Heading to the snow? – New Zealand skiing, snowboarding and winter driving
With temperatures dropping and southerly winter blasts bringing lots of snow to mountain tops, New Zealand’s ski resorts are opening for what is set to be a bumper skiing and snowboarding season.
New Zealand has a snow experience for every level of skier or boarder from uncrowded gentle learner slopes to heli-skiing, back country powder and black runs for the more adventurous. There are commercial resorts, club fields and even an indoor slope in Auckland – called Snowplanet, it’s the first and only all year slope in the country.
And with some of the best Southern Hemisphere skiing anywhere snow lovers flock to New Zealand slopes from all over the world.
Every year over 60,000 Australians go skiing or boarding during their New Zealand visit, around 16 per cent of the total annual visitors from our nearest neighbour (YE March 2012).
Skiing is also popular with South East Asia, with around 8 per cent of Singaporean visitors and 4 per cent of Malaysians heading for the snow.
Our mountains are also popular with Northern Hemisphere skiers wanting to continue during the northern summer. Five per cent of annual UK visitors to New Zealand ski or board during their visit, making the Brits New Zealand’s second largest ski market.
There are three main ski regions: Queenstown and Wanaka, Christchurch and Canterbury, in the South Island, and Mount Ruapehu in the Central North Island.
With its international airport, Queenstown is the central hub for South Island skiing, with four main resorts: Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone.
The three ski areas inland of Christchurch at Mount Hutt, Porters and Mackenzie, serve Canterbury’s thousands of skiers. And at just over an hour’s drive from Christchurch, Mount Hutt and Porters is a ski mecca for day trippers, as well as international visitors.
The North Island has the country’s largest ski area at Whakapapa, with its smaller neighbour Turoa, and being almost equal distance between Auckland and Wellington, draw crowds from both cities as well as New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay and Tauranga.
From wherever you travel to get to the snow, you have to drive.
And driving in winter is very different to when it’s warm and sunny.
There is plenty of information about safe and enjoyable driving in New Zealand.
One of the main driving safety initiatives is DriveSafe, a website full of important and useful tips and great advice, and practical hints and must-see videos.
Most of the skiing season, from June to August, is also a dangerous time for driving because it can be wet and icy.
So here are some handy hints to keep extra safe and make sure your winter driving trip is problem free:
- Be clued up on the weather and road conditions. These change constantly so monitor them before you leave and note down any areas expecting heavy snow, rain or freezing conditions – here are some useful websites to look at:
- Always have a radio and listen to news reports – National Radio or the Newstalk ZB Network are good stations
- Make sure your windows are clear before driving, both inside and out, and make sure you have an ice scraper
- Always drive to the conditions – this may sound obvious but can be easily forgotten
- Allow greater following distances
- Always obey emergency road closed signs and barriers. Yes, this is an inconvenience but don’t ignore the signs. It is against the law to drive on a closed road, and your insurance will be void
- During winter when days are shorter, take extra care when driving in the twilight hours or at night, especially if it’s snowing
- Drive with your headlights on, day or night
- In really snowy conditions, especially when you are driving up to a ski field you may need to use chains. The most important points to remember are:
- make sure the chains are fitted to the driving wheels
- they should be fitted firm but not tight
- after fitting chains, drive a short distance then check them again to make sure they are secure
- carry warm gloves and make sure you have a torch
- drive slowly when using chains, between 30-50 km/h
- Remember after a day’s activity outside you will be tired so take regular breaks from driving and if possible share the driving
- Mountain conditions can change rapidly and without warning, affecting visibility and traction on the roads – this is especially important to remember when driving downhill from the ski slope. Use the engine as a brake wherever possible, go slow and always turn gently
- Be aware of black ice, a thin sheet of ice on the road that is dark in appearance making it extremely difficult to see against the dark tarmac. This is often found near water and in shaded or sheltered areas. It can be extremely dangerous so:
- avoid sudden braking
- drive slowly
- avoid sudden direction changes
- look for shiny, wet patches on the road
- Other tips include:
- In your car, have some spare batteries for your torch, as well as extra, food, water and warm clothes, just in case the weather turns really bad and you do get stuck
Now that you are up to speed with New Zealand winter driving here are some of the ski resorts you should visit for the best skiing and boarding, in the North Island and South Islands:
Mount Ruapehu – Whakapapa and Turoa Skifields
Just 4.5 to 5.0 hours’ drive from Auckland or Wellington, people flock from all over the North Island to enjoy the snow at Mount Ruapehu.
Whakapapa is the largest field in New Zealand with a great mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced skiing.
