Aardwolfs Natural Ice Reports
4.51pm 13th August 2015

DISCLAIMER:

These reports are based on: phone calls, emails, trips to the ice, lakes and ponds.

Please NOTE that YOU SKATE AT YOUR OWN RISK and these reports only give you an idea of what to expect when you arrive. Conditions can change very quickly in the mountains and though we make every effort to keep these reports current in season, please be careful when skating.

Remember: ICE SKATING on NATURAL ICE can be dangerous.
Make the effort to go you wont regret it!!!!!!!
We RECOMMEND always having a means of retrieving people who may fall through the ice.

Having a tow rope on hand works well for this. More Safety Tips

PLEASE HELP US TELL YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE ON THE ICE

If you have been to the Ice Recently, Please send me a report:
Ph: 03 3238293, Mob for Txt :0274504399 or Email clive.m48@gmail.com ,
This allows everyone to benefit from your experience and may encourage new people to enjoy Ice Skating.
Remember to hit the REFRESH button for the latest version of this page.

Clive's Ice Skating List
Want to be added to Clive's Ice Skating list. Email me with "Opt In" in the title line. when we get a few days notice of good conditions I email  telling you when and where we are going.

 Weather information
Recent Rain Radar
High Country Met Service Forecast
Met Service 7day Mt-Olympus
 Arthur's Pass Weather
 Castle Hill Weather
Methvan Weather (from www.findu.com)
Haketere Weather by Weather Underground
Snow Forecast High Country
SouthwestPacific 180hr Forecast
SouthWestPacific Marine Weather
Alexandra Accuweather.com
Met Service 10 day Forecast for Alexandra

Videos of Natural
Ice Skating: YouTube
 Aardwolfs: here
Joe's: here
Glens: here

Natural Ice Reports
from Southern NZ:
 chipofftheiceblock

NZ Map of
Ice Skating Locations
Access Information Photos and Videos

South Island
Mt Lyford:
Lake Stella, Photos
Mt Lyford Holiday Homes Rink Photos
Arthur's Pass:
Lake Lyndon, Photos
 Red Lake East and Red Lake West, Photos
Glenthorne Station:
 Lake Ida, Photos
Lake Self, Photos
Lake Evelyn, Photos
Lake Clearwater:
 Lake Camp and Clearwater, Photos
Lake Ohau:
 Lake Middleton, Photos
Lake Pukaki:
 Pukaki Overflow Spillway, Photos
Pukaki:
 Holbrook Pond, Photos
Tekapo:
 Paterson's Ponds, Photos
Naseby:
 Coal Pit Dam, Photos
Horseshoe Lake, Photos
Hoffman's Dam, Photos
St Bathans
The Blue Lake, Photos
Wanaka:
 Diamond Lake, Photos
Oturehua:
 Idaburn Dam, Photos
Poolburn Dam Photos
Mathias Dam Photos
Eweburn Dam Photos
Alexandra:
Lower Manorburn Dam, Photos
Butchers Dam, Photos
Mount Cook:
Godley Glacier Lake, Photos
Tasman Glacier, Photos
Hooker Lake, Photos
Current Ice Rinks Outside
Stavely:
Staveley (Natural Ice), Photos
Fairlie:
 Fairile Ice Rink (Natural Ice), Photos
Mt Cheeseman:
Mt Cheeseman (Natural Ice), Photos
Tekapo:
Lake Tekapo Photos
 Naseby:
 Maniototo Ice Rink
Alexandra:
Alexandra Ice Rink Photos
Cardrona
Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds

Current Ice Rinks Inside
Christchurch:
Alpine Ice Sports Centre
Dunedin:
Dunedin Ice Stadium
Gore:
Gore Ice Skating Rink
Queenstown:
Queenstown Ice Rink

Old Ice Rinks No Longer In Use
 If you have any old photos, movies or information on Ice skating in NZ we would really appreciate your assistance in building this historical resource. Please contact us.

