CSC Bunkum #1 2026 - Work parties
March 3, 2026
A quick message to welcome you to a new year. A little late as it's officially already Autumn - and certainly feels like it where I am. We're looking forward to a good year ahead, with sound management at Whakapapa in place intending, I'm sure, to build on the great start they made last year.
The club committee met a couple of weeks ago for our annual season planning meeting - we're thinking about winter so you don't have to! We welcome Lynne Keary to the committee. Lynne's been a club member for some years now and we're glad to have her involved. The committee meets monthly from February to October - details are here.
As always in the new year, we're looking for new members. Please spread the Christie message. Word of mouth works well for a club like ours - we love to welcome friends of friends.
Subscription invoices will be sent out in April - please let me know if your, or your family's membership details have changed. Are your juniors still juniors? Do you have family members that are in tertiary education and could benefit from Tertiary membership? Are last year's Tertiary members still eligible? It saves a lot of time if this info is processed before invoices are generated.
We have a couple of work parties coming up before the season starts:
Pre season Maintenance work party - April 11 & 12
Pre season Clean Up work party - June 27 & 28
Work parties are an essential part of club life. Please let me know if you'd like to help out, or have any questions - email membership@skichristie.co.nz. Remember, work party attendance exempts you from the Work Party levy in your annual subs – a saving of $200 per Senior member.
The normal pre season Provisioning Work Party has proved difficult to schedule in the last few years as, due to changing DoC regulations, we're now dependent on helicopter drops to transport provisions to the lodge. Weather and availability etc. means timings of these are usually only confirmed a few days in advance. Plus we only need a small number of people to move supplies into the lodge. If you're flexible and may be able to make it to the lodge on a couple of days' notice, please contact Steve McLennan at president@skichristie.co.nz
We're still setting dates for other regular club events - keep your eye on the club calendar.
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CSC Bunkum #2 2026 - Subs invoices, work parties
April 2, 2026
Subscription invoices for the 2026 season will be sent out over the next few weeks. Please let me know asap if your, or your family's membership details have changed. Are your juniors still juniors? Do you have family members that are in tertiary education and could benefit from Tertiary membership? Are last year's Tertiary members still eligible? Maybe you're eligible for Veteran status? (60 or over with 15+ years affiliation with the club) It saves a lot of time if this info is processed before invoices are generated.
We're keeping the changes to our membership and accommodation rates made last year - kids under 10 pay no subscription fee, and kids under 8 stay for free! Please spread the word to your friends with young children that might be interested - info on joining, along with a link to our application form, can be found here.
Please be aware that you are able to pay your subs by instalment if you wish. No special arrangements need to be made, simply pay what you can, when you can - once you have reached the full amount your access will be activated.
The Booking System will be unavailable while invoices are being generated, and will open again in late May to members who have paid their 2026 subs. If you're planning an out-of-season stay at the lodge in the next couple of months, please contact Jenny, our Bookings Officer directly on bookings@skichristie.co.nz
We have a small group of people registered for the Pre season Maintenance work party on April 11 & 12 and the Pre season Clean Up work party on June 27 & 28. We could do with more! Work parties are an essential part of club life. Please let me know if you'd like to help out, or have any questions - email membership@skichristie.co.nz. Remember, work party attendance exempts you from the Work Party levy in your annual subs – a saving of $200 per Senior member.
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CSC Bunkum #3 2026 - Subs invoices, to Derby or not, Mate's rates ...
May 11, 2026
Dear members and friends
Subscription invoices for 2026 have been sent to all members - if you haven't received yours please contact me asap - membership@skichristie.co.nz. (It might be worth checking your Junk or Spam folders first - most invoices were sent April 22 - 26) Many thanks to those who've already paid - we appreciate your prompt payment.
The booking system will open in early June, exact dates will be communicated by Bunkum. Remember - if you haven't paid your invoice, you won't be able to make bookings.
Midweek Guests @ Member Rates! This season we're introducing a special midweek offer - bring a guest or guests to stay midweek at the lodge, Sunday to Thursday nights, and they'll only pay member rates - that's half the normal guest rate! This is a great way to give your friends a Christie experience - they'll soon see what you've been raving about all these years! I'll send more info on this before the booking system opens. Please note that school holidays periods will be excluded from this offer - normal Guest rates will apply in the holidays.
A word on the Christiania Derby - over the past few years, the organisation of the Derby has been affected by bad weather, lack of snow, and limited interest in participation. Derby is a huge undertaking with substantial financial risk. As a committee we want to stay close to what we feel makes our club great: our family-friendly, relaxed ski-out nature. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Derby this year, and focus our efforts on family-oriented, social events. We hope this aligns better with what will excite you, dear members, to come and enjoy our great place on the mountain.
A few dates have firmed up in the Club Calendar:
Men’s Few Days - Aug 16-18 - Book yourself in for some great male bonding. Stories abound from previous years - fun and good company are guaranteed. You may even get some skiing in …
Ladies’ Few Days - Sept 13-15 - as above, except for the Ladies. Bring your mates! Weather contingency date: Sept 20-22.
Winter Family Games - Aug 29 - weather depending, we’ll have some casual, fun competitions for the whole family - a Fun Run, Best Snowman, etc. At night, we’ll organise the Classic Ski Club Games.
Club Champs - Oct 3 - Led by Game Master Frog: Quiz night, and an exciting Treasure / Puzzle Hunt on skis! Special prizes to be won... Join as a family, or a group of mates!
We have a small group of people registered for the Pre season Clean Up work party on June 27 & 28. We could do with more! Work parties are an essential part of club life. Please let me know if you'd like to help out, or have any questions - email membership@skichristie.co.nz. Remember, work party attendance exempts you from the Work Party levy in your annual subs – a saving of $200 per Senior member. (If you've already paid your levy, we'll refund you)
Please note that the combination to the lodge door has changed. The new combination is included in your subs payment acknowledgement.
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