Looking for something a bit different on your next holiday? We are just back from one of the best ski holidays ever! Got a week? Try 6 ski fields in 7 days!
New Zealand is alive with ski and snowboarding fever at the moment. After huge weather bombs, the mountains are packed with snow and now is the perfect time to jump on a plane and head out on the fields for a few days. It's the perfect place to hone your skills, on the snow fields, Heli-skiing or doing great things such as dog-sledging or sitting by the fire places with friends, and a Central Otago Pinot Noir.
New Zealand is the perfect place to learn to ski!
Mount Hutt - Canterbury
Voted NZ's Best Ski Resort in 2015 and 2016, Mount Hutt is one of New Zealand's largest ski areas, with some of the best natural snow around, and oodles of wide open terrain for all ski and snowboard levels. With its Magic Carpet lift for beginners, excellent snow school, and free skiing for kids 10 years and younger, Mount Hutt is a great option for families. Intermediate skiers will be spoilt for choice here, and there's some seriously challenging off piste areas and advanced runs - we love The Towers, a rock formation at the top of the field. Make time to play on one of the four terrain parks, and if you want heavenly views, hike to the summit to see across the Canterbury Plains to the ocean beyond.
Aston Martin on Ice near Queenstown
Every year, Aston Martin brings its luxury On Ice driving experience to New Zealand. The event offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to drive a range of Aston Martin models at the purpose built Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground. Enjoy bespoke snow and ice-driving programmes under the tutelage of professional driving instructors, gourmet dining in the company of Aston Martin experts, fireside lunches, and exclusive luxury accommodation at Queenstown's Millbrook Resort.
Get off piste at Ohau - Canterbury
When planning New Zealand ski holidays, people often overlook Ohau. This fairly unknown gem is quite small at around 125 hectares, but there are far fewer crowds, so the 'hectare to skiier' ratio is excellent - you don't have to share all that fresh powder with people! While it has a few groomed runs, most of the terrain is off piste.
Get your wild on skiing at Treble Cone - Wanaka
Treble Cone, in the Lake Wanaka area, is often regarded as the best ski field in New Zealand. It's also the largest ski area (550 hectares), boasts the longest vertical drop (770 metres!), has the highest number of black runs, and has the highest recorded average snowfall of all ski fields in New Zealand. The terrain here is epic (only 10% of the landscape is beginner-level, and the black runs are considered more challenging than the average black run elsewhere in New Zealand and Australia), and the scenery is equally epic.
Snow Park - Wanaka
After the thrill and challenge of Treble Cone, let yourself loose on Snow Park New Zealand, also in Wanaka. Snow Park is the ultimate freestyle mecca for skiers and snowboarders alike. There's a laid-back kiwi vibe here, an excellent range of food and drink, and you can watch some of the world's top riders training and competing.
The freestyle features include jumps, rails, boxes, wall rides and New Zealand's only quarter pipe and pristine super pipe. Plus, with its cutting-edge snowmaking system and meticulous standards, the terrain is maintained on an almost hourly basis.
Something for everyone - Coronet Peak - Queenstown
Coronet Peak is the most popular ski field in New Zealand, thanks to its proximity to the superb ski resort town of Queenstown, its variety of runs, and its excellent facilities. Best known for its excellent beginner and intermediate terrain, there's still 30% of the trails rated black, so advanced skiers will enjoy this ski field too. Something for everyone!
Ultimate fun - Accessible only by Helicopter - Snowmobiling Experience
Explore true back country New Zealand on a thrilling Snow Mobile tour. Board your chopper for exhilarating short flight across the Remarkables Mountain Range, over the Hector Mountains and across the Nevis River Valley, where you land at the base of the Garvie Mountains.
Gear up and get your safety briefing, then head off through the most stunning terrain, lead by your experienced guide, along the central most inland mountain range in New Zealand, cruising to an altitude of up to 6,000ft above sea level. Groups are kept to six or less, and the landscape is astounding and other-worldly.