Christchurch
Centaurus Ice Rink
Alpine Ice Rink (Papanui)
Hororata
Hororata Domain Rink
Timaru
Timaru Ice Rink
Dunedin
The Big Chill
 Albury
Opawa Homestead
Arrowtown
Arrowtown Ice Rink
Queenstown
Bush Creek
Rum Gully
Downey's Dam
Queenstown Hill
Early Queenstown Rinks
Garston Ice Rink
Alexandra
Early Alexandra Rinks
Mt Harper
Mt Harper Ice Rink
Tekapo
Early Tekapo Rinks
Central Otago
Irishman's Creek
Synthetic Ice Outside
Wanaka
 Invercargill
Glace Ice Rink
North Island
Auckland:
Paradice Ice Skating Rinks Botany Downs and Avondale

NI Ice Rinks No Longer In Use
Hamilton
Hamilton Ice Rink
Wellington
Ice Palace
See older Photos on the Photos Pages for the individual locations for Ice Skating.
 
Natural Ice Reports for 2015
Skate Hire: Clive 033238293: 0274504399 SGI Ice Skate Services
Looking for a ride Skating or have a spare seat. Check out: this Facebook page.
Thursday 13th August 3.44pm: Lower Manorburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Still skate-able in Rush Cutters. Thick in the shade and thinning as you got out. Good skating if frosty. Ice hard but bumpy in places. Ice over the main basin but too thin to skate.

Inge and Dave with a late in the season skate. Photo by Dave Young
Wednesday 12th August 3.44pm: Lower Manorburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Still skateable ice in Rushcutters on the Lower Manorburn. Thick in the shadow but gets thinner further out. Take care. New ice over rest off the basin but too thin to skate.
Monday 10th August 10.28am: Lower Manorburn Dam
 From Kiwi Kombis by email
Half of Rushcutters bay still ok with 10-6 cm of ice. Couple of inches of snow yesterday that melted and has refrozen but still a reasonable skate

Still a reasonable skate. Photo by Lyndon Chambers
Thursday 6th August 6.31pm: Lower Manorburn Dam
 From Kiwi Kombis by email
Lower Manorburn is now water. Rushcutters has refrozen nicely and thickened with the frosts and offers a smooth safe skate- should hold for the weekend. If anyone cares for some natural ice skating
Should hold for the weekend. Photo by Lyndon Chambers
Monday 3rd August 6.31pm: Lower Manorburn Dam
 From Kiwi Kombis by email
Rushcutters bay still the go for a family skate this morning 5-10mm of water on thick smooth ice, didn't venture onto the main basin although it's still half covered in ice (I've gone swimming a few years ago so twice shy)

Wet Ice at Manorburn Dam today. Photo by Lyndon Chambers
Sunday 2nd August 7.20pm: Lake Ida
 From Chris Rusk in person
Skiing at Porters today and had a look over the top, Lake Ida is all water....:(
Thursday 30th July 7.15pm: Poolburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Thin ice around the edge of the ice pack. Main ice has snow affected areas which hides weak ice. Main ice pack is now thinner. Skating not recommended unless checked very carefully. Track OK when frozen but muddy and rutted otherwise

Hidden Hazards on Poolburn,  Photo by Dave Young
Thursday 30th July 7.15pm: Manorburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Good skating over most or the basin. Smooth and hard. Thinning out towards the other side. Water in the gorge and the neck. Was good with the frost.

Great Ice on the Manorburn, Photo by Dave Young
Wednesday 29th July 9.09pm:Idaburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Still some skatable ice in the main area but a bit creaky with some weak patches away from the shore. Test well before skating. Weak and some water at the edge. Ice feels "old"

Moonlit Skate on Idaburn Dam. Photo by Dave Young.
Saturday 25th July 8.14pm: Poolburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Plenty of ice in the main bay.  Mix of smooth and bumpy but a good skate.  Ice on rest of dam varies - with some pressure and wind affected areas making it dangerous.  Water starting to appear in some places.  Be wary in the warm temps. Track muddy.

