Insurance

Travel Insurance to NZ

Skiing and Snowboarding

NEW ZEALAND

Image of Snowboarder New Zealand is one of the most popular ski destinations for skiing and heli skiing vacations; within the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of international skiers to New Zealand travel to the ski resorts of Queenstown and Wanaka.

However remote ski locations like Mount Potts Backcountry and Temple Basin Ski Area are becoming increasingly more popular for the international skier on a tight budget.

The New Zealand ski season is roughly early July to early October and starts as the Northern Hemisphere slopes finally melt away making New Zealand an increasingly popular international ski destination.

Updated New Zealand Snow Reports click here

What to expect in the different ski areas

Image of Skier Most New Zealand ski fields are geared to the domestic downhill market and the eastern side of the Southern Alps is littered with many ski club fields Throughout the country there's also a few exceptions to this norm: commercial resorts, with high-speed quad chairs (lift tickets around $60 per adult), ski schools, gear rental and groomed wide open slopes. You won't find the massive on-site resorts of the scale found in North America and Europe; skiers commute daily to the slopes from nearby ski towns. Gear rental, either from shops in the nearest town or on the field, ranges from around NZ$35 a day for a full set of decent equipment to around NZ$65 for the performance stuff or for snowboarding tackle.

At weekends and school holidays the tow queues at the major fields can become slightly long, and the ideal solution is heliskiing. Guides conversant with the routes and skilled in reading avalanche danger can take small parties onto virgin slopes high among the peaks of the Southern Alps.

New Zealand Commercial Ski Areas

Image of The Remarkables North Island : The countries two largest ski areas are both located at Mount Ruapehu - Turoa and Whakapapa.

South Island : The Southern Alps of the South Island offers a greater range of ski resorts & ski fields, plus heli-skiing. The greatest concentration of commercial ski fields are located around Queenstown - Coronet Peak and The Remarkables; and Wanaka - Treble Cone, Cardrona and the Waiorau Nordic Ski Area. Further north near Methven - Mount Hutt and Mount Potts Backcountry are both within two hours drive of Christchurch International Airport.

Snow Report Summary : 11 May 2008

AUCKLAND: Snowplanet, is OPEN ( Indoor Skiing )
MT RUAPEHU: Whakapapa, is Closed. Opening Sat 14 June 2008
MT RUAPEHU: Turoa, is Closed. Opening Sat 14 June 2008
ARTHURS PASS: Temple Basin, is Closed. Opening Sat 5 July 2008
METHVEN: Mount Hutt, is Closed. Opening Sat 14 June 2008
METHVEN: Mount Potts,is Closed. Opening Sat 15 July 2008
WANAKA: Treble Cone, is Closed. Opening Mon 30 June 2008
WANAKA: Cardrona Alpine Resort, is Closed. Opening Sat 28 June 2008
QUEENSTOWN: Coronet Peak, is Closed. Opening Sat 7 June 2008
QUEENSTOWN: The Remarkables, is Closed. Opening Sat 21 June 2008

Latest updated New Zealand Snow Reports click here

Club Ski Areas

Image of Temple Basin The eastern side of the Southern Alps is littered with ski club fields sporting a handful of rope tows, simple lifts and a varied collection of private ski lodges. They're open to all-comers, but some are only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles, others have a long walk in, and ski schools are almost unheard of. Conversely, lift tickets are only NZ$20-40, queues are short and there's usually a gear-rental shop not too far away. Temple Basin Ski Area requires a 55-minute walk in but has fantastic snowboarding terrain, on site lodge accommodation and rental equipment.

Heli-Skiing and Glacier Skiing

Image of Heli Skiers New Zealand is a great place to try heliskiing and heliboarding. The main Heliskiing locations are Methven, Mount Cook, Queenstown and Wanaka. At Mount Cook the Tasman Glacier provides a fantastic 12km scenic run. The heliskiing season normally runs from July to early October. Provided you are an intermediate skier and are reasonably proficient at skiing powder you should be able to pass the ability questionnaire, but at around NZ$735 a day it isn't for everyone.

Ski and Snowboarding Tours

For those wanting a scenic skiing or snowboarding tour including heliskiing some of the best terrain in New Zealand check out the Southern Alps Ski Tour. Bookings are generally limited due to popular demand.

New Zealand Snow Safety Institute

Image of Boarder The New Zealand Snow Safety Institute provides a variety of courses for skiers and snowboarders i.e. Avalanche Awareness for Skiers and Snowboarders, Explosives for Avalanche Control, Winter Survival for Snowboarders, Advanced Emergency Medical Care.

New Zealand Snow Reports

Snow Reports on various New Zealand Ski Resorts, Commercial and Backcountry Ski Fields.

Snow Reports are updated daily during the ski season click here

New Zealand Ski Season

The New Zealand ski season is roughly from early July to early October.

2008 New Zealand Winter School Holidays

The New Zealand winter school holidays generally occur between the following periods:

05 July - 20 July 2008
27 September - 12 October 2008

We suggest you book your ski trips outside of these school holiday periods.

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