Anyone skied in New Zealand?

A snowHead

So Mr Dbaskls announced this morning he'd like to go to NZ for his 50th in a couple of year's time. Now I suspect his main motive is to check out Hobbiton but I immediately thought skiing! One advantage being there would be no need to take junior out of school as it would be in the summer hols. However, I have zero knowledge of skiing in NZ other than it is possible. So can anyone fill me in on the basics:

1. When is the NZ ski season, i.e. which months?
2. Top resorts in terms of km of piste and snow-sure?

Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

Season runs roughly from mid June to mid September (last year wasn't a classic season).

Resorts are quite a bit smaller than European ones and tend to be accessed by driving up mountain roads with you based down in town. You can have a lot of fun touring between different resorts.

You neeed to give some thought as to how much you want to travel around New Zealand. There is skiing on both North and South Island. I'd be tempted to suggest you might want to spend a few days in Queenstown and rent a car to give you access to Coronet Peak, Cardrona, Remarkables and Treble Cone.

@hang11, or @Sarge McSarge, should be able to offer advice if you PM them.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@dbaskls,

I had a holiday skiing in NZ over 20 years ago and my info may well be a bit dated.
It was pre children and just my wife and myself. We had a great time touring in a campervan which were in those days very cheap to rent as Southern Summer was their main season and they were little more expensive than car hire. But we then had no hotel costs
We basically toured around the south Island skiing the fields mentioned above and a couple of club fields we also arranged a days heli skiing which was great fun and much cheaper than elsewhere.
We did a bit of sight seeing as well as skiing.

Definately definately worth doing and it is something we would love to repeat if there was not so much else in the world to do and see.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Hi, I skied nz in 1993, staying in queenstown , we paid a daily ticket that covered a bus ride to each ski area and the lift ticket. I would have loved to have spent a year or two living in queenstown if I had been made redundant before kids came along. Much cheaper than Europe once you are there.
We were sat outside a restaurant when a Kia (mountain parrot) sat on the roof turned around and shat all over the guy sat below Laughing

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hi Mr & Mrs D

Been living in NZ for the last few years and have skied at the North Island Mt Ruapehu fields a fair bit. Coincidentally I was in the process of doing a trip report which I have just posted, so take a look, it may help

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=115286

These NI fields oddly have a longer season than the South Island fields and are generally cheaper all round. We like to load the kids up in the car and go being based in Auckland as internal flights here needed to get to South Island if you are based in NI can be expensive and the cost of things in SI are set up for the tourist market so higher. But SI is more the NZ than people expect to see from the lord of the rings type mountain scenery etc. and the skiing is good. (but Hobbiton is not far from Mt Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe next to it was used as Mount Doom in LOTR. We have traveled in the SI but only have only skied at Mt Hutt near Christchurch but we know people who ski in the SI so if you have so if you have any queries we can probably find someone who could help there.

Fields are a lot smaller and less developed than Europe and the drives up can be fun/hairy/scary but worth a go. Skiing on a relatively active volcano can have a thrill of its own. No field is snow sure, the weather is too unpredictable and they are not very high. Afraid if you are only here a certain time then you need to take it as you find it.

If you have any queries at all, would be pleased to help.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I live in Queenstown so can help you with anu
y details you might need NZ uses the in international system (ie not European) for resort management with all areas inside the boundary hazard and avalanche controlled so length of runs is meaningless but area in hectares or acres is used. As you can ski every where a small resort can actually give a large variety of skiing.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Ruapehu is my home mountain. Have had some great times up there. Get up early to get a good park. Ensure you get out west (Black Magic off the far west T). Try the geothermal hot pools in Tukaanu for a excellent way to unwind after a hard day on the slopes.

Janqs review is spot on.

South Island get a motor home and tour around. Don't forget the club fields if you like raw back country.

After all it is free

K, F's godmother has skied in NZ and has recently emigrated out there. I can ask her or ask if she minds you contacting her on FB if you want some good NZ info.
Hobbiton sounds brilliant, worth the flight alone IMO

From what I hear, the snow's unreliable, it can be very windy, there aren't enough pistes to keep good skiers amused for a day let alone a week, it's relatively expensive, there's hardly any accommodation near the resorts and the uplift is ancient and slow with too many surface lifts. It might just about be OK for local novices who are really keen to learn, but experienced skiers should look elsewhere. Oh sorry, that's actually a précis of Scotland's entry from 'Where to Ski & Snowboard'. wink

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I visited a mate who was instructing out there based in Queenstown whilst I was travelling. It reminded me a lot of skiing in Scotland actually, on a good day as good as anywhere (if a bit limited) good off piste, but susceptible to bad weather, and poor conditions. You obviously can't ski in the Western hemisphere during this time of the year unless it's on a glacier, but I hear Chile is good.

New Zealand is a beautiful country, would I go all that way (and expense) just to get a ski fix in the British summer? No. Include it as part of a longer holiday certainly.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Queenstown Season runs from Ist weekend in June till at least the first weekend in October. Most lifts on the four local mountains are modern chairs with a few older chairs. All most no surface lifts.Coronet Peak has an extensive modern snowmaking system and the Remarkables is expanding their snowmaking. All accommodation is in proper towns in the valleys with lots of choices of hotels bars restaurants shops etc. Lots of non snow activities available. Everything from art galleries and wineries through to bunjy jumping and jet boat rides so lots to do on rest days. Not so windy in the South Island and some great experiences available on the small club run mountains inland from Christchurch. And you can fly direct from Australia to Queenstown or Christchurch.

snow reports

Thanks all. Some good pointers there to start my research. I may be back to ask more questions nearer the time but as it's 2 1/2 years away yet that's a good starter for ten Smile

Help!!

Anyone skied in New Zealand?

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