Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Skiing in New Zealand

We are thinking of going to New Zealand for some skiing in August.

Any suggestions or information would be appreciated.

Give these sites a go -

http://www.purenz.com

http://www.snow.co.nz

Also give http://www.travel.co.nz and click on Ski on the right hand area of the homepage

I'd suggest you make Queenstown your main base to begin with and enjoy the sights of the south island and then make your way to one of the ski resorts from there - remarkables, etc.

[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 02-23-2003).]

I agree - base yourself in Queenstown or Wanaka: they have the best choice of fields (Treble Cone / Cardrona / Remarkables / Coronet Peak) and are beautiful, interesting places to spend some time if the weather rules out the skiing. Mt Hutt, just under 2 hours from Christchurch, is also a good field but the surrounding area has much less to offer. The North Island fields (Whakapapa and Turoa) are more developed but also far more crowded and the snow is generally not as good; however that is also an interesting area with lots of thermal activity - soaking in a hot pool after a day's skiing is pretty nice!

A few general points about skiing in NZ compared to the northern hemisphere:
- less developed fields in terms of number of lifts, onsite facilities etc but also (semi) affordable prices and a lack of crowds if you avoid the local school holidays
- no accommodation on the fields themselves as a general rule, thus a hire car is a good idea, though the fields do all have buses etc. Some of the access roads may be a little alarming to those unused to steep mountainsides so if you are of a nervous disposition you may find public transport a better option. The big car hire companies usually offer ski-friendly packages, like a few days free lift passes with a weeks car hire etc etc.
- Queenstown is definitely the best for apres ski entertainment and atmosphere, though Wanaka is fun as well with a more local crowd (many NZers choose to stay at Wanaka while more international tourists opt for Queenstown)
- No trees on the ski fields at all! Fields in NZ are all above the treeline.

Have fun!

Great info. Thanks.

Now I have to make the plans.

Ok, 3 years later I finally book the trip. Going LAX-MEL-AKL. Now that I read this original thread, I think I screwed up. Should we be going to the south island instead? Is there mid Aug skiing on the North Island and is it worth it?

We have 5 days in NZ then 2 in MEL. I can play around with the mix of days between NZ and OZ a little but the return is set (QF FC FF award).

Thanks.

Yes, there's skiing in mid-August in the North Island. It's probably the best snow too. Yes, the South Island may be better, but I wouldn't sweat over it.

Note the North Island skifields are several hours drive from Auckland, so assuming the 5 days includes the day you fly in and out of NZ, effectively you'll have no more than 3 days on the slopes.

Christchurch or Queenstown would have been better from that perspective since much closer to the skifields.

Thanks for the help.

It looks like Christchurch is it. Queenstown or Wanaka require an extra connection and I've already booked NY-LAX-MEL-AKL

Any reccomendations on where to stay that has a good mix of close to the ski fields but still close to nightlife?

It is only 70 miles from Christchurch to http://www.craigieburn.co.nz/index.html
so you can stay in Christchurch. Great skiing and very different from the US. There is a lot less development around the slopes with only a couple of places to stay or eat, much less night life. Hope you are a good skier, I'm a beginner as I only ski once a year and some of these slopes are pretty scary. All would be rated 1 category higher for skilll level in the US.

Forgot to say that either bring your own skis or rent them in CHC because there isn't any ski shop at the ski fields (or none that I noticed, again unlike the US where every resort has a big rental business).

If you want to stay closer to the slopes, Methven is a good bet - it's close to Mount Hutt skifield, which unlike Craigeburn is commercial field with lots more amenities.

I went last year to Mt. Hutt in August, which is about an hour from Christchurch and was not impressed at all. Not a lot of snow and a lot af trail closures...Queenstown is probably the better bet

I went last year to Mt. Hutt in August, which is about an hour from Christchurch and was not impressed at all. Not a lot of snow and a lot af trail closures...Queenstown is probably the better betQueenstown is well known to be the best skiing in NZ and world-class....so no surprise about that. But Queenstown is also a lot more expensive and harder to get to, so for those short on time and/or money it is nice to have CHC as an alternative. Sometimes the snow is quite good there, obviously this varies yearly (this year looks to be a heavy snow year).

