NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand’s clear blue skies, lofty mountains and dazzling snow slopes guarantee its popularity as a skiing and snowboarding destination.

There are commercial ski fields, club ski fields, Nordic cross-country, and heli-ski areas in New Zealand. They provide a broad range of skiing terrain, from cool running on carefully groomed downhill’s, to cross-country touring routes, and the ultimate challenge of off-piste descents. Snowboarders can choose from gentle slopes to radical half-pipes that give the maximum buzz.

The North Island has three fields on Mt Ruapehu, including Turoa and Whakapapa, the largest in New Zealand, and on Mt Egmont there is a club field with good volcano-slope skiing.

The South Island fields are spread widely throughout the Southern Alps with Coronet Peak being the southernmost resort. The main commercial resorts in the South Island are Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardona and Treble Cone.

Almost all in accommodation for NZ resorts is off mountain. Stay at Methven for Mt Hutt, Queenstown for Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Cardona and Wanaka for Treble Cone and Cardona.

Heli-skiing and glacier skiing operators cover an extensive range of off-piste skiing throughout the Southern Alps from July to October.

New Zealand’s ski fields are the favourite off-season training venue for numerous Northern Hemisphere ski teams. Check out some of the best snow country south of the equator, and enjoy magic moments where views of glistening slopes and snow-capped peaks go on forever.