevado will be opening shortly and Portillo on the 19th.

In Argentina Las Lenas reports 4cm of snow remains on the tops of the mountains following a big 30cm (12 inch) fall last month.