New Zealand is a major skiing destination in the Southern Hemisphere, due to its high latitude, mountainous terrain, and well-developed economy and tourism industry. People all around the world who have been skiing in the northern hemisphere like the USA or Europe can now come down here during their hot summers and enjoy the New Zealand Winter Skii Season!
The New Zealand ski season generally runs from June through to late October. Conditions permitting, the major commercial ski areas usually begin opening in early June, with the smaller ski areas opening in late June or early July.
June and July, being colder (although still comparatively mild), can offer some good powder skiing. August is the peak month in which to ski, and September and October offer a variety of skiing, from spring skiing conditions to wintery powder - depending on the weather! In a good season Whakapapa will open at Christmas (because of its higher altitude) for summer skiing, while some other areas open for mountain biking.
While there are several ski resorts on the North Island, most are found in the South Island. There are both major commercial resorts, and smaller intrepid and club skifields which provide access to affordable skiing for club members. There are also specialist backcountry skiing areas such as Mount Potts and Invincible Snowfields which provide heliskiing and snowcat skiing for adventure-seekers.
New Zealand has competed at most Winter Olympics since 1952, when Sir Roy McKenzie led a team. In 1992 Annelise Coberger became the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to win a medal at the Winter Olympics when she won silver in the slalom at Albertville in France.
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching a height of 3,754 metres (12,316 ft).It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination.
The season runs from June to October, the landscapes and scenery are out of this world, gear is easy to hire, and the queues are comparatively short. New Zealand ski fields are uncrowded with plenty of wide-open bowls and gentle slopes for first-time skiers and off-piste skiing and heli-skiing for the more adventurous.
The South Island has nine commercial ski fields within easy reach of Queenstown or Christchurch. Expect dramatic scenery, fantastic snow and diverse runs. The North Island's Mt Ruapehu, with its two commercial fields, is the country''s only skiable volcano.
Snowboarding in New Zealand is a popular winter activity. All New Zealand ski areas cater for snowboarding to some extent (in some cases better than skiers) and you’ll find good riding at them all.
Ohau in the central South Island, and Wanaka - near Queenstown - are both known as top snowboarding areas. In Wanaka, Cardrona is one of the most popular snowboarding fields, with a number of pipes and parks specifically for boarders of all levels.
