---
type: "Article"
title: "Travel Writer Justine Tyerman’s Ski Boots Undergo Radical Surgery"
description: "Shotover Jet, Earth & Sky, Glacier Helicopters, Queenstown Snowmobiles, Dart River Adventures, Hollyford Track, Guided Walks New Zealand, Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools, Huka Falls Jet, Rainbow Springs, Agrodome."
resource: "https://travelmemo.com/new-zealand/justine-tyerman-ski-boots-surgery"
author: "Justine Tyerman"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
photo_count: 6
tags: ["Landscape", "Nature", "New Zealand"]
entities:
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/new-zealand"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/nature-tourism"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/experience-travel"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/wilderness-safaris"
generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj", at: 2026-07-04T13:52:10+00:00 }
sources:
  - id: photos
    resource: justine-tyerman-ski-boots-surgery.md#photos
    title: "Original photography by Justine Tyerman"
    author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj"
timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:52:10+00:00
---

# Travel Writer Justine Tyerman’s Ski Boots Undergo Radical Surgery

> A travel writer based in Wanaka, New Zealand, recounts getting her ski boots professionally stretched at Outside Sports and skiing Treble Cone, with asides on nearby adventure activities across the South Island and beyond.

## Destination
Wanaka and Queenstown region, New Zealand (South Island), with mentions of Franz Josef, Rotorua, and Taupo.

## Getting there
The writer flew Air New Zealand from Auckland to Queenstown return and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Queenstown.

## What to see
- **Treble Cone** — Ski area near Wanaka offering fresh powder; the writer skied here after her boot repair.
- **Franz Josef Glacier** — Massive ice field with blue-green crevasses, accessible on foot with ice crampons.
- **Glacier Hot Pools** — Hot pools near Franz Josef where visitors can soak after glacier exploration.
- **Agrodome, Rotorua** — Farm attraction where visitors can watch sheep shearing, including merino sheep.
- **Rainbow Springs, Rotorua** — Wildlife attraction where nocturnal kiwi can be encountered.
- **Huka Falls** — Thunderous waterfall near Taupo; a jetboat ride takes passengers to its foot.

## What to do
- **Ski boot stretching at Outside Sports** — Outside Sports in Wanaka (also Queenstown and Te Anau) can heat and stretch rigid plastic ski boot shells to relieve pressure from bone spurs or bunions.
- **Dart River Jetboat and wilderness walk** — Jetboat into Mt Aspiring National Park followed by an off-track Ultimate Nature Experience.
- **Shotover Jetboat, Queenstown** — World-famous jetboat ride that thrilled Prince William and Kate during their 2014 visit.
- **Hollyford Track** — Multi-day hike the writer has completed twice; offered as a guided walk.
- **Snowshoeing** — Mentioned as an activity the writer tried, though she found it somewhat undignified.

## Good to know
Outside Sports has shops in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Te Anau; gear can be picked up at one location and returned to another. Ski boot plastic has a memory and will revert to its original shape if overheated, so boots should not be placed near a fire after stretching. The writer was a guest of Ngai Tahu Tourism.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Paul-the-Scot-about-to-operate-on-my-skiboots-at-the-Wanaka-Outside-Sports-shop.-e1452429419242.jpg"
    caption: "Paul, the Scot, about to operate on my skiboots at the Wanaka Outside Sports shop."
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Jack-and-Justine-at-the-Wanaka-Outside-Sports-shop..jpg"
    caption: "Jack and Justine at the Wanaka Outside Sports shop."
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Dart-River-hike.-The-jetboat-on-Lake-Wakatipu-before-heading-up-the-Dart-River.8.jpg"
    caption: "Dart River Jetboat © Ngai Tahu Tourism"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Shearing-a-merino-sheep-at-the-Agrodome-in-Rotorua..-NTT-picture.jpg"
    caption: "Shearing a merino sheep at the Agrodome in Rotorua © Ngai Tahu Tourism"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Remarkables.-Our-lightweight-high-tech-snowshoes.jpg"
    caption: "Lightweight, high-tech snowshoes"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/World-famous-Shotover-jetboats-near-Queenstown-have-been-thrilling-tourists-on-the-Shotover-River-for-50-years.NTT-picture..jpg"
    caption: "World famous Shotover jetboats near Queenstown © Ngai Tahu Tourism"
```