Ski Holidays in New Zealand

With the Southern Alps running down the entire South Island and a huge snow covered volcano in the North, there are plenty of ski areas dotted around New Zealand. Whether you plan to come across especially for the skiing, or want to squeeze in a couple of days on your sightseeing trip there are no shortage of places to choose from.

However, if you do come to New Zealand expecting lifts with heated seats and 5 star restaurants on the snow you will be looking for a long time! New Zealand skiing is no frills skiing at its best. No furry animal ski suits here (unless you count people in Yeti suits).

Ski areas in New Zealand are generally located up some pretty hairy roads which are predominantly dirt or gravel, and pretty steep with huge drop-offs - don't worry though, this all adds to the sense of adventure and excitement! Other than the club lodges at Whakapapa in the North Island and a few on mountain apartments at Cardrona there is no ski-in ski-out accommodation at any of the commercial fields. Club fields are a different kettle of fish but more about them another time.

Arriving at the car parks you will come to the base areas which generally consist of a couple of buildings in which are housed lift ticket and ski school sales, a café or two, maybe a small shop, and a place to hire your equipment. If you usually ski in North America or Europe and are used to entire villages at the base of the mountain then New Zealand is pretty much the opposite!

What the resorts lack in terms of infrastructure they definitely make up for in other ways. The ski areas themselves are fantastic. Although much smaller than most Northern Hemisphere resorts, they manage to pack a wide range of terrain into the space they occupy. All of the ski areas are above the tree line which means that the terrain is completely open. You can encounter anything from wide rolling bowls, to natural half pipes, to steep drop-offs, chutes, and cliffs. The areas are jam-packed with natural terrain features so if you like to cruise around and have fun this is the perfect playground. There are good groomers and beginner areas too for those that prefer a more sedate snow holiday.

There are a couple of world class terrain parks in the South Island with Cardrona and Snow Park both boasting some huge hits, half pipes, and a variety of rails and boxes. Cardrona and Snow Park use the Global Cutter to cut their pipes, the same machine used to make the pipe in Whistler for the Olympics earlier this year (designed by Kiwi John Melville). If you like chucking yourself off big things you won't be disappointed. In fact Wanaka is the favourite place for many Northern Hemisphere riders to train during their summer. Don't be surprised if you catch a glimpse of Shaun White at the top of the pipe, or practicing his cricket in town.

The views and scenery from all of the ski areas are absolutely stunning. The atmosphere is chilled and relaxed, and ski area staff are exceptionally friendly. There are endless opportunities for off-piste, out-of bounds skiing and snowboarding - but as always, make sure you know what you are doing and have all the right avalanche gear before heading out of bounds, and check with Ski Patrol first.

If you are the type of skier or snowboarder that doesn't need pampering, and likes a challenge then New Zealand is definitely worth checking out. From the epic club fields in Canterbury (Glen Plake is a regular) to the magnificence of the ski areas in the Wanaka/Queenstown area you will be amazed by the South Island. At Mt Ruapehu in the North Island you have the opportunity to ski or ride on an active volcano. With a bit of a hike you can even ski right down next to the crater lake.

If you can get some reasonably priced flights then you will find that a snow holiday in New Zealand is very affordable and is definitely a once in a life time experience!