Lots of Fun Kiting on Poolburn, Photo by Dave Young
Saturday 25th July 8.14pm: Idaburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Skate-able ice in the main area. Good skating.  Water in the gorge.  Softening in the warm temps.  Won't last without frost.
Idaburn Water in the gorge. Photo by Dave Young.
Monday 27th July 7.20am: Manorburn Dam
 From Leteisha Cornes by email
Saturday 25th July: Pretty good skate, but quite wet, it was getting very windy and warm at about 4-5pm. Ice looked about 170mm thick in Rushcutters Bay, it was thinner out into the middle. A few patches of quite soft ice-needs more frosts for it to stay, holding up pretty well though.

Looking out from Rushcutters Bay, Photo by Leteisha Cornes
Saturday 25th July 5.30pm: Lake Clearwater and Camp
 From Russell Clark by Facebook
Skated Clearwater but more pav than ice, could not get onto Camp without getting my feet wet.

Lake Clearwater in the Sun today,  Photo by Russell Clark
Friday 24th July 4.33pm: Lower Manorburn Dam
 From Kiwi Kombis by email
Lower Manorburn is still holding despite warm weather. good skate Friday morning with ice going a bit wet and creaky in the afternoon.

Still good ice at Manorburn, Photo by Kiwi Kombis
Thursday 23rd July 8.15pm: Poolburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Ice over most of the dam. Ice varies, a mixture of smooth and bumpy but good skating. Some thin areas. Check carefully if the weather warms.... Track is rutted at the top, it will be muddy if wet.

Dawn on Poolburn.   Photo by Dave Young
Thursday 23rd July 8.15pm: Idaburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Skatable ice in the Main area. Hard and locked in. Best to skate with the frost before the day warms. Wont last without more frost.
Wednesday 22nd July 10.10pm: Idaburn Dam
 From Dave Young off his blog: chipofftheiceblock
Skatable ice in the Main area. Hard and locked in when I was there (evening). Best to skate with the frost before the day warms. Wont last without more frost.
Wednesday 22nd July 8.34am: Lake Clearwater
 From Alan Knowles by Email
Clearwater ice is still 130mm thick and very extensive: the snow surface is now hard and stippled and a little crunchy, but a good surface to skate on with touring skates. Minus 4 last night, and likely to soften after midday.
 

Archives: 2015 (2) Monday 29th June-Monday 20th July
Other Places to visit for Skating Videos and Photos
Aardwolfs You Tube site: here
Joe's You Tube site: here
Glens You Tube site: here
David Young's Blog: here
Ryan Hellyer's Homepages: here
Archives
2015 (2) Monday 29th June-Monday 20th July
2015 Friday 29th May-Sunday 28th June
2014 Monday 26th May-Tuesday 9th September
2013 Monday 22nd April-Tuesday 16th July
 2012 (3) Wednesday 18th July to Tuesday 7th August 
2012 (2) Sunday 30th June to Tuesday 17th July
 2012 Sunday 28th April to Sunday 24th June
 2011 (2) Monday 1st August to Tuesday 23rd August
2011 Saturday 4th June to Sunday 31st July
2010(3)Wednesday 14th July to Wednesday 11th August
2010(2)Wednesday 8th July to Tuesday 13th July
2010Saturday 29th May to Wednesday 7th July
2009(3)Thursday 9th July to Saturday 15th August
 2009(2)Tuesday 30th June to Tuesday 8th July
2009 Sunday 6th June to Saturday 28th June
2008 Saturday 31st May to Sunday 27th July
See older Photos on the Photos Pages
 for the individual locations for Ice Skating.
Some of the events above may have no  association with the Aardwolfs Ice Hockey Club.
All graphics and written material (c) Aardwolfs Ice Hockey Club 2004