There can be too much snow in the western part of the island. My guide on the glacier walk was also a ski instructor and had a great story about what happenend on his wilderness survival training. A group of a dozen were in a hut in the mountains, supposed to be for 3 days. Got snowed in and couldn't leave for 3 weeks. Had to keep digging in shifts to keep the hut from being covered over, wound up with over 30 feet of snow falling during their stay there. That's a classic rainforest climate. Obviously the ski resorts are located to avoid this kind of snow fall.

There are plenty of ski fields on the South Island and higher elevation ones on the North. The Northern fields are usually better later in the year into Sept/Oct whilst the Southern ones usually close up around Sept. I've listed a few comments about the more common fields.

Treble Cone (Near Wanaka) Great terrain for the experienced skier, scary drive up and usually good snow but can be marginal often on the lower slopes, gets fogged in a lot with low vis.

Cardrona - Good intermediate hill and great snowboard parks, usually good snow although rocky underneath, also often foggy - scary drive. Stacks of Japanese boarders here.

Coronet Peak - The most fun terrain but marginal snow for the most part, can be great after a dump, good for all levels - easy drive up.

Remarks - OK terrain, great terrain if you want to hike all day to the chutes - crazy drive up there.

Mount Hutt (or Mt Shut as it's often called) - Good terrain, excellent backcountry but often hard pack if it hasn't snowed in the last week until mid afternoon when ot softens a little. Mountain is often closed due to exposure to weather fronts and the crappy road up. If it dumps before you get here this is the place to be, head over the back (not avalanche controlled) and have some fun.

Porter Heights - Fun hill with smaller crowds and decent terrain.

Try Broken River and Criagiburn as well if the snow is good, the club fields are great.

Wanaka - Beautiful place, a little quiet, close to Cardrona and T/cone.
Q/town - Fun, more touristy but close to most ski areas other than the drive to T/cone.
Methven - Mt Hutt and Porter Heights close by, quiet and very rural but you can still find things to do.

North Island - Have not been but hear the skiing is good if a little hard packed.

I think you'll have fun wherever you go, the seasons have been a little underdone of late but this could be the year.

Given the recent heavy snowfalls and storms in NZ, it sounds like skiing will be in fine shape everywhere (and that downtown Christchurch is now snow country).

The Queenstown fields missed out on the recent dump but Canterbury fields got plenty (and further north Marlborough and central North Island lesser amount). Supposed to be another good fall coming this weekend.

I'd rec going to the South Island club fields - a different experience from N. America & Europe. Rope tows which require use of a harness & nutcracker, no grooming, a small community feel. Good times - Craigieburn opened for night skiing by the full moon when I was there. They also have the best lift served ski terrain in New Zealand.

Craigieburn is good, as is it's partner Broken River (it's possible to traverse between the 2 with a 20 minute hike). Mt. Olympus is a bit of a drive (def spend the night) but worth a visit, as is Temple Basin (another overnighter, it's a 1-1.5 hour walk from the carpark to field, but there is a goods lift to carry up your gear)

Thanks for all of the help and ideas.

We are all set for our trip in 2 weeks with 2 nights at Lake Wanaka and 3 nights in Queenstown.

Queenstown: Scenic Circle Aurum Hotel
Lake Wanaka: Te Wanaka Lodge

Also have a 1 night layover in Auckland.

How the snow now in the ski fields around Lake Wanaka and Queentown?

I arrive next week.

Thanks

see www.snow.co.nz (http://www.snow.co.nz/areas/area_index.asp)

more snow falling in most mountain areas today and early next week

For a ski trip with a difference, get yourself to one of the club fields near Methven. Temple Basin and Mt Olympus have both been awesome trips for me. If the snow is there, you will have a blast, hardly any people around, cheap as, and once you master the rope tows, easy as to get around. Keep an eye out for wrinkle free week at Mt olympus!