That's a shame. Shotover is really nice but yes it can be problematic - we went there on New Year's Day and it was super full and very muddy. The kids loved it (and didn't really fall over much) but it was slippery, and quite cold because it's so shaded.

What about staying 'up top' and walking along the Old Road instead? It should be a lot more manageable I would have thought (certainly a lot flatter), and if you don't go there normally then it could be a new thing for you to do.