It has the largest beginner’s area in the country, called Happy Valley, a safe separate area to learn without other skiers whizzing by. With its own café, equipment rental area and ski school meeting place it is the perfect place to start.
To the south west is Turoa, a smaller field and just up from local town Ohakune, which is full of great places to relax after a day on the slopes.
Both areas offer a huge variety of skiing on snow covered volcanic terrain with a range of natural bumps, jumps, chutes, drops, bowls or just nice wide runs.
Christchurch and Canterbury
Mount Hutt is Canterbury’s big mountain at 2086m elevation and 365 hectares of ski area, it has one of the longest drops of any resort in the South Island at 648m and the greatest variety of terrain.
With spectacular views from the Pacific Ocean to the heart of the Southern Alps this is the largest ski area closest to a major New Zealand city.
It is 35 minutes from local town Methven, and 90 minutes from Christchurch.
Its southerly aspect means it gets smacked with lots of snow straight from the south and has one of the longest ski seasons in the country, helped along by 75 snow guns covering 44 hectares.
Just up the road is the smaller Porters ski field with 230 hectares of skiable area but a much larger area of out of bound bowls that offer extended adventure across an area of up to 600 hectares.
Porters is a family ski resort with the best family offers and group discounts.
It has great terrain for all abilities and has recently installed a new 689m four-seater chair lift, with a 2000 person per hour capacity, opening up even more terrain.
Further to the south along route 8 on the way to Queenstown there are three smaller ski fields, full of personality, friendliness and service.
The first on the list is Mount Dobson, which at 400 hectares is the largest of the three. Its chair lift has a 4000 per hour capacity and there’s lots of off-trail skiing. Just 15kms off route 8, the start of the mountain road is on the right just 11 kms west of Fairlie.
Next and smallest is Roundhill, a 32km drive north of the town of Tekapo and east of Lake Tekapo. It might be small but it boasts the world’s longest and steepest rope tow, which will give your arms and shoulders a work out on the way up. It also has super long natural half pipes, chutes and a massive beginners’ area, a great place for learners to find their feet.
The third location in the Mackenzie Basin is Ohau, a busy ski field with well-appointed accommodation at Ohau Lodge just 20 minutes away where you can relax and revive after a day on the slopes.
Ohau is a favourite of families because the snow and accommodation are right next door to each other.
Queenstown and Wanaka
The jewel in the crown of New Zealand skiing is the Queenstown and Lake Wanaka area in the heart of the Southern Alps.
This region has the biggest concentration of large ski resorts in the country, and if you want a break from the snow there are a heap of other activities to keep you busy, from exhilarating bungy jumping to relaxing in the restaurants and bars in town.
Coronet Peak is the ski field in Queenstown’s backyard and has been operating for almost 60 years. Just 20 minutes from town it is a world class ski area, with the latest equipment including 213 snow guns, the largest fully automated snow making system in the country. It also has night skiing until 9pm.
Just across the valley is the Remarkables ski area, a smaller resort that is ideal for beginners and families, with about half of its area dedicated to beginners and intermediate level skiers and boarders. This year it’s added a new base building and it also has a six person chair lift meaning less time queueing and more time skiing – north facing, it is nice and sunny.
Higher up in the mountains between Queenstown and Wanaka is Cardrona, the second largest ski area in the region. South facing it gets pummelled with plentiful dry snow. Its beginners’ slopes are accessed by the southern hemisphere’s longest magic carpet and it has four dedicated kids’ centres. The field has extensive terrain park facilities and is home to the NZ Olympic Park and Pipe Team. Here there is accommodation on the slopes meaning you will be first on newly groomed slopes every morning!
The largest and most northerly ski field in the region is Treble Cone 25 kms north-west of Wanaka. With the longest vertical rise in the region and two large basins, the field’s 550 hectares boasts skiing for every level and this year has added new intermediate runs and a new mountain café. Treble Cone is constantly developing with new earthworks creating better runs and facilities and has won New Zealand’s Best Ski Resort in 2013 and 2014, at the World Ski Awards.
Is it possible to ski on a budget?
Going skiing or boarding is not the cheapest of pastimes but if you hire a cheap rental car you will have more money to spend on lift passes, equipment hire, accommodation close to the slopes and some after ski fun.
At New Zealand Discount Car Rentals daily rates start at $14.95 for a short term rental and could be as low as $9.95 a day for a minimum of 40 days.
And with a large fleet of high quality vehicles from small hatchbacks to people movers you will find a car and rental period that suits your plans.
Enjoy your time in the snow and please take extra care when driving in winter – it can be unpredictable.
Remember, we drive on the left side of the road.
Have fun!