Skiing In The South Island of New Zealand

Fabulous Skiing Down Under

New Zealand is known for its adventure sports, and particularly in skiing. Many people who come down to the Southern Hemisphere winter would generally go to New Zealand to try out the white powder on the slopes, many of them offering a fantastic scenery. The biggest attraction with New Zealand ski fields is the quality of the snow and the price. It has one of the cheapest ski lift passes in the Southern Hemisphere, and the snow is more consistent and deeper than some of the ski fields in Australia (and this is according to many people, so Aussies, please don’t take offense.. ).

I had my first taste of snowsports in the South Island, as I was living in Christchurch for 5 years. Christchurch was an excellent base to numerous ski fields around the Canterbury region. Though, having said that, I did learn my skiing  in Wanaka, when I went with a bunch of friends and stayed in a cottage for a week just to go skiing. There is so much variety with the different slopes and fields around, that it is totally worth to come skiing in the South Island of New Zealand.

I’ve only been to a few ski fields in New Zealand, but here is a list of my favourite ski fields in the South Island of New Zealand:

1.) Mt Hutt

This is probably one of my favourite ski fields in the South Island. Mt Hutt only 90 minutes away from Christchurch, and has the best facilities amongst all the ski fields in the Canterbury region. It’s also the biggest skifield in the Canterbury area, and offers a wide range of ski runs for the different levels of expertise. Being someone in between a beginner and intermediate, I’ve managed to find an enjoyable run, mainly traversing along the long green run called “Highway 72″. If you are ever going to ski in Christchurch, I would say this is the best ski field in terms of variety, accessibility and facilities that is also close to Christchurch.

2.)Porter Heights

Porter Heights is actually the closest ski field from Christchurch. It claims to be only 80 minutes away from the city. Porter Heights started out as a club field, but has now been developed into a full-size ski field. The facilities at Porter Heights have now improved since I first visited back in 2003. They have replaced their pommers with T-bars, but they have yet to install a chair lift. The field in Porter Heights is not as big as Mt Hutt, and it is more catered to intermediate to advanced skiers. There is a tiny beginners run, but otherwise, not much option for those still learning to ski or snowboard. Nevertheless, it’s a great option for those who love to challenge themselves with blue and black runs.

3.) Cardrona

This is the ski field where I actually learned to ski. Cardrona is a 40 minute drive from Wanaka. It offers a great range of green and blue runs, as well as a wide variety of black runs. Cardrona is actually one of the bigger ski fields in New Zealand. It even has a snow park where people who are into freestyle skiing can have a go at the half pipes and jumps. Many freestyle skiers and exhibitionist display their talent here, and some World championships have taken place in the snow park.

4.) Treble Cone

Treble Cone is a 30-minute drive from Wanaka, and offers a great view of Lake Wanaka and the Mount Aspiring National Park. This is the nearest ski field to the town of Wanaka. Treble Cone has a decent stretch of learners and green runs, but it has a better selection of black and blue runs than Cardrona. Most advanced skiers prefer Treble Cone over Cardrona, but those who want an easy but fun time on the snow tend to go to Cardrona. Facilities are fantastic in this ski field. I also learned to ski in this ski field, though I only managed to do a lesson.

There are other ski fields like Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown, but I haven’t yet explored them. A lot of tourists who come to the South Island to ski would go to Queenstown, and hence, would have tried skiing in either Coronet Peak or Remarkables. I’ve generally avoided Queenstown during that time, as it can be too crowded and accommodations can be overpriced. Christchurch maintains good value for money as a base for skiing, and there is more variety in terms of ski fields.

Ski season in New Zealand generally starts on the 2nd weekend of June and finishes on the 3rd weekend of October each year. I hope you can venture out to the South Island of New Zealand for the ski season, be it this year or the next!

Getting There:

If you’re coming from Australia, you can fly direct to Christchurch from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast, and direct to Queenstown from Sydney. Check out great deals for your flights and accommodations with Expedia or Zuji. Christchurch is the main gateway to the South Island, and has direct connections to Australia, Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo and Fiji.

If you have been to New Zealand before and just loved the scenery and lifestyle of the place, moving there is not a bad idea. I certainly have lived there, and would consider retiring there in the future. If you want to know how to move to New Zealand, check out this website here.