A land for snow junkies
PHOTO: Mt Hutt - Miles Holden - www.nzski.com
They don’t call it Land of the Long White Cloud for nothing. Flying over the Tasman Sea towards New Zealand, the Southern Alps look from a distance like clouds on the horizon. Not only are these snow-capped peaks spectacular to look at, but they offer superb winter recreation, primarily in the form of skiing and snowboarding. New Zealand boasts some of the best snow country in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the off-season training ground of many northern ski teams and seasonal home to ski junkies who can’t kick the habit and follow winter around the world.
The New Zealand ski season runs from late June to early October, although Mt Hutt (Canterbury) can open in May and Mt Ruapehu (North Island) can close as late as November. While the mountains are heavy with snow, the base towns only get a few falls each year. This means that a wide range of non-skiing related activities are also available over winter: bungy jumping, rafting, jet boating, hiking and mountain biking come in handy when the treeless ski fields close for the day because of high winds or poor visibility.
For such a little place New Zealand has an astounding number of ski areas and a great diversity of experiences for the taking 24 ski areas, one cross-country area as well as heli and glacier skiing operations. For most backpackers, heli-skiing is out of the question, but if you do want to splash out, it’s worth it. Skiing the Tasman Glacier is wild: you don’t have to be a hot skier and, with the exchange rate, this is probably as cheap as it gets. At the other end of the scale are New Zealand’s club fields: ski areas in remote locations (some without road access) that offer backpacker style on-site accommodation, ungroomed (but fantastic) terrain. In between is a selection of excellent, well-established modern commercial fields. New Zealand ski-fields may surprise you if you’re used to Northern Hemisphere conditions. Our open treeless ski slopes mean more terrain and more wind on the bad days, but on the good days, uninterrupted views across swathes of farmland, crystal blue lakes and even the Pacific Ocean. There is little on-field accommodation at the commercial fields. Most skiers stay in the nearby towns and villages at the base of the ski-hills and drive or hitchhike up the hill each day. Skiers based in Christchurch may drive for an hour and a half to reach their favourite ski area.
Kiwi ski roads can also be a shock to the uninitiated. Typically narrow, gravelled and steep they are nevertheless well maintained and safe so long as you take care. For peace of mind, you can opt for shuttle services, which are available for most ski areas from the local towns and often from backpacker accommodation. Look for contact details at your hostel, local Visitor Information Centre or ring the ski field.