New Zealand

Skiing in New Zealand is a definite step-up from skiing in Australia. If you aren’t an international skier then NZ is a great way to ease yourself into skiing “overseas”. It is easily accessible and depending upon where you live in Australia, the time to get to the ski fields in NZ may not be much more than to travel to Australian ski resorts.

The scenery in New Zealand is some of the best you will see anywhere in the world. They didn't make the Lord of the Rings movies in New Zealand for nothing. The awe-inspiring snow covered mountains stick straight out of the flat plains, making for spectacular photo opportunities. When you are on the mountains, you feel like you are on top of the world as you take in views across green plains and spectacular lakes.

New Zealand has ski resorts on the North and South Islands. On the North Island there are a few active volcanos, with the biggest and most famous being Mount Ruapehu at 2,797 metres. On one side is the Whakapapa (pronounced Fukkapuppa) resort, and the other side is Turoa. Both ski resorts attract large crowds from Auckland and Wellington. The North Island also “boasts” Snow Planet in Auckland which is an indoor snow resort.

The Southern Alps on the South Island are very steep rocky peaks, the highest being Mount Cook at 3,754 metres. There are a series of ski resorts on the eastern side of the mountains with some of the most well known ski resorts being near Christchurch and Queenstown. Generally, the South Island resorts are much less crowded than those in the North simply due to a lack of local population. There are many club ski fields in the South Island, and also a dedicated cross-country ski field (Snow Farm) and terrain park ski area (Snow Park NZ).

Everyone likes to compare skiing in New Zealand to that of Australia, and even though each resort is different, there are some generalisations that can be made. Generally the resorts in NZ have more annual snowfall, and the mountains are a little higher and further south, so the snow is more likely to stay in reasonable shape. Like Australia (and many other parts of the world) the quality of the season varies significantly, and they can have years that are shockers. Only some of the large commercial resorts have snowmaking, whilst the others have to rely on Huey the snow god.

Generally New Zealand seasons last much longer than Australia. The South Island seasons runs from mid-June to late October, whilst in the North Island the skiing can continue until late November – I was once at Whakapapa where the season extended to the start of January!

There are a couple of disadvantages to skiing in New Zealand. There is no tree skiing, partly because trees don’t grow too well in lava (in the North Island). This could be perceived as an advantage to some who have a habit of running into trees, but the real disadvantage is that in bad weather there are generally no sheltered areas on the mountain, and you are left to the mercy of the weather gods. This results in impaired visibility, amongst other problems. Many of the resorts have to close during bad weather or at least put some of the lifts on wind-hold. Unfortunately resorts are sometimes closed on the days when you most want to be there – powder days!

Skiing in New Zealand is very reliant upon the weather so you need to have a flexible itinerary. Resorts may be closed or only have one lift operating, so prepare to find other activities to do. Also take a few good books to read.

Another disadvantage is that there is no or limited on-mountain accommodation at the large commercial resorts. The convenience of ski-in ski-out après and accommodation is not common in NZ. A further problem is that the majority of the access roads to the ski fields are daunting and lack paving and safety rails, and the carparks are full of mud. Don’t wear any ski gear that is light in colour, or it will return home looking somewhat different.

Heli-skiing New Zealand’s South Island is renowned for its heli-skiing. Heli-skiing is definitely something that should be on your list of things to do before you die. Consequently, an investment in a day of heli-skiing is highly recommended for strong intermediates and expert skiers and boarders. Heli ski operators will tailor each run to your (and your groups) abilities, so you don’t have to be hardcore to go heliskiing. Heli ski operators won’t operate in poor weather conditions so you might need to be a little flexible with your itinerary.

Heli-skiing or heli-boarding will guarantee an experience you will remember forever. Helicopters lift you way beyond the ceiling levels of the resorts (often starting at 8,000 to 10,000 feet). The snow quality can be deep and dry, even if the snow hasn't fallen for a few weeks. Bliss! See our NZ heli-skiing section for more information.

Cost The cost of skiing in New Zealand is reasonably similar to Australia. Lift tickets at the major resorts are about $87-$99 for a one day adult ticket, whilst at the club resorts they are much cheaper and about $45-$50. Costs of accommodation are comparable to Australia, and there are options ranging from cheap back-packer style to 5-star resorts. The exchange rate works in favour for Australians (and most other international travellers), and another major plus is that there are no additional costs such as parking fees or resort entry fees that can be exorbitant in Australia. The only downside of costs is that petrol is pretty expensive. See our NZ resort cost comparison, to see how the New Zealand resorts compare to each other and to a few Australian resorts for costs such as lift tickets, child care, ski hire and ski school.

Travel packages If you are travelling to New Zealand to ski for the first time, there are some great travel packages on offer. These include fully escorted tours from the likes of Contiki Tours (for 18 to 35 year olds), or fly / drive tours with companies such as skidealsnz.com and nzski.com who offer 5, 7 and 10-day packages including car hire, lift tickets and accommodation.

See our travel information page for more details, as well as the respective ‘getting there’ sections for each of the resorts. Some of the fly / drive packages offer great flexibility, enabling you to customize your trip to your own liking. Alternatively, you can travel independently, hire a car and create your own itinerary.

For more information on New Zealand ski resorts, and how they compare to each other and to international resorts, see our Resort Comparisons page. This includes information on climate, club fields and mountains